Sales, Assistant Manager

Position Purpose
The Sales Assistant Manager is responsible for driving profitable and sustainable business growth in the personal care market in Japan by developing new business opportunities, strengthening strategic customer and distributor relationships, and managing assigned product portfolios.

The role works closely with Technical Service, Marketing, Product Management, R&D, Supply Chain Management, and regional/global teams to deliver tailored solutions to customer needs and achieve sales and innovation targets.　Foster collaboration and accountability within the team by demonstrating winning behaviors.

Main Responsibilities
Customer & Key Account Management
Develop and execute account strategies for key customers and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders across customer organizations.

Build a deep understanding of customer strategies, needs, and challenges, and proactively develop tailored solutions that create value for both customers and BASF.

Expand customer networks and identify opportunities to strengthen long-term partnerships.

Prepare and deliver effective product and business presentations to customers.

New Business Development
Identify, initiate, and develop new business opportunities within the personal care market, covering both existing portfolios and new product launches.

Build and manage a strong sales pipeline & Projects by connecting customer needs with BASF's products, technologies, and solutions.

Collaborate closely with Technical Service, Marketing, Product Management, R&D, and other cross-functional teams to develop new projects and accelerate commercialization.

Proactively identify market opportunities and convert them into profitable and sustainable business.

Sales & Business Management
Develop and execute sales strategies and action plans to achieve sales, profitability, and innovation targets.

Manage key sales activities, including sales forecasting, inventory management, customer visit reports, Project management, and NCM.

Monitor sales performance and business development activities and take appropriate actions to address gaps and opportunities.

Support commercial negotiations, including pricing and business conditions, to secure profitable business and sustainable growth.

Distributor Management
Build strong and mutually beneficial partnerships with distributors by aligning on business targets, priorities, and customer development activities.

Provide distributors with appropriate product, technical, and marketing information to support effective market development and product promotion.

Regularly review distributor performance and activities and provide constructive feedback to support continuous improvement.

Market & Competitive Intelligence
Monitor and analyze market trends, customer developments, technology applications, and competitive activities.

Benchmark competitors in areas such as market positioning, product performance, pricing, and product portfolios.

Translate market intelligence into actionable insights to support sales, portfolio, and business strategy.

Proactively share relevant market insights with stakeholders in Japan and regional/global teams.

Local Product Management
Act as the local product management representative for assigned portfolios in Japan.

Maintain close communication with regional Product Managers to understand regional and global priorities, supply and inventory conditions, raw material price trends, margin development, and pricing guidance, including rock-bottom pricing.

Support the development and execution of local portfolio, supply, and pricing strategies to improve business performance and profitability.

Regional & Global Collaboration
Act as a key interface between the Japan organization and regional/global teams by communicating local market insights, customer needs, business opportunities, and achievements.

Build and leverage a strong internal network across Sales, Marketing, Technical Service, R&D, Product Management, and Supply Chain Management to deliver maximum value to customers.

Contribute to cross-functional collaboration and demonstrate ownership and accountability in driving business results.

Employee Benefits:
Health Insurance：
Employees' Pension：
Employment Insurance：
Industrial Injury Insurance：

Qualifications & Experience
Education
Bachelor's degree or above. A degree in Chemistry, Biology, Business, Marketing, or a related field is preferred.

Professional Experience
Minimum 5 years of experience in sales, business development, or marketing, preferably in the personal care, cosmetics, specialty chemicals, or related industries.

Experience in the Japanese personal care/cosmetics market is strongly preferred.

Skills & Competencies
Proven ability to identify and develop new business opportunities and build a sustainable Sales Projects.

Strong customer relationship management, communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.

Strategic and analytical thinking with strong problem-solving capabilities.

Results-oriented mindset with a strong focus on achieving sales and profitability targets.

Ability to work effectively across functions and within an international organization.

Strong sense of ownership and ability to proactively drive projects and business opportunities.

Languages
Business-level Japanese and English communication skills.

Ability to communicate effectively with customers in Japan as well as regional and global stakeholders.