Vice President Sales, Infant & Specialized Nutrition (ISN) Asia Greater Shanghai, China Area

Vice President Sales, Infant & Specialized Nutrition (ISN) Asia

Shanghai, China

As Sales Vice President ISN Asia, you will be responsible for leading and accelerating the commercial growth of the Infant & Specialty Nutrition (ISN) business across Asia. As a senior commercial leader within the ISN Global P&L Unit (GPLU), you will drive the regional sales strategy, lead customer engagement across key markets, and ensure the successful delivery of growth ambitions across both Growth Platforms: Infant Nutrition & Grow-up Milks (INF & GUM) and Clinical Nutrition & Age-related Decline (CN & ARD).

Asia, and particularly China, represent critical growth markets for ISN. In this role, you will build and maintain strategic relationships with senior customer stakeholders, identify and capture growth opportunities, and lead the execution of regional commercial priorities. You will work closely with regional Account Management teams, Growth Platform teams and Global Key Account (GKA) teams to drive sustainable growth, strengthen customer partnerships and maximize business impact across the region.

As the most senior commercial leader for ISN in Asia, you will also support Global Key Account teams in strengthening executive-level customer relationships and managing regional escalations within regional divisions of strategic global customers.

Your key responsibilities

Lead the commercial growth and business development agenda for ISN across Asia, delivering sustainable sales, profitability and market share growth. Develop and execute the regional sales strategy aligned with ISN business objectives, Growth Platform priorities and customer needs. Contribute to the development of long-term regional growth strategies and investment priorities for Asia.

Lead, coach and develop the regional sales organization to deliver high performance, customer focus and commercial excellence.

Build and maintain strong executive-level relationships with key customers, industry stakeholders and strategic partners across Asia, with particular focus on China. Represent ISN and dsm-firmenich at industry events, customer meetings, trade associations and other strategic external engagements.

Drive business growth across regional and local customer accounts through effective account prioritization, resource allocation and opportunity management. Identify emerging market trends, customer needs, competitive dynamics and growth opportunities to inform regional business strategies. Ensure disciplined portfolio and opportunity management, focusing resources on the most attractive growth opportunities across the region.

Partner closely with Growth Platform teams to translate strategic priorities into commercial opportunities and customer value creation. Collaborate with Global Key Account teams to support regional execution of global account strategies and ensure alignment across customer organizations. Act as the senior regional escalation point for Global Key Accounts, supporting issue resolution, relationship management and executive stakeholder engagement where required. Foster strong cross-functional collaboration with Marketing, Innovation, Regulatory, Technical Sales, Customer Care, Supply Chain and other key stakeholders.

Drive forecasting accuracy, pipeline management and business performance monitoring to ensure achievement of financial objectives.

We offer

A dynamic work environment with many challenges that give you the possibility to work autonomously and with a team in finding the right solutions. You are given the freedom to be creative and proactive.

An inclusive and multicultural team with respect for everyone.

Recognition and celebration of your efforts and accomplishments.

Customer-first approach, working with world-renowned brands to turn ideas into impactful solutions.

Dedication to creating better futures for customers, communities, people, and the planet.

Responsibility and accountability in living company values and driving sustainable solutions.

You bring

Bachelor's degree in Business, Nutrition, Food Science, Life Sciences or a related field; an MBA or advanced degree is preferred. 15+ years of commercial leadership experience within nutrition, health, food ingredients, life sciences or related B2B industries.

Proven track record of leading and growing a key account-driven business across Asia, including successful delivery of sustainable revenue and profitability growth. Strong experience working with customers in China and broader Asian markets, with deep understanding of regional business dynamics and customer landscapes.

Demonstrated success building and managing senior executive relationships with strategic customers and business partners. Experience collaborating with Global Key Account organizations and supporting complex multinational customer relationships.

Experience leading regional sales teams within complex international and matrix organizations. Excellent leadership, coaching and team development skills.

Strong strategic thinking and commercial acumen, with the ability to balance long-term growth opportunities with short-term business delivery. Demonstrated ability to prioritize effectively across a large and diverse geographic region, focusing resources and investments where they create the greatest impact. Strong negotiation, influencing and stakeholder management capabilities. Strong analytical and financial acumen with experience managing business performance and growth plans.

Excellent communication and presentation skills in English; Mandarin proficiency is highly desirable. Willingness to travel extensively across Asia as required.

About dsm-firmenich

At dsm-firmenich, we don’t just meet expectations – we go beyond them.

Join our global team powered by science, creativity, and a shared purpose: to bring progress to life.

From elevating health to making fortified food and sustainable skincare, the impact of your work here will be felt by millions – every single day. Whether it’s fragrance that helps you focus, alternative meat that’s better for the planet, or reducing sugar without losing flavor, this is where you help shape the future of nutrition, health, and beauty for everyone, everywhere.

And while you’re making a difference, we’ll make sure you’re growing too. With learning that never stops, a culture that lifts you up and the freedom to move across businesses, teams, and borders. Your voice matters here. And your ideas? They’re essential to our future.

Because real progress only happens when we go beyond, together.

Application Process

Interested in this position? Please apply on-line by uploading your resume via career portal. For further information, please contact Recruiter: Tammy Zhou (tammy.xiao-tong.zhou@dsm-firmenich.com)

Please note that the new organizational leader is currently listed as the hiring manager, while details of the direct reporting manager will be confirmed and shared at a later stage

Inclusion, Belonging & Equal Opportunities statement

At dsm-firmenich, we believe being a force for good starts with the way we treat each other. When people feel supported, included, and free to be themselves, they do their best work – and that’s exactly the kind of culture we’re building. A place where opportunity is truly equal, authenticity is celebrated, and everyone has the chance to grow, contribute, and feel they belong.

We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we’re serious about making our hiring process as fair and inclusive as possible. From inclusive language and diverse interview panels to thoughtful sourcing, we’re committed to reflecting the world we serve.

We welcome candidates from all backgrounds — no matter your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes you, you.

And if you have a disability or need any support through the application process, we’re here to help – just let us know what you need, and we’ll do everything we can to make it work.

Agency Statement

We’re managing this search directly at dsm-firmenich. If you’re applying as an individual, we’d love to hear from you. We’re not accepting agency submissions or proposals involving fees or commissions for this role.