Business Development Manager - Chemicals (Energy, Petrochemical & Industrial)

The Business Development Manager – Chemicals is responsible for developing and growing sales of industrial and specialty chemicals into the energy, petrochemical, and industrial facilities sectors across the Kingdom. The role combines new-market development with the management of strategic accounts, working closely with technical specialists to deliver consultative, value-based solutions to refineries, petrochemical complexes, power and utility operators, and heavy industrial facilities.

This is a hunter–farmer role: roughly 70% focused on identifying and winning new business, and 30% on growing and protecting high-value existing accounts.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Sales

• Develop and execute a strategic sales plan to grow chemical sales revenue across target sectors and accounts in line with company targets.

• Identify, qualify, and convert new opportunities; build a robust pipeline through prospecting, networking, referrals, and targeted outreach to decision-makers.

• Map key accounts and decision-making units, building relationships with procurement, operations, process engineering, maintenance, and C-level stakeholders.

• Lead complex, multi-stakeholder B2B sales cycles from lead generation through to contract closure.

Technical & Consultative Selling

• Understand client process units, applications, and economic drivers to position the right chemical solutions (e.g., process and water treatment chemicals, corrosion and scale inhibitors, biocides, demulsifiers, catalysts, cleaning and specialty chemicals, and related products).

• Translate technical product features into clear commercial value; prepare value-added recommendations, technical proposals, and business cases.

• Work alongside technical specialists, suppliers, and principals to develop and validate customized solution scopes.

• Interpret basic engineering documentation (P&IDs, PFDs, datasheets) to support solution design and credibility with engineering teams.

Commercial & Contract Management

• Negotiate pricing, supply agreements, and Master Service Agreements (MSAs), protecting margin while remaining competitive.

• Manage tenders and bid submissions, coordinating internal pricing, technical, and approval inputs.

• Monitor order fulfilment and customer satisfaction in coordination with supply chain and operations.

Market Intelligence & Strategy

• Track market trends, competitor activity, pricing, regulatory developments, and demand drivers across the energy and petrochemical landscape.

• Identify new chemical product lines, principals, and partnerships to expand the portfolio.

• Provide regular forecasts, pipeline reports, and market insight to leadership.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Maintain accurate pipeline, activity, and forecast data in the CRM.

• Coordinate with finance, supply chain, HSE, quality, and technical functions to deliver on commitments.

• Support marketing on sector positioning, events, and campaigns.

Target Sectors & Chemical Scope

Sectors: Oil & gas (upstream, midstream, downstream), refineries, petrochemical and chemical complexes, power generation and utilities, water and wastewater, and heavy industrial facilities.

Indicative chemical lines: Process treatment chemicals, water treatment chemicals, corrosion and scale inhibitors, oilfield production chemicals (demulsifiers, biocides, scavengers), refinery and process catalysts, cleaning and decontamination chemicals, and specialty/industrial chemicals relevant to the sectors served.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent industry experience).

• 5–10 years of direct B2B technical sales / business development experience selling chemicals, equipment, or engineered solutions to refineries, petrochemical plants, or industrial facilities.

• Demonstrated track record of consistently meeting or exceeding sales targets and opening new accounts.

• Working knowledge of refinery/petrochemical/plant process units and their economic drivers.

• Experience negotiating B2B supply contracts and managing complex sales cycles.

Preferred

• Established network within KSA energy, petrochemical, and industrial accounts (e.g., national oil & gas, petrochemical, and utility operators).

• Familiarity with KSA procurement processes, local content (IKTVA), and Vision 2030 industrial localization priorities.

• Experience working with international chemical principals or as a distributor/agent.

Skills & Competencies

• Consultative, value-based selling with strong technical credibility.

• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management at all levels, including C-suite.

• Strong commercial acumen, negotiation, and business-case development.

• Clear written and verbal communication; proficient in proposals and presentations.

• Self-driven, resilient, and persistent, with strong organizational and CRM discipline.

• Fluency in English required; Arabic strongly preferred.

• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and CRM tools.

Key Performance Indicators

• Revenue and gross margin growth from chemical sales.

• New accounts opened and pipeline value generated.

• Conversion rate and sales-cycle efficiency.

• Forecast accuracy and CRM data quality.

• Customer retention and share-of-wallet growth in strategic accounts.