Business Development Manager CEE&MEA

About the role The Business Development Manager is a strategic leadership role responsible for driving and executing the premium powder growth agenda across the Central Eastern Europe and Middle East Africa region. This position identifies, develops, and secures high-value business opportunities in both existing and emerging markets, ensuring sustainable and profitable growth. Acting as a trusted thought partner to the Global Cocoa and Chocolate teams, the Business Development Manager plays a key role in shaping the region’s long-term growth strategy, strengthening market positioning, and translating strategic priorities into actionable business development initiatives aligned with Global Cocoa and broader Group objectives. Key Responsibilities Include Strategic Growth Leadership Define and execute premium powder growth agenda across the region (defining right product/customer mix with sales teams) Anticipate market trends, customer needs, and competitive dynamics, translating them into actionable strategies with cross-functions (R&D, QA, Supply Chain) Business Continuity Coordinate powder activities across teams and regions, acting as a bridge between sales and internal stakeholders Develop a strong network of contacts within the Group - Customer Care, Marketing, Sourcing, Finance and Supply Chain - in order to support day to day business in the region and pro-actively supports the sales team, distributors & customers Lead cross-functional initiatives to penetrate high-potential customer segments and geographies (alignment with Chocolate) Market Dynamics and Analysis Utilize data and other functional tools to research potential territories and markets, preparing reports with findings and recommendations Understanding regional dynamics and presenting comprehensive demand per sub-region annually are the essentials of the role (lead workshops on competition landscape, market sizing and consumption trends) Best Practices Implementation: Build strong relationships with counterparts within Global Cocoa and Chocolate Regions and introduce best practices to the region from internal and external sources About You Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Industrial & Food Engineering 10+ years in sales, business development or related commercial leadership roles, ideally within global or complex markets (experience in B2B, Food industry is preferred) Expertise in structuring and negotiating complex commercial agreements and partnerships Exceptional strategic thinking, analytical capability, and financial acumen Strong understanding of market dynamics and sales processes Ability to lead and collaborate with cross-functional teams Fluent in English; speaking French is preferred due to the region’s customer base or and any other language in the region Regular travel within region and to BC locations (Louviers, Hamburg, Zurich) required (on average 40% of work time) Strategic planning and execution Project management