Key Account Manager - Dairy

Looking for a role that challenges you while making an impact on products people use every day?

IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients and health & biosciences, we deliver sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products.

Food Ingredients: Innovating improved nutritional profiles, better taste and texture, and greater cost efficiency to meet the needs of global food and beverage manufacturers.​

The role is based in Shanghai, China (agile role). Be part of a motivated, passionate, and open-minded team where together we can achieve greatness and make a real impact. Your potential is our inspiration.

Where You’ll Make a Difference

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key customers, with accountability for revenue, profitability and forecast accuracy.
• Drive dairy business growth in East China and manage the commercial activities of assigned accounts.
• Understand customer priorities and coordinate the timely delivery of solutions and services that meet their business and technical needs.
• Identify and develop new business opportunities across existing and prospective accounts, converting opportunities into sustainable sales growth.
• Manage key account and distribution business activities in line with IFF’s commercial strategy.
• Monitor market trends, customer developments, competitive activity and emerging opportunities, and share relevant insights with internal teams.
• Maintain accurate forecasting, pricing, opportunity pipelines, customer call reports and other sales information through relevant commercial tools.
• Collaborate with technical, marketing, application and other cross-functional teams to deliver value for customers.
• Contribute to a collaborative and performance-driven team culture while delivering individual and business objectives.

What Makes You the Right Fit

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Food Science, Dairy Science, Business or a related discipline.
• At least 3 years relevant experience in sales, key account management, business development or technical service within the food ingredients, dairy or related industry.
• Proven ability to manage key accounts and develop long-term customer partnerships in China.
• Strong commercial awareness, with the ability to understand customer needs and convert opportunities into business growth.
• Ability to analyze business and market information and communicate clear, actionable insights.
• Strong presentation, negotiation, interpersonal and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to quickly understand and communicate both commercial and technical information.
• Self-motivated, solution-oriented and comfortable working independently while contributing effectively to a team.
• Good written and spoken English and Chinese communication skills.

How Would You Stand Out?

• Experience in dairy ingredients, dairy applications or dairy-related solutions.
• Established knowledge of the dairy market and customer landscape in East China.
• Experience managing distributor relationships alongside direct key accounts.
• Demonstrated success in developing new customers or expanding business within strategic accounts.

Why Choose Us?

• Opportunity to work with innovative food and dairy solutions in a global organization.
• Collaboration with experienced commercial, technical and application teams.
• A role with meaningful customer exposure and direct impact on business growth.
• Opportunities for continuous learning, development and career progression.

For your awareness, IFF has announced its intention to sell its Food Ingredients Business to CVC Capital Partners. The sale is presently expected to close in the first half of 2027, pending regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. The Food Ingredient business unit will remain a part of IFF until close and, at such time, it will transition to CVC Capital Partners. In applying for this position, you acknowledge your awareness that the position is a part of the Food Ingredient business unit and has been identified to transition to CVC Capital Partners.

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more