Business Development Manager - Paper Extrusion Coating, QSR Foodservice

Role Profile

We are seeking a highly motivated Business Development Manager to lead growth initiatives for Eastman’s paper extrusion-coating business in the foodservice segment, with a strong focus on quick-service restaurant (QSR) customers. This role requires a strategic, commercially driven professional with experience engaging QSR customers and the industry partners that serve them. The successful candidate will identify and develop business opportunities, build relationships across customer and converter organizations, and connect Eastman’s capabilities with customer needs. Working across commercial and technical teams, this person will advance opportunities from initial engagement through evaluation and commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Identify, qualify and develop business opportunities aligned with Eastman’s paper extrusion-coating strategy for foodservice, prioritizing opportunities tied to target QSR customers.
• Proactively engage QSR customers, converters and other foodservice industry partners to understand their unmet needs, buying processes, decision criteria and business challenges.
• Use market intelligence and competitive analysis to identify QSR foodservice trends, customer opportunities and ways to strengthen Eastman’s position in the segment.
• Build relationships and engage decision-makers across QSR customer and converter organizations, including R&D, marketing, brand management, sustainability, procurement and senior leadership.
• Develop and present compelling value propositions that connect Eastman’s paper extrusion-coating capabilities to the needs and business objectives of QSR customers and their foodservice partners.
• Lead customer engagement from initial outreach and opportunity development through technical evaluation, decision-making and commercialization, maintaining alignment and timely progress.
• Collaborate with the Market Segment Team, Technical and Application Development Managers, and other internal stakeholders to address QSR customer needs and advance commercial opportunities.
• Use Salesforce and Eastman’s Opportunity Management processes to track, prioritize and develop the opportunity pipeline, including engagement plans and next steps for QSR-related opportunities.
• Build and maintain a broad network across the QSR foodservice value chain to identify customer needs, establish new relationships and develop business channels.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution required; a Master’s or PhD is preferred, ideally in business, chemical engineering, materials science or a related field.
• 5–10 years of progressive sales or business development experience in foodservice, QSR, paper extrusion coating or a related industry.
• Demonstrated experience engaging QSR customers or developing business with converters and other industry partners that serve QSR accounts is strongly preferred.
• Experience managing customer relationships and complex commercial opportunities involving multiple stakeholders is preferred.
• Strong commercial judgment and demonstrated ability in customer strategy, market and competitive analysis, and sales planning.
• Proficiency with Salesforce (SFDC) or other CRM and sales tools.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills, including the ability to engage effectively with both commercial and technical stakeholders.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams to develop customer-focused solutions.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively, approximately 60% or more, for QSR customer and partner meetings, trade shows, training and global events.

• Note: Eastman will not accept applicants for this offered position who require visa sponsorship, including those whose status is F-1 visa OPT who subsequently would require ongoing visa sponsorship.