Regional Technical Manager - Agrochemicals

Regional Technical Manager - Agrochemicals, EMEA

We are seeking a Regional Technical Manager to lead our agrochemical technical team across the EMEA region. This role will provide strategic direction and expert advice to ensure successful delivery of projects and continuous development of the team. Working closely with the commercial team, this position will help define strategy, prioritise projects, and offer advanced formulation expertise to meet evolving market, customer and regulatory demands.

This role will require frequent interaction with customers and distributors, as well as representing Innospec at conferences. A key aspect of this role is to establish Innospec credibility with customers and assist distributors in expanding their market share. The ideal candidate will bring a unique blend of hands-on formulation experience, project management, and leadership qualities. They will be responsible for building long-term relationships with our customers’ technical teams.

The position will require travel approximately 20% of the time and will be based in the Ellesmere Port site in the UK.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop a high-performing team of scientists and technicians in the provision of general customer technical service and in the development of innovative new product technologies for the Agrochemical market.
• Act as the primary technical contact for our key accounts in the EMEA region. Visit customers and distributors on a regular basis to support the growth of the business in the EMEA region.
• Work with the global technical and commercial teams to define strategy in product development and external customer support to enhance Innospec’s position.
• Monitor the regulatory landscape and, with the support of the regulatory team, understand the implication for the Innospec portfolio.
• Being recognised as an expert in the field, and represent Innospec Agrochemicals at selected Industrial Associations and Trade Shows.
• Assist with the scale-up and commercialisation of new products including preparation of performance blends, formulation examples and conducting tests to highlight product features.
• Communicate effectively and manage technical collaboration with the business team members and the marketing team to support commercial activity and opportunities.
• Maintain an awareness of competitor technologies, technical literature and patents relevant to Innospec’s Agrochemical business and use this knowledge to suggest strategies and technical work, which could give Innospec competitive advantage.
• Ensure that the team operates according to Innospec’s Safety and Quality policies by setting an example and reinforcing the importance of Safety and Quality to team members, thus contributing to meeting objectives, the maintenance of a safe working environment, quality working practices and quality system certifications.

Requirements:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Material Science, Polymer Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, or any other related science fields such as Agronomy and Plant Physiology.
• 10 years or more experience in crop protection formulation and applications, with some deep knowledge of the different additives used in this application. Hands-on experience with common crop protection formulation types including SC, SE, EC, EW, WG, WP, OD, ME, CS, and others.
• Understanding and application knowledge of the impact of formulation additives on stability, wetting, penetration and other physical characteristics
• Ability to provide solutions to customer challenges such as formulation stability, multi-active products and changing regulatory requirements.
• Previous experience in project prioritization and team management is highly desirable.
• Maintain current knowledge of industry trends in sustainability and the impact that new technologies, such as biopesticides, will have on the agricultural business.
• Domestic and international travel will be required.

About Innospec

Innospec is a global specialty chemicals company focused on bringing innovative new technologies to market combined with a fast and responsive service. We serve a range of industries across the world, bringing our products to customers in markets from oilfields, fuels, refineries and power stations to personal care and performance chemicals.

Our global team of approximately 2,000 employees spans 24 countries, applying their extensive experience and market understanding to customers’ local needs. Integrating our global footprint with local service capability enables us to supply quality products that meet and anticipate changing market dynamics.

The successful candidate will receive a competitive salary alongside the following benefits:

• Up to 10% employee, 15% employer pension contributions
• Annual bonus scheme
• 6x death in service
• Private medical insurance
• 25 days annual leave (increasing to 28 days after 2-, 4- and 5-years’ service)
• Sharesave scheme