Senior Business Development Manager (Brands & Retail)

Senior Business Development Manager (Brands & Retail)

Location: Singapore

Reporting To: Global Lyocell Sales Head (non-China)

Employment Type: Full-time

About Sateri

Sateri is a global leader in man-made cellulose fibre (MMCF), producing renewable fibres used in textiles and hygiene products worldwide. With a production capacity of 2.4 million tonnes across viscose and lyocell, the company operates across the fibre value chain, supported by a global commercial network spanning Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Sustainability is central to Sateri's operations, with a strong focus on responsible sourcing, environmental stewardship, and safe manufacturing practices. Through innovation and collaboration, Sateri is committed to advancing sustainable fibre solutions and supporting a more responsible global textile ecosystem.

More details at: https://www.sateri.com

The Opportunity

Lyocell is Sateri's premium cellulosic fibre — sustainably produced, high-performing, and increasingly specified by leading brands worldwide. We are now scaling the international commercial presence of Lyocell and looking for a hands-on business builder to lead that effort.

This is a greenfield role. You will be among the first hires in the international team, responsible for opening new brand and retail partnerships and developing the commercial playbook from scratch. Your success will be measured by market penetration — how many accounts specify Lyocell — and the quality of the pipeline you build.

If you thrive on ambiguity, enjoy creating something from nothing, and want to shape a business from the ground up, this is your role.

Key Responsibilities

Market Development & Brand Engagement

• Identify and pursue new brand and retail partnerships across hospitality, fashion, and consumer goods to drive Lyocell adoption internationally.
• Develop a structured engagement roadmap for target accounts, tailoring approaches by segment, region, and application.
• Develop and execute go-to-market strategies that translate early-stage opportunities into measurable commercial outcomes.

Channel Expansion

• Collaborate with offline and online retail channels to increase penetration and visibility of Lyocell products.
• Drive end-market pull through brand activation, commercial events, and industry engagements.

Cross-Region Collaboration

• Partner with Sateri and APR in-country teams to align global brand strategies with local execution — through influence and shared frameworks.
• Coordinate with China and non-China marketing teams to adapt brand messaging for international markets, maintaining global consistency while ensuring local relevance.

Qualifications & Requirements

Must-Have

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related disciplines; advanced degree preferred.
• At least 15 years of experience in business development, retail marketing, or brand management across B2B and/or B2C environments.
• Demonstrated success in building new markets, partnerships, or commercial pipelines from the ground up (0-to-1 track record).
• Strong understanding of brand engagement within consumer-driven industries (e.g., textiles, fashion, hospitality, retail); textiles or fashion industry experience strongly preferred.
• Experience coordinating brand or marketing strategies across multiple markets, including working with regional and headquarters-level teams.
• Ability to influence and align stakeholders across regions and functions in a matrix or start-up-like environment.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to translate market insights into actionable roadmaps and repeatable playbooks.
• Fluency in English and Mandarin at a professional communication level — Mandarin is essential for accessing an extensive body of Chinese-language product research, technical data, and market intelligence that underpins our value proposition.

Character

• Builder mindset — proactive, persistent, and energised by creating something new. You define what needs to be done rather than waiting for a playbook.
• Comfortable with ambiguity, lean operations, and hands-on execution in a start-up-within-enterprise environment.
• Collaborative and effective across cultures, with the executive presence to engage senior stakeholders, brand principals, and institutional decision-makers.
• Willing to travel regularly across Asia and China, including to developing markets.

Good-to-Have

• Existing network among APAC brand, retail, or hospitality decision-makers.
• Understanding of textile or consumer-goods value chains.
• Experience planning or executing commercial events and industry engagements.

Why Join Us

• Build something from the ground up — shape a new commercial function for a premium sustainable fibre with significant growth headroom. As the business scales, so does your career — within Lyocell and across a diversified group portfolio.
• Strategy meets action — engage directly with global brands and senior stakeholders to create a new demand channel in an industry ripe for change.
• Singapore base, global impact — lead the international growth strategy from a regional hub where many target customers headquarters are located.