Sales Manager, Petrochemical Catalysts

Role Purpose

The Sales Manager, Petrochemical Catalysts is accountable for driving profitable growth, expanding market share, and strengthening Shell's competitive position for PP and Aromatics catalyst solutions across Asia Pacific (excluding China).

The role develops and executes regional growth strategies through direct customer engagement, strategic account development, market creation activities, and channel partner management. Channels, distributors, value-added resellers (VARs), sales agents, licensors,

and strategic partners are key enablers to expand market coverage, improve customer access, and accelerate growth in underpenetrated markets.

The successful candidate will combine strong techno-commercial credibility with senior commercial leadership to identify new opportunities, displace competitors, develop differentiated value propositions, and convert market insights into sustainable business growth.

Position Summary

This role is responsible for managing strategic third-party petrochemical customer accounts while providing commercial leadership and technical expertise in selective hydrogenation and aromatics catalyst applications and serves as a commercial representative of Shell, influencing customers, channel partners, and internal stakeholders to deliver long-term strategic growth.

This is a sales role with accountability for market development, route-to-market strategy, and new business generation. This position requires extensive experience in sales and catalysis. The successful candidate will have expertise in olefin recovery applications, paraxylene production, and catalyst performance optimization, while effectively managing customer relationships and finding growth opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

Account Management & Commercial Leadership

• Identify and qualify new business opportunities across direct and indirect sales channels.

• Collaborate with product management, technology, technical services, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, legal, and compliance teams to develop customer solutions.

• Influence regional and global commercial strategies through customer, channel, and market insights.

Strategic Customer & Opportunity Management

• Lead engagement with strategic petrochemical customers, licensors, EPCs, and key industry stakeholders across Asia Pacific (excluding China).

• Develop and execute account plans that drive revenue growth, customer retention, and market share expansion.

• Build trusted relationships with technical, commercial, procurement, operations, and executive stakeholders.

• Lead complex commercial negotiations and multi-year opportunity development efforts.

• Develop compelling customer value propositions that differentiate Shell's catalyst offerings from competitors.

Key Accountabilities

• Deliver revenue and market share growth targets.

• Develop and maintain a qualified sales pipeline sufficient to meet future growth objectives.

• Ensure commercial activities comply with HSSE, Ethics & Compliance, competition law, and trade control requirements.

Experience and Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering or a related scientific or engineering discipline required.

• Advanced technical or business qualifications are advantageous.

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in a combination of:

• Petrochemical operations

• Catalyst sales and technical services

• Petrochemical technology delivery, consulting, or licensing

• Experience across multiple petrochemical process areas, with expertise in:

• Steam cracker olefin recovery applications

• Selective hydrogenation technologies

• Aromatics production

• Paraxylene complexes

• Channel management experience desired.

Knowledge & Skills

Technical Competencies

• Strong understanding of petrochemical catalyst technologies.

• Knowledge in selective hydrogenation and aromatics processing.

• Knowledge of olefin recovery operations and paraxylene production.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

• Process engineering knowledge and application experience.

Commercial Competencies

• Strategic account management experience.

• Business development and consultative selling skills.

• Value proposition development.

• Commercial negotiation and customer engagement expertise.

Professional Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong presentation and influencing abilities.

• Exceptional interpersonal and teamwork skills.

• Effective time management and organizational skills.

• Self-directed with a proactive approach to problem-solving.

• Ability to gain credibility and influence highly experienced technical stakeholders.

Working Conditions

• Global travel requirement of approximately 40%-50%.

• Travel outside assigned region as business needs require.

• Frequent interaction with senior customer personnel and technical experts.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong customer focus and relationship-building abilities. 

• High confidence and professional credibility. 

• A proven track record in HSSE (Health, Safety, Security & Environment) performance. 

• Commitment to continuous learning and professional development. 

• Ability to operate effectively in highly technical and commercially demanding environments. 

• Strong collaboration and cross-functional leadership capabilities. 

Shell is an international energy company that uses advanced technologies and takes an innovative approach to help build a sustainable energy future. Here in Singapore, Shell has a long history and is one of the country’s largest foreign investors. It has businesses spanning trading and marketing of liquefied natural gas; refining, trading, marketing and shipping of oil products, lubricants and chemicals; low carbon solutions; and operating a network of service stations through retailers, as well as electric vehicles charging. 

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