Job Description

Interested in a career that matters?

Interested in a career that matters?

At Novonesis, we believe biology holds the key to solving some of the world's biggest challenges. As Head of Dairy Sales, Middle East, you will play a pivotal role in accelerating growth across one of our most important regions while helping shape the future of biosolutions in the dairy industry.

You will lead the Dairy commercial organization across the Middle East, driving execution of our GROW Strategy 2030, building strong customer partnerships, developing high-performing teams, and delivering sustainable, profitable growth across a diverse and dynamic market landscape.

The Role & Your Impact

The Head of Dairy Sales is responsible for leading the Dairy business and sales organization across the GCC countries, Levant, Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq and Stans. Reporting to the Head of Dairy MEA, this role connects strategy with execution, ensuring commercial excellence while strengthening Novonesis' position as a trusted innovation partner for customers throughout the region.

Your key responsibilities in this role

• Develop and execute the Middle East Dairy growth strategy aligned with the broader MEA and FBB business strategy.
• Translate and deliver the priorities of GROW Strategy 2030 through growth of the core business, enhancement of Novonesis' distinctive position, and acceleration of the biosolutions market.
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Key Account Managers and Account Managers, fostering accountability, engagement, and high performance.
• Build strategic relationships with focus customers, key accounts, distributors, and industry stakeholders.
• Drive opportunity management, pipeline discipline, forecasting accuracy, budgeting, and commercial performance through Salesforce and business review processes.
• Optimize route-to-market models and distributor partnerships to accelerate growth and strengthen market presence.
• Partner closely with technical, marketing, supply chain, finance, regulatory, and distribution teams to deliver customer value and business results.
• Champion innovation, customer-centricity, sustainability, and biosolutions adoption across regional markets.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, safety standards, risk-management practices, and governance requirements.
• Serve as a key member of the MEA Dairy Leadership Team and contribute actively to regional business priorities and long-term growth objectives.

What you'll need to be successful in this role

• BSc or MSc degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Biotechnology, or another relevant scientific field.
• Extensive B2B commercial leadership experience within the dairy industry.
• Proven track record of delivering sustainable business growth and developing strategic customer partnerships.
• Experience leading account management teams across multiple countries and operating effectively within matrix organizations.
• Strong commercial acumen across strategic planning, pricing, forecasting, budgeting, contracts, pipeline management, and working-capital discipline.
• Ability to combine scientific understanding with a customer-focused, value-based sales approach.
• Experience using CRM systems, ideally Salesforce, and leveraging data-driven insights to support decision-making.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively across the region.

Essential leadership capabilities

• Strategic leadership
• Customer centricity
• People leadership
• Commercial excellence
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Strong execution and resilience in complex market environments

Additional skills & interests we value

• Additional commercial or business qualifications.
• Knowledge of biosolutions, fermentation technologies, cultures, enzymes, or related dairy applications.
• Experience in emerging markets across the Middle East, Africa, or Asia.
• Additional language capabilities relevant to the region.
• Passion for innovation, sustainability, and market development.
• Curiosity, adaptability, and a growth mindset aligned with the Novonesis Culture Commitments of Explore, Impact, Ownership, and Care.

What we offer you

At Novonesis, you will have the opportunity to shape the future of biosolutions while working alongside passionate colleagues committed to making a positive impact on customers, society, and the planet.

We offer:

• A highly visible leadership role with significant regional impact.
• The opportunity to influence strategic business decisions and long-term growth plans.
• Exposure to global, regional, and local stakeholders across a leading biosolutions organization.
• A collaborative and inclusive culture built on Explore, Impact, Ownership, and Care.
• Ongoing leadership and professional development opportunities.
• The ability to help customers create value through innovative biosolutions and sustainable transformation.

Our purpose guides the way

In Novonesis, we know that solutions rooted in biology can help solve humanity’s biggest challenges. Since we began more than a century ago, this has been our guide. It’s how we've gotten so far. And it’s how we'll impact the future. Now, more than ever, the world needs change. And with biosolutions, the possibilities for transformation are endless. If our purpose resonates with you, we encourage you to apply.

Opportunities for everyone

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and equal opportunity for all applicants. Therefore we ask you to apply without a cover letter or photo and instead include a few sentences in your CV explaining your motivation for applying.

We make all employment decisions based on business needs and welcome candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, including ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.

Explore other openings

If this position isn’t the right fit, you may still find other opportunities with us. You’re welcome to explore open roles or create a job agent to stay connected with future opportunities at novonesis.com/Career