Flexible Packaging

Location:
Portugal, Poland or Spain
European scope | Approximately 60% travel
The company
Our client is a well-established international manufacturer of high-performance films for the flexible packaging industry. The business has a strong industrial footprint, an extensive international customer base and a broad portfolio of packaging solutions.
Following continued growth and investment, the company is strengthening its European organisation to accelerate innovation and expand its presence in sustainable, recyclable and higher-value packaging applications. This is an opportunity to join an ambitious, technology-driven organisation with international resources, advanced manufacturing capabilities and a clear long-term growth strategy.
The opportunity
We are looking for a BOPP Product and Market Development Manager Europe to become the primary technical-commercial reference for the European sales organisation and the key interface between customers, regional commercial teams, manufacturing operations and the global product development and R&D organisation.
This is not a traditional territory-sales position or a reactive technical-support role. The successful candidate will create a proactive technical and commercial agenda: identifying portfolio gaps and new applications, qualifying development opportunities, connecting market demand with manufacturing capability and leading selected projects through qualification and the first industrial order.
The position requires deep technical knowledge of BOPP and flexible packaging films, combined with the commercial judgement, initiative and customer-facing credibility needed to turn technical possibilities into profitable market opportunities.

Key responsibilities

- Act as the primary technical resource for European KAMs and Sales Executives across the company's global flexible packaging film portfolio.
- Identify new applications, market segments and geographical opportunities, with a strong focus on value-added BOPP and CPP solutions.
- Match customer needs with the most appropriate products, using credible technical arguments and strong application knowledge.
- Participate in customer meetings alongside commercial teams and engage confidently with R&D specialists, process engineers and packaging development teams.
- Explain product functionality, processing conditions, application suitability and the technical differentiation of proposed solutions.
- Translate market needs into clear technical briefs and coordinate development projects with global product managers, R&D and manufacturing teams.
- Govern the European product-development pipeline by assessing opportunities against technical feasibility, market potential, expected volume, margin and strategic fit.
- Track development projects from initial concept and trials through qualification, specification approval and first commercial order, ensuring clear communication across stakeholders.
- Support customer trials involving printing, lamination, conversion and packaging-line performance.
- Maintain a structured view of the portfolio in Europe, including active references, application coverage, volume relevance and competitive positioning.
- Identify opportunities to replicate successful products, consolidate similar requirements and reduce unnecessary portfolio complexity without compromising customer service.
- Design and deliver technical training for commercial teams by product line, substrate and target application, strengthening their ability to conduct credible technical conversations independently.
- Develop technical-commercial materials, including product presentations, application guides, competitive comparisons and sustainability-focused positioning.
- Build long-term technical credibility with key accounts, converters, brand owners and other stakeholders across the flexible packaging value chain.
- Monitor packaging trends, customer requirements, recyclability regulations and competitor activity across Europe.
- Travel regularly across Europe, representing approximately 60 percent of the role.
Candidate profile
- Degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Polymer Science or an equivalent technical discipline.
- Strong and proven experience in flexible packaging films, with in-depth technical knowledge of BOPP and a solid understanding of CPP, BOPET, BOPA, BOPE, coated films or related substrates.
- Experience with food packaging, dry-food applications, printing, lamination, converting processes or other flexible packaging formats.
- A successful background in product development, application development, technical service, product management, technical sales or market development within a leading packaging or materials organisation.
- Ability to engage credibly with senior technical counterparts at customers, including R&D leaders, process engineers and packaging development specialists.
- Experience managing customer trials, product qua