Regional Sales Manager Ingredients (36 - 40 hours)

International Markets

From ingredient supplier to solutions partner and you're the one who makes that shift real.

The world is moving toward healthier, more natural food and Cosun Ingredients is at the heart of that shift. With our plant-based ingredients; inulin, oligofructose, fibers, prebiotics and protein at the core of our portfolio, we help food, beverage and nutraceutical brands create products people actually want to eat. As we expand our range and our ambitions, we're looking for a Regional Sales Manager who can turn ingredients into solutions, and relationships into partnerships.

Location: Cosun Ingredients Head Office, Dinteloord, the Netherlands
Hours: 36 - 40 hours per week
Travel: ~30%, focused on Southern Europe (Italy, Spain, France, Greece) and key customers potentially across regions

The role

You'll take ownership of a region built on strong existing business and real headroom for growth. Roughly 60% of your time goes into deepening and safeguarding our current customer and distributor relationships; the other 40% is about spotting opportunities and developing project pipeline . You'll get to know your accounts inside out: not just what they buy, but how they think, where they're headed, and where we can add value they haven't asked for yet.

This isn't a role for someone who waits for a brief. We want a sales professional who reads the market, sees the opening, and builds the bridge, someone who can sit down with an R&D team, understand where a customer's product development is going, and help shape how our ingredients get positioned and marketed within it.

During your first months you'll focus on understanding the business, customers and distribution landscape. As you establish yourself, the emphasis gradually shifts towards identifying strategic growth opportunities and building new business across the region.

What you'll actually do:

• Manage, grow and ensure relationship developments with existing customers, distributors and key accounts across your region
• Identify projects and convert new business opportunities; from first conversation to signed agreement
• Build genuine partnerships: understand customer strategy, connect it to our portfolio, and co-create solutions to add value
• Work closely with R&D, science, marketing and application teams to translate technical capability into customer-relevant positioning
• Negotiate agreements, prices and contracts; prepare accurate forecasts and sales plans
• Represent Cosun Ingredients at customer visits, exhibitions and industry events
• Navigate complex accounts and multiple stakeholders with patience, curiosity and cultural awareness

We're looking for someone with real ingredients experience who's outgrown their first role in the industry and is ready for more ownership. Think second or third role in ingredients, not necessarily 20+ years. Dynamism and drive matter more than tenure. 

• Solid track record in international B2B sales or account management
• Experience within functional ingredients, food ingredients, or nutraceutical ingredients is strongly preferred.
• A degree in Food Technology, Food Science, Nutrition, or a similar field. We also welcome commercial professionals with proven ability to engage credibly with R&D and product development teams.
• Fluent in English (must); Spanish is a strong plus; French / Italian is a plus. Dutch is not required
• Comfortable navigating cultural differences and building trust across customer organisations and business environments   
• Familiar with distribution networks and how to build relationships with distributors as well as direct accounts
• Thrives in a changing environment and enjoys exploring new opportunities, markets and ways of working.
• Confident and easy to connect with: you build bridges naturally, without ego
• Someone who understands that partnership beats transaction: outside-in thinking, customer-solutions focused, joint value creation

• Join a motivated and informal team with direct access to Cosun’s RD&I and Innovation Center in Dinteloord
• Hybrid and remote working options available
• Competitive salary of approximately €85,000 to €100,000 per year
• Excellent secondary benefits, including an annual bonus and Cosun pension scheme
• Extensive development and training opportunities
• Plenty of room to grow, from strengthening key customer relationships in your first months to driving new business development as you establish yourself in the role

About Cosun Ingredients

Cosun Ingredients is part of Royal Cosun, an international cooperative owned by around 9,000 growers, encompassing Aviko, Cosun Beet Company, Duynie Group and Cosun Ingredients; together developing food, ingredients, animal feed and biobased solutions with over 4,000 employees worldwide.

Ready to help shape how our plant-based ingredients become solutions customers understand, trust and choose? We'd love to hear from you.