Job: Managing Director (USP Nicotine Supplier)

Company Description

Our client is a long-established and well-resourced organization operating in a highly regulated sector. Through a dedicated nicotine business unit, it develops high-purity nicotine ingredients for next-generation applications and is now entering an important new phase of evolution.

Historically, this business has operated with a focused model built around sourcing, refining, and supplying a highly specialized product through external manufacturing partners. Going forward, the mandate is broader. The business is expected to diversify its commercial base, expand product capabilities, support customized solutions, and help shape a more resilient and scalable supply chain. This is therefore both a succession hire and a growth hire.

Objective of the Role

The Managing Director will lead the nicotine business end to end, with full ownership of commercial development, product strategy, operational coordination, and cross-functional execution. This person will step into a highly autonomous leadership role and ensure continuity while also building the next phase of growth.

The mandate is to strengthen the current business, deepen customer engagement, broaden the product offering, and help position the platform for future expansion. The role combines strategic leadership with significant hands-on involvement and requires someone comfortable operating with a high degree of independence.

Ideal Profile

The ideal candidate brings a strong blend of technical credibility and commercial capability. He or she should understand nicotine or adjacent regulated ingredient categories well enough to engage confidently on product requirements, manufacturing considerations, and customer applications, while also being capable of driving business development and building long-term partnerships.

A background in nicotine is strongly preferred. However, the client may also consider candidates from adjacent sectors such as fine chemicals, botanical extraction, food ingredients, or other regulated ingredient environments, provided they offer relevant technical grounding and strong product development and customer-facing experience.

The successful candidate will be mature, self-sufficient, practical, and comfortable in a lean structure. He or she should be able to move easily between strategic planning, external relationship management, and day-to-day coordination with internal stakeholders and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead the nicotine business with accountability for growth, profitability, execution, and long-term strategic direction.
• Manage customer relationships and identify new commercial opportunities across next-generation nicotine applications.
• Oversee the full value chain, including sourcing, contract manufacturing coordination, packaging, inventory planning, and supply continuity.
• Partner with technical and manufacturing teams to support high-purity nicotine production as well as the development of customized solutions, including blends, salts, and other application-specific formats.
• Drive product development initiatives in response to evolving customer requirements and market trends.
• Ensure rigorous alignment with applicable quality, compliance, and regulatory expectations.
• Collaborate closely with internal functions such as accounting, legal, logistics, operations, and commercial leadership.
• Help shape future supply chain diversification and support the evolution of the business from a narrow operating model into a broader and more scalable platform.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Food Science, Biology, Engineering, or a related discipline required. An MBA or other advanced business qualification would be advantageous.
• Significant leadership experience in nicotine, fine chemicals, food ingredients, botanical extraction, or another relevant regulated product environment.
• Demonstrated success in both business development and product development, ideally in a business where technical knowledge and customer collaboration are closely linked.
• Experience managing third-party manufacturers, suppliers, and cross-functional external partners.
• Strong understanding of quality systems, regulated manufacturing environments, and customer qualification requirements.
• Ability to operate effectively in a highly autonomous role with limited direct internal infrastructure.
• Strong commercial judgment, relationship-building skills, and the credibility to engage with procurement, technical, and product development stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required. Richmond, Virginia is the preferred location, though broader U.S. flexibility may be considered for an outstanding candidate.