Director, Business Development and Sales, Paper Flexible Packaging

Geami•Painesville, OH

About The Position

The Director, Business Development and Sales will lead Ranpak’s Paper Flexible Packaging business, including its product strategy, market development, innovation pipeline, supply and manufacturing scale-up, sales organization, customer relationships, and financial performance. The role defines target markets, segment priorities, product portfolio and roadmap, and the commercial model for a systems-plus-consumables offering. It develops market opportunities and business cases in response to customer needs, market trends, regulation, and competitor activity. The director owns the development pipeline for consumables and automation equipment, partnering with Product Management, R&D, Engineering, external partners, Procurement, Operations, and Sourcing. Responsibilities include leading projects through the stage-gate process, translating customer requirements into integrated material-and-machine solutions, securing and managing third-party supply while internal production capabilities are developed, and setting launch-readiness standards for quality, service, and installation. The role builds and leads a global sales organization and channel network, plans and executes go-to-market launches, and serves as the primary commercial lead for strategic accounts and partners. It owns revenue, volume, and gross margin targets, contributes commercial input to business plans and budgets, develops the business unit team, and leads cross-functional work across NOAM, EMEA, and APAC in a matrixed organization.

Requirements

10 or more years of experience in flexibles packaging.
At least 3 years of experience in business development, sales, or key account leadership, with a track record of exceeding revenue targets.
Previous experience with packaging automation or systems-plus-consumables business models.
A track record of launching new products and growing them from first customers to scale.
Experience selling to or partnering with large e-commerce, retail, or fulfillment customers.
Strong commercial and financial acumen, including business case development, value selling, pricing, deal structuring, and contract negotiation.
Proven ability to build teams and lead cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed organization.
Experience building a new business, territory, or channel network from the ground up.
Experience with CRM tools and disciplined pipeline management and forecasting.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of fulfillment center operations and automation integration.
Experience with paper or flexible packaging, including materials, coatings, converting, and package performance testing.
Familiarity with recyclability standards and certifications, EPR, and sustainable packaging regulations.
Experience with converting partnerships, contract manufacturing, or M&A.
International experience across North America, Europe, and/or Asia.

Responsibilities

Define the segment strategy, target markets, product portfolio, and roadmap based on market trends, regulatory drivers, competitor activity, and customer needs.
Size opportunities across customer segments and regions, and set priorities for where the business will compete and how it will win.
Develop the business case and commercial model for systems-plus-consumables offerings, including equipment placement or sale structures, consumable pricing, and customer ROI frameworks.
Own the product development pipeline for consumables and automation equipment in collaboration with Product Management, R&D, Engineering, and external partners.
Lead projects through the stage-gate process, ensuring clear requirements, critical-to-quality definitions, testing and validation plans, marketing messaging, and gate-ready business cases.
Translate customer requirements into product specifications and integrated material-and-machine solutions in collaboration with Engineering.
Work with Procurement to source finished products from qualified third-party converters and contract manufacturers to support customers and revenue while internal capabilities are developed.
Build and manage the third-party consumables supply base, including converter qualification, capacity planning, cost management, and supplier quality.
Work with Operations to develop internal manufacturing capability, ensure competitive capacity, efficiency, and unit costs, and plan the transition of volume from third-party suppliers to internal production.
Partner with Engineering and Sourcing to establish the defined portfolio of automation solutions for flexibles.
Establish launch-readiness standards for quality, service, and installation so customer pilots can convert into scaled rollouts.
Build and lead a global, dedicated Paper Flexible Packaging sales organization, including hiring, account coverage, compensation design, and pipeline management.
Own go-to-market planning and launch execution in collaboration with Marketing, Operations, and Customer Service.
Recruit, onboard, and manage channel partners and distributors aligned with the go-to-market strategy.
Serve as the primary commercial lead with strategic accounts and key partners, including pilots, joint development, and commercial negotiations.
Build relationships with Packaging Engineering, Operations, and Sustainability leaders at major e-commerce companies and 3PLs.
Own revenue, volume, and gross margin targets for Paper Flexible Packaging and provide commercial input to the business plan and budget.
Recruit and develop the business unit team, including Sales, Product Management, Applications and Packaging Engineering, and commercial support.
Lead cross-functionally across NOAM, EMEA, and APAC in a matrixed organization.