Head of Sales, Cosmetic Active Ingredients – Korea

Debut Biotech•Foxborough, MA

6d•₩150,000,000 - ₩220,000,000•Onsite

About The Position

About Debut Debut is the unconventional innovation lab spearheading the next generation of big business. Only Debut has a scalable, integrated, climate-positive creation model powered by biotechnology that puts human wellbeing at the center of everything we do—setting the new standard for profitable business and a new pace for an ever-changing world. Our hybrid biotechnology approaches unlock latent markets, providing access to sustainably produced, natural ingredients with health benefits that cannot be obtained through other methods. We are committed to traversing the entire process, from ingredient discovery to the scaling of these products, for consumer markets. If you are passionate, enjoy fast-paced innovation and collaborative teams, then Debut is for you. Summary Debut is seeking a dynamic and results-driven Head of Sales, Cosmetic Active Ingredients in Korea to drive market penetration of our high-performing, novel biotechnology-derived ingredients across contract manufacturers. Based in Korea, this role is directly responsible for growing Debut’s Korea business by establishing and expanding relationships with major contract manufacturers (CMs) throughout the region. The successful candidate will report to the Chief Executive Officer and will serve as the primary commercial driver ensuring Debut’s ingredients are adopted and integrated across all key CMs in Korea.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry or Cosmetic Science, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of 10 years of direct experience in cosmetic ingredient sales to beauty contract manufacturers in Korea. This is a strict requirement. Candidates must clearly demonstrate this specific experience in their application; those who do not will not advance in the selection process.
Exceptional, established network of contacts and relationships with major cosmetic contract manufacturers across Korea. Candidates must be able to demonstrate existing, active relationships with key CMs in the region.
Deep knowledge of the CM landscape in Korea, including key players, decision-making processes, formulation workflows, and procurement practices.
Demonstrated ability to work independently, move quickly, and deliver results with minimal oversight in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
Strong commercial acumen with experience managing complex B2B sales cycles, from prospecting through to contract execution.
Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills with the ability to translate technical ingredient value propositions into compelling commercial narratives.
Fluency in English and Korean required.

Nice To Haves

advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

Own and execute the commercial strategy for ingredient sales across Korea, with a primary focus on achieving deep integration of Debut's active ingredient portfolio into CM formulation libraries and with responsibility for building the commercial infrastructure that supports future formulation expansion.
Identify, engage, and develop deep partnerships with contract manufacturers South Korea with the objective of achieving broad ingredient adoption across all major CMs in the region.
Serve as the primary relationship holder and commercial point of contact for CMs, driving ingredient specification, formulation integration, securing long-term ingredient supply agreements, and establishing Debut's actives as the preferred performance ingredient across key CM formulation libraries.
Travel to meet with clients, attend industry events, conduct product presentations, and close business, with travel to the United States 1-2 times per year as needed.
Plan and organize regional trade shows and industry events in coordination with the marketing team and other sales hires in Asia, including identifying the right shows, managing logistics, coordinating booth presence, and arranging for senior leadership and technical team members to attend and present as appropriate.
Translate local market intelligence, including regional trends, CM needs, competitive dynamics, regulatory shifts, and customer feedback—into actionable insights that inform Debut’s broader global commercial strategy, product roadmap, and go-to-market planning.
Develop and maintain a robust sales pipeline with clear forecasting, reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer on progress, pipeline health, market intelligence and strategic partnership development.
Work autonomously and at pace to capitalize on market opportunities, requiring minimal day-to-day oversight while maintaining strong alignment with global commercial objectives.
Collaborate with Debut’s R&D, formulations, marketing, and operations teams to ensure customer needs are met and that Debut’s ingredient value proposition is effectively communicated.
Represent Debut at trade shows, industry conferences, and customer events across the region and build a team as needed for broader penetration across the Asia region.