Transmission Belt Reinforcement Business Development Director

Aritec New Materials Group AG is a Swiss-based company specialized in fiber composite solutions for demanding industrial applications.

We are experts in synthetic fibers, treatments & fiber sizing formulations and polymer matrices. We take pride in engineering and optimizing superior solutions to the most complex industrial challenges.

At Aritec, we drive tomorrow’s industrial frontiers by innovating cost-effective and robust solutions.

Tasks

We are seeking an accomplished Transmission Belt Reinforcement Business Development Director to lead commercial growth for advanced reinforcement solutions used in industrial transmission belts (timing, power transmission, etc..). This is a senior, customer-facing role for a commercially driven technical professional who understands belt construction, reinforcement architecture, manufacturing processes, end-user performance requirements, and the evolving challenges facing belt manufacturers and end-users worldwide.

The successful candidate will bring a strong track record and industry network from a leading belt manufacturer or closely related high-performance belting business. They will use their industry credibility, technical depth, and commercial judgment to build strategic customer relationships, identify new growth opportunities, and position our reinforcement portfolio as a performance-enabling solution for next-generation belt designs.

As Business Development Director, you will work at the intersection of materials engineering, belt design, manufacturing, and commercial strategy. You will engage with global belt manufacturers, technical centers, R&D teams, purchasing organizations, and senior business leaders to advance qualification projects and convert them into durable commercial programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the global sales strategy for Aritec reinforcement portfolio in Transmission belts.
• Build and manage senior-level relationships with major transmission-belt manufacturers, including engineering, R&D, purchasing, operations, quality, and executive leadership.
• Manage and Expand existing customers account portfolio by identifying and prioritizing opportunities where Aritec Synthetic reinforcement technology can improve belt strength, fatigue performance, dimensional stability, heat resistance, flex life, adhesion, noise behavior, efficiency, or durability.
• Translate customer performance requirements into clear technical and commercial value propositions.
• Lead customer-development programs from initial technical discussion through sampling, testing, qualification, industrialization, and serial-production launch.
• Coordinate closely with internal R&D, application engineering, operations, quality, product management, and supply-chain teams to ensure customer requirements are understood and delivered.
• Provide informed market intelligence on belt technologies, competitive reinforcement materials, regional market dynamics, pricing trends, supply-chain risks, and emerging end-use requirements.
• Support the development of account plans, commercial agreements, pricing strategies, forecasts, and long-term supply arrangements.
• Represent the company at customer technical reviews, industry events, trade fairs, and relevant technical associations.
• Establish disciplined sales reporting, opportunity qualification, forecasting, and business-review processes.
• Mentor and develop regional sales or application-engineering colleagues as the business grows.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a comparable technical discipline.
• At least 10 years of relevant commercial, technical-sales, business-development, product-management, application-engineering, or R&D experience in transmission belts, reinforced elastomer products, industrial belting, tire cord, technical textiles, fibers, or closely related applications.
• Experience gained at a recognized transmission-belt manufacturer is strongly preferred. Candidates from leading global manufacturers of automotive and industrial transmission belts will be particularly well suited.
• Demonstrated understanding of transmission-belt construction, including reinforcement cords or fabrics, rubber compounds, bonding systems, cover materials, belt geometry, and manufacturing processes.
• Practical familiarity with belt types such as timing belts, synchronous belts, V-belts, multi-rib belts, variable-speed belts, flat belts, and industrial power-transmission belts.
• Strong understanding of key reinforcement performance factors, including tensile properties, modulus, elongation, creep, fatigue, flex resistance, adhesion, thermal stability, moisture behavior, dimensional stability, and processability.
• Established relationships within the global transmission-belt industry are highly desirable.
• Proven ability to manage technically complex sales cycles involving testing, qualification, supply approval, and multi-site customer coordination.
• Experience negotiating pricing, supply agreements, development agreements, technical specifications, and long-term customer programs.
• Strong commercial acumen, including margin management, value-based selling, forecasting, market analysis, and strategic account planning.
• Professional fluency in English; additional languages are an advantage.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally.

Preferred Technical Background

The ideal candidate will have direct familiarity with one or more of the following:

• Aramid, polyester, glass, carbon, hybrid, or other high-performance reinforcement materials.
• Cord construction, twisting, cabling, dipping, coating, or adhesion-promotion systems.
• Rubber-to-cord and polymer-to-cord adhesion technologies.
• Belt fatigue testing, tensile testing, dynamic testing, flex testing, endurance testing, and field-performance validation.
• Belt-manufacturing processes, including calendering, building, molding, curing, grinding, machining, and quality-control systems.
• Customer qualification practices and industrial quality-assurance processes.

Personal Attributes

• Credible technical expert who can communicate effectively with both R&D engineers and senior commercial leaders.
• Entrepreneurial, proactive, and comfortable building business in technically demanding markets.
• Structured and disciplined in account management, forecasting, and opportunity prioritization.
• Skilled listener who can uncover the underlying technical and commercial drivers behind customer needs.
• Collaborative leader who works effectively across sales, operations, R&D, quality, and supply chain.
• Resilient and patient in managing long qualification cycles while maintaining urgency and commercial focus.
• High integrity, sound judgment, and a strong commitment to confidentiality and ethical business conduct.

Benefits

This role offers the opportunity to shape the commercial direction of a high-value reinforcement business serving a critical industrial market. You will have the autonomy to influence strategy, engage directly with leading belt manufacturers, and help develop materials that enable more efficient, durable, lightweight, and sustainable power-transmission systems.

If you combine deep transmission-belt expertise with strategic sales leadership and a passion for solving difficult customer challenges, we invite you to apply.

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