Job Openings at Ingredion Incorporated

As Area Sales Manager, East Africa, you will drive profitable growth across East Africa and selected English-speaking West African markets. You will develop new business, grow strategic accounts, manage distributors, lead three customer-facing employees and coordinate the local delivery of a complex cross-functional programme supporting Ingredion's long-term regional growth strategy. 

What you will do: 

• Lead and develop the team: Set clear direction, coach performance and build accountability across two Sales Representatives and one Customer Service Representative. 
• Drive profitable new business: Build and execute growth plans, win new customers and expand share of wallet across Texture and Healthful Solutions, with a focus on solution selling rather than account maintenance. 
• Lead local programme execution: Coordinate cross-functional stakeholders and implementation activities for a major capability investment in Kenya, managing milestones, timelines, risks and delivery outcomes. 
• Own commercial performance: Deliver net sales, gross profit, margin and volume objectives, using data to guide pricing, product mix, forecasting, pipeline priorities and resource deployment. 
• Grow strategic customers and channels: Manage selected regional and global key accounts, lead negotiations and develop distributors serving small and medium-sized customers. 
• Advance priority markets: Drive growth in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Ghana while supporting opportunities in Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. 
• Coordinate cross-functional delivery: Partner with Technical Service, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing and Customer Service to accelerate customer projects and support relevant office and site responsibilities. 

What you will bring: 

• Education and industry knowledge: Bachelor's degree in business, food science, food technology or a related field, or equivalent experience, combined with knowledge of food ingredients, processes and applications. 
• Commercial growth experience: Strong B2B sales and new-business development experience in food ingredients, flavours, beverage ingredients or a comparable solution-based ingredient business. 
• Proven people leadership: Direct experience leading and developing a commercial or customer-facing team. This is essential for the role. 
• Commercial ownership: Experience managing strategic or global key accounts and distributors, with a strong understanding of pricing, gross profit, margins, net sales and product mix. 
• Project execution and mobility: Demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional projects with multiple stakeholders, timelines and deliverables, plus fluent English and willingness to travel regularly across the region. 

Who you are: 

• Growth-driven: You create new opportunities and move beyond maintaining established accounts. 
• A proven people leader: You set expectations, coach experienced employees and create accountability. 
• Commercially astute: You understand how pricing, mix and customer decisions affect profitable growth. 
• A disciplined project leader: You align stakeholders, manage milestones and translate strategy into successful execution. 
• Collaborative and culturally aware: You build credible relationships across customers, functions, distributors and countries. 

Why Join Ingredion? 

Discover why Ingredion is the ideal place to advance your career with our exceptional rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive. Create the future with us and enjoy: 

• Total Rewards Package: Competitive salary and performance-based pay recognizing your contributions to our success. 
• Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support: Health, long-term savings, and resources for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. 
• Flexible Work Arrangements: We value flexibility to support you both professionally and personally. 
• Career Growth: Learning, training, and development opportunities. 
• Employee Recognition Program: A culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally. 
• Employee Referral Program: Refer top talent and earn a bonus if they are hired. 

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As Senior Technical Service Technologist, East Africa, you will provide an outstanding technical customer experience and drive innovation through ingredient application, formulation, food process expertise, and the development of customer-centric solutions. This role reports to the Director, Technical Service and Solutions Development Lead EMEA and will initially oversee one direct report, with responsibility for leading a small local Technical Service team. 

What you will do 

• Act as the lead technical contact for assigned customers and key accounts, building trusted relationships and providing expertise across innovation, troubleshooting, cost optimization, and new business development. 
• Lead and further develop the Nairobi Idea Lab, expanding local formulation and pilot plant capabilities while ensuring product quality, food safety, hygiene, regulatory compliance, and effective operations. 
• Lead, coach, and develop the local Technical Service team, setting priorities, building capability, and aligning resources with business objectives. 
• Plan and execute complex application trials involving formulation, process development, and optimization, with a primary focus on dairy and savory applications while supporting other categories as required. 
• Evaluate customer formulations, ingredients, equipment, and manufacturing processes to diagnose technical challenges and recommend practical, science-based solutions. 
• Collaborate with commercial teams, distributors, suppliers, and equipment partners to identify growth opportunities, advance projects, and create value across East Africa, both through joint customer visits and independent technical engagement. 
• Document technical activities and project outcomes, communicate results clearly to internal and external stakeholders, share expertise, and contribute to continuous improvement across products, processes, and application techniques. 

What you will bring 

• A degree or equivalent qualification in Food Technology, Food Engineering, Food Science, or a related discipline. 
• Several years of experience operating at Senior Technologist level in Technical Service, product development, or food applications within the food industry or specialty food ingredients sector. 
• Strong technical knowledge of dairy or savory applications, including ingredient functionality, formulation systems, food processing, and relevant equipment. 
• A proven track record of delivering successful innovation projects and providing technical support directly to food-industry customers, ideally within a multinational or international business environment. 
• Experience leading people, laboratory activities, or technical workstreams, together with the willingness to travel regularly to customers and partners across East Africa, including travel outside Kenya. 

Who you are 

• A credible technical expert who can translate complex food science into practical customer solutions. 
• A customer-focused communicator who builds trusted relationships and presents technical information with clarity. 
• A structured and safety-minded leader who can organize people, projects, and laboratory operations effectively. 
• An entrepreneurial and commercially aware problem-solver who enjoys building new capabilities, establishing effective ways of working, and moving opportunities forward. 
• A collaborative and adaptable colleague who is comfortable working across cultures, functions, and countries. 

Why join Ingredion? 

• Discover why Ingredion is the ideal place to advance your career, with an exceptional rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive. Create the future with us and enjoy: 
• Total Rewards Package: Competitive salary and performance-based pay, recognizing your contributions to our success. 
• Comprehensive Benefits and Wellness Support: Health, long-term savings, and resources for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. 
• Career Growth: Learning, training, and development opportunities to help you build your career. 
• Employee Recognition Program: A culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally. 
• Employee Referral Program: Refer top talent and earn a bonus if they are hired.