Product Development Manager (F/M)

Product Development Manager (F/M)

New Technology Development Business Division – Catalysts, Adsorbents and Materials Innovation Department

Location: Rueil-Malmaison

Axens Presentation

Axens group provides a complete range of solutions for the conversion of oil and biomass to cleaner fuels, the production and purification of major petrochemical intermediates, the chemical recycling of plastics, and all natural gas treatment and conversion options along with water treatment and carbon capture. The offer includes technologies, equipment, furnaces, modular units, catalysts, adsorbents and related services. Axens is also specialised in Carbon Capture and covers the entire value chain from feasibility study to unit start‑up and follow‑up throughout the unit’s lifecycle.

Context

Placed under the authority of the Product Development Director within the Catalysts, Adsorbents and Materials Innovation/Customer Analysis Support Department, the role is to contribute to the development of new products (catalysts, adsorbents or materials). The incumbent coordinates the development of products, catalysts, adsorbents and materials in defined areas and serves as the contact for research, factories, suppliers, subcontractors and academia.

Missions

Your main responsibilities include:

• You are responsible for the creation of the Axens product plan in your area of the new product portfolio in interaction with the Technology Manager, the Global Market Manager and the IFPEN project manager. You monitor the Design/Development/Industrialisation of New Axens Products within the product plan framework and conduct Product Plan progress meetings with the relevant parties. Your main mission is to coordinate the different actors to facilitate development and meet market launch deadlines.
• You define and set up the technical specifications for new raw materials (catalysts, adsorbents, supports, solutions, etc.) and contribute to their qualification, implementation and technical monitoring by validating final products.
• You are responsible for the technical qualification, implementation and monitoring of the services (e.g., post‑processing) of subcontractors in interaction with the Purchasing Department, the Global Market Manager, the Head of Purchasing and Co‑operation Contracts, and the Product Quality Direction.
• You are responsible for the qualification, implementation and technical monitoring of purchase‑resale products, including writing and management of analytical plans and implementation of product documents (Technical Data Sheet and MSDS compositions).
• You technically qualify, implement and monitor the tolling of catalysts or adsorbents or materials in interaction with the Purchasing Department manager, the Legal department manager and the Development & Industrialisation Department engineer.
• You technically warrant the quality and monitor the performance of the homologated products under NDT/CAMI supervision in interaction with the Customer Excellence Service team, Product Quality Department and the manufacturing teams of our factories as well as customer samples in interaction with the Global Market Manager and Customer Excellence Service team.
• You are responsible for (or contribute to) catalyst and/or adsorbent troubleshooting actions in the portfolio when performance deteriorates.

All of these activities are carried out in coordination with all Axens entities but above all in close collaboration with Industrial Operations Business Division, Commercial Business Division (Global Market Manager), Technology Business Division, Purchasing Department, our factories – particularly Salindres Plant and R&D (IFPEN).

These missions may involve very short trips in France and occasionally abroad.

Knowledge and Required Level

You hold an engineering degree in chemistry, physico‑chemistry or materials science (or equivalent). You possess a solid foundation in catalysis and/or materials characterization and ideally have hands‑on experience with catalysts and/or adsorbents for refining and/or petrochemical applications. Proven experience in R&D and/or industrialisation, including manufacturing activities, is required. Expertise in heterogeneous precious metals catalysis would be a strong asset, as would prior knowledge of Axens products.

Associated Skills

• You combine strong rigor with a clear ability to synthesize complex information.
• You demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset supported by excellent interpersonal skills.
• You are a good listener with strong coordination abilities, capable of aligning multiple stakeholders.
• You act as a natural facilitator, enabling cross‑functional teams with diverse expertise to work efficiently together.
• You genuinely enjoy teamwork, which you see as essential to sharing the right information across the various Axens entities.
• You show a strong sense of commitment, combined with sound judgment and the ability to exercise an appropriate duty of discretion.
• You have excellent written and oral communication skills, in both French and English.