Head of Policy, Southeast Asia

Remote role with flexibility on location within Southeast Asia and involving regular travel across the region.

Polymateria is changing the plastic pollution landscape through our proprietary biotransformation technology which enables plastic to safely return to nature while remaining compatible with recycling systems at scale. The company is now searching for an experienced Policy Advocacy and Government Relations professional to take ownership of policy development and stakeholder engagement for the Southeast Asia region.

The primary aim of your role will be to ensure the policy environment is both aware and supportive of the company’s new innovation to tackle plastic pollution. This is a multi-faceted position, where you will report into the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, and cultivate opportunities in partnership with your commercial colleagues. You will be responsible for shaping the organisation’s advocacy strategy in SEA, with the aim of scaling the rapid commercial success into new territories. You will need to identify early-adopters of the technology, as well as building out a long-term strategy for the approach and influence key stakeholders within Government bodies, standards/certification bodies, NGOs, and large FMCG players.

This is a senior position in the company where you will represent the business when creating coalitions to evolve standards and the legislative landscape in the respective region. You must be capable of working on technical, confidential and high-stakes policy projects, and have the ability not only to plan and strategise, but execute. To be successful in this role you will need to work with strategic partners, and generate influence with governmental and industry stakeholders, encouraging them to develop and understand the technology and its potential. Within the region you will act as a champion of the company’s best-in-class test methods and results, utilising key accreditations to build credibility and drive towards positive commercial outcomes. Creativity in the strategy is important, finding ways to implement atypical policy campaigns allowing the company to thrive amongst fierce competition, and regulatory scrutiny. Building – and maintaining – your network of key contacts within NGOs, governments and industry will be crucial to the success of this assignment.

A proven policy advocate with experience across multiple industries, and demonstrable examples of commercial success through public affairs and influencing policy, will thrive in this position. You will be a regional thought-leader on the policy landscape, and a key point-of-contact both internally and externally. This role will suit someone with a strong entrepreneurial and commercial spirit, on top of regulatory and policy know-how. This is the opportunity to join a rapidly-growing global business at a key time – when infrastructure and financing is in place, and they are poised for expansion.

In order to be truly successful in this position and therefore play a critical part in the company’s growth, you must be a disruptor. Someone who is not focused on compliance, but on change, and has the political knowledge, commercial acumen, and confidence to execute plans to effect this change.

If you are interested, have a strong Policy Advocacy/ Public Affairs background, and a passion for sustainable solutions in a huge industry, then this could be a great opportunity for you.

For this position, the ideal candidate should have:

• 10+ Years’ experience shaping policies in relation to commercial outcomes within industry.
• Experience in one or more of the key target markets: Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand.
• Ability to demonstrate meaningful relationships with senior stakeholders on a regional basis, having used them to shape a regulatory landscape.
• An understanding of circular economy or sustainability agenda in the region.
• Experience in directly-related sectors such as packaging, plastics or consumer goods with a strong technical background is advantageous, but not essential.
• Entrepreneurial mindset – it’s imperative you possess the resilience to drive towards the desired outcome, having to navigate significant objections and lack of product awareness.
• Fluency in English is essential; Fluency in one or more key regional languages (e.g. Bahasa Indonesia, Malay) and/or Mandarin would be a bonus.

How to apply
Applications should be submitted via the online application form linked below. As part of the application, you will be asked to upload your CV.

Application form:
Head of Policy, Southeast Asia – Application Form

Please note that only applications submitted via this application form will be considered. Applications submitted via LinkedIn, email, or other channels will not be reviewed.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early submission is encouraged.

If you have any questions about the role or the application process, please feel free to contact careers@polymateria.com. Please note this inbox is for enquiries only.

Regional Technical Manager (Southeast Asia)

Remote role with flexibility on location within Southeast Asia and involving extensive travel across the region.

 About Polymateria

Polymateria is a privately-owned business based out of Imperial College’s Innovation Hub in London. Polymateria has created a breakthrough, proprietary formulation for plastics – called Biotransformation – which ensures that plastic packaging that escapes from the circular economy can fully biodegrade in the natural environment. Polymateria’s mission is to advance science to help nature deal with plastic pollution.

Polymateria is scaling up its commercial activities globally and is looking for an experienced individual in manufacturing quality assurance in the plastics industry.

About the role 

The Regional Technical Manager will oversee all aspects of our customer manufacturing trials and production runs to deliver high level technical and customer support. The RTM will provide guidance on trial planning, process modifications, product assessment and customer approvals through all phases to the trial and evaluation process. In addition, they will provide strategic direction and input into our Operations, R&D and Sales & Marketing functions, ensuring technical insight informs each of these functions. In addition to professional working proficiency in English, this role requires fluent Mandarin.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical consultation and support for customers running a range of packaging manufacturing facilities and processes.
• Lead projects by working closely with customers on projects to adopt Polymateria technology, ensure all quality and sustainability goals are achieved.
• Monitor product quality to ensure PLM products are of the required standard to ensure full customer satisfaction.
• Provide technical support to our field Sales & Marketing functions.
• Work closely with our customers to investigate and respond on quality issues and review improvement opportunities, ensuring a full feedback loop to the business.
• Analyse customers’ product specifications to establish efficient, cost-effective requirements for ease of manufacture and reproducibility.
• Work with industry peers to ensure that new trends, applications and polyolefins are identified as risks, potentials or partners and deliver strategic recommendations to the business.
• Advocate the benefits of Polymateria technology for end-of-life management of polyolefins.

Your skills

• Fluent Mandarin – essential.
• Minimum B.S. Degree, preferably in a technical field like Processing, Quality or Engineering.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in rigid packaging manufacturing (thermoforming or injection moulding) and flexible packaging manufacturing (cast film or blown film) is essential.
• Strong polymer formulation knowledge or experience is highly desirable.
• Experience in Continuous Improvement and Quality Control.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to facilitate and influence direction.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to motivate teams and lead change at all levels of the organisation.
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Team-oriented, customer-focused and safety-conscious, with a proven track record in planning safe execution of work
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, results-oriented and continually changing environment.
• Ability for extensive travel (up to 50%).

How to apply

Applications should be submitted via the online application form linked below. (If the link does not open directly from LinkedIn, please copy and paste it into your browser). As part of the application, you will be asked to upload your CV.

Application form: Application form: Regional Technical Manager

Please note that only applications submitted via this application form will be considered. Applications submitted via LinkedIn, email, or other channels will not be reviewed. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so early submission is encouraged.

Polymateria aims to be an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

If you have any questions about the role or the application process, please feel free to contact careers@polymateria.com. Please note this inbox is for enquiries only.