Commercialization Manager
$110,152–$151,459 year
HybridGeneva, Illinois, United States
Job Summary
Manage end-to-end commercialization for Maker's Pride products by coordinating internal and external resources, developing project timelines, and driving cross-functional alignment from concept through plant trials and post-launch reviews. Execute product lifecycle steps including planning, scheduling trials, and overseeing first productions while maintaining accurate milestone tracker tools. Facilitate communication between customers and internal teams to ensure specifications meet expectations and document accuracy is maintained. Identify risks, evaluate alternative process and business solutions, and conduct 30-60-90 day commercialization reviews to support continuous improvement. Collaborate with Operations, Quality Assurance, R&D, Sales, and Regulatory teams to prevent timeline creep and resolve issues before finalizing project timelines. This hybrid role requires working out of the Geneva, IL plant 3-4 days weekly.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent food industry experience
- 5+ years of experience in commercialization, project management, manufacturing operations, product development, or a related field
- Prior experience in the food manufacturing industry
- Experience managing internal and external customers and adapting through change
- Experience working cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Quality Assurance, Pricing, Procurement, Commercialization, Regulatory, and production teams/processes
- Proficiency with MS Office Suite, SAP, PowerPoint, and presentation tools
- Strong SAP skills
- Strong project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects and shifting priorities in an organized manner
- Strong financial skills essential to understanding product cost and P&L management expectations
- Strong documentation skills, including the ability to write routine reports and correspondence
- Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong leadership, presentation, and negotiation skills
- Strong customer service, analytical, and business acumen skills
- High attention to detail with the ability to maintain confidentiality
- Ability to collaborate cross-functionally and build strong relationships
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- Sound decision-making and problem-solving skills under pressure
- Hybrid role; work out of Geneva, IL plant 3-4 days/week and ability to work remotely 1-2 days/week after full training period
Desired Qualifications
- Project management, continuous improvement, Lean Six Sigma, PMP, or related certification
- Experience supporting product cost understanding and P&L management expectations
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