Commercialization and External Manufacturing Manager

GoMacro•Minneapolis, MN

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Commercialization & External Manufacturing Manager is responsible for managing external manufacturing at GoMacro and the technical and operational execution of new product commercialization and ongoing production at external manufacturing partners. This role serves as the primary owner of external manufacturing relationships for base business and for new items, from line trial through ramp-up and steady-state production, ensuring products are launched on time, at target cost, quality, and scale. Reporting into Manufacturing Operations, this leader partners closely with R&D, Engineering, FSQA, Supply Planning, and Procurement to translate product concept and design into manufacturable, scalable processes. The role is accountable for closing the gap between development and full-rate production, identifying technical risks, and driving continuous improvement across external manufacturing networks. This position plays a critical role in expanding capacity, accelerating innovation, and de-risking scale-up through strong management and leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations, or a related field.
5+ years of experience in external manufacturing in a food environment, with significant exposure to manufacturing operations, process engineering, commercialization, or technical program management within food, CPG, or consumer products manufacturing.
Proven ability to communicate effectively with external partners from the C-level to the production floor.
Excellent business and technical acumen in food CPG, including ability to connect throughput, yield, labor and other cost drivers to an external partner’s financial performance.
Demonstrated success leading scale-up, line trials, and production ramp-ups for new products.
Strong technical problem-solving skills with the ability to translate process constraints into actionable improvement plans.
Proven ability to lead and productively influence cross-functional teams without direct authority and manage complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Experience with automation, process optimization, and equipment commissioning in high-throughput manufacturing environments.
Extensive experience with leading commercialization.
Experience in bar products with additional experience in other food production.
Creative problem solving and an innovative mindset.
Strong financial and operational acumen related to manufacturing cost drivers, throughput, and yield.
Comfortable operating in fast-growth, evolving organizations with changing priorities and ambiguity.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary commercial, performance and operational point of contact for assigned external manufacturing partners.
Establish clear expectations for performance, readiness, escalation paths, and continuous improvement.
Create and maintain KPI and performance management processes with external manufacturers.
Partner with external manufacturers to drive process capability, equipment readiness, OEE improvement, and line efficiency.
Lead technical problem-solving during trials and production, including root cause analysis and corrective actions.
Continuously monitor the industry to maintain knowledge and insights of prospective GoMacro external manufacturers.
Participate in external manufacturing negotiations (commercial negotiations and dispute negotiations).
Lead RFI/RFP with external manufacturers and provide recommendations.
Participate in long-term capacity planning with Operations for visibility into External Manufacturing capacity needs.
Lead end-to-end commercialization at external manufacturers, from initial line trials through validated ramp curves and steady-state production.
Own production ramp plans, run-rate targets, and readiness assessments for new and transferred products.
Translate product and process requirements into executable manufacturing plans with external manufacturers.
Identify scale-up risks and constraints; drive mitigation plans to achieve target throughput, yield, and quality.
Provide recommendations to R&D and Innovation on product manufacturability during the early design phases.
Partner with R&D and Innovation in early-phase design phases to identify and select the most appropriate manufacturing partners in innovation projects.
Partner with R&D, Finance, Engineering, FSQA, Supply Planning, and Procurement throughout all phases of innovation and to ensure smooth handoff from design to commercialization.
Partner with Project Management for external manufacturing initiatives, including timelines, dependencies, risks, and deliverables.
Ensure commercialization milestones are aligned with demand, supply planning, and customer launch requirements.
Drive clarity on ownership between internal teams and external partners across the commercialization lifecycle.
Support equipment assessments, capex justification, and process changes required to meet target volumes and cost targets.
Track and drive improvements in run rates, yield, labor efficiency, scrap, and downtime at external manufacturing partners.
Ensure new products meet financial assumptions through disciplined ramp planning and cost transparency.
Contribute to post-launch reviews and continuous improvement roadmaps for external manufacturing partners.
Ensure process documentation, control plans, SOPs, and technical transfer packages are complete and production-ready.
Partner with FSQA to ensure food safety, quality, and regulatory readiness at all external sites.
Partner with Project Management on risk registers for commercialization and co-manufacturing programs, with clear mitigation and escalation plans.
Support development of standardized commercialization playbooks, templates, and operating rhythms.