Manager Commercialization Process & Systems

Maker's Pride Talent Acquisition Team•Downers Grove, IL

1d•Remote

About The Position

The Manager, Commercialization Process & Systems is responsible for executing and enabling the company’s stage‑gate commercialization process across Co‑Manufacturing, Co‑Packing, and Private Label quotes. Reporting to the Director of Corporate Commercialization & Process Management, this role focuses on day‑to‑day commercialization execution, SharePoint‑based data governance, and implementation of standardized processes established by the Director. This position serves as a central execution and coordination hub—ensuring commercialization workflows, milestones, documentation, and project data are accurate, compliant, and consistently maintained. Acting as a key liaison between R&D, Sales, and Operations, the Manager owns commercialization systems, dashboards, and documentation standards while supporting process adoption, continuous improvement, and disciplined execution in a fast‑paced, matrixed environment. This is a remote role; however, you must reside in the Chicagoland area or within 20 miles from one of our plant locations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, Food Science, Supply Chain, or a related field
5+ years of experience in commercialization, product development, or operations within the food or CPG industry.
Experience supporting product launches using co‑manufacturing or external production partners preferred
Strong project coordination and organizational skills with high attention to detail
Ability to manage multiple timelines, stakeholders, and deliverables simultaneously
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Working knowledge of food manufacturing processes and commercialization workflows
Comfort operating between strategic direction and tactical execution
Experience owning and maintaining shared systems, documentation, or repositories
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and collaboration tools
Experience working with or supporting SaaS‑based workflow or project management systems preferred

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting product launches using co‑manufacturing or external production partners
Experience working with or supporting SaaS‑based workflow or project management systems

Responsibilities

Support execution of the full commercialization lifecycle by operationalizing stage‑gate requirements and defined standards
Own day‑to‑day tracking of commercialization milestones, deliverables, and dependencies consistent application of stage‑gate criteria, documentation, and approvals
Translate high‑level process direction into repeatable execution steps
Proactively identify execution risks, data gaps, or timeline slippage and escalate with recommended actions
Serve as the central point of coordination for commercialization data and documentation across R&D, Sales, Supply Chain, Finance, and Operations
Ensure assumptions, changes & decisions are documented, version-controlled, and traceable
Facilitate alignment by reinforcing standardized commercialization workflows & communication protocols
Coordinate with external manufacturing partners as it relates to commercialization documentation and readiness
Own SharePoint, or any future software models, as the system of record for commercialization projects
Define and enforce data governance standards (naming conventions, required fields, approval flows, retention)
Design and maintain role-based access, workflows, and automation to support stage-gate discipline
Build and maintain dashboards that provide real-time visibility to project status, risks, and readiness
Partner with IT to continuously improve SharePoint architecture, usability, scalability, and adoption
Track and report commercialization KPIs, gate readiness, and execution health for leadership reviews
Support implementation of process improvements, new tools, templates, and governance standards
Help develop and facilitate post-launch reviews and ensure learnings are captured and embedded into updated processes
Develop and maintain commercialization training materials, reference guides, and documentation to support consistent adoption