Product Line Manager, Malic/Fumaric

Primient•Schaumburg, IL

18h

About The Position

Primient is a century old company with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational excellence that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from field to customer, our priorities are focused on ensuring we produce the safest, highest quality products through practices that uphold both our responsibility and commitments to the challenge and drive for excellence, our people and our planet. We are a privately held company with locations across the US, Mexico, Poland, and Brazil. We’re investing in our plants and people to unlock our potential in the industrial and food sectors. Guided by our values of Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Growth, we’re focused on growing our business, our reputation, and the career of every teammate. The Product Line Manager, Malic and Fumaric Acid has end-to-end ownership of the malic and fumaric acid product line (approximately $30m), with accountability for delivering pricing, portfolio optimization, and long-term growth planning across food, beverage, confectionery, and selected industrial markets. This role focuses on pricing execution, portfolio and mix optimization, market development, end use / application analysis, customer analytics, and cross‑functional coordination to deliver annual operating plan (AOP) commitments and near‑ to mid‑term growth objectives. The Product Line Manager partners closely with Sales, Finance, Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing to translate product line strategy into actionable commercial and operational plans.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Chemistry, Food Science, Engineering, Economics, or a related field
5–10+ years of experience in product management, product line management, commercial strategy, or related roles
Experience in food ingredients, specialty chemicals, or industrial materials
Willingness to travel up to 30–40%

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with malic acid, fumaric acid, or other organic acids
Experience working closely with manufacturing or supply chain teams
Background in pricing, finance, or commercial analytics
MBA or advanced technical degree

Responsibilities

Support execution of the malic and fumaric product line strategy
Manage product and customer mix to improve margin and asset utilization
Maintain product line performance dashboards covering volume, revenue, margin, mix, and service metrics
Support product lifecycle activities including existing portfolio and applications
Partner with Sales and Finance to support annual contract negotiations, renewals, and compliance tracking
Support development and execution of the Annual Operating Plan (AOP) for malic and fumaric
Monitor price realization, margin performance, and mix variance versus plan
Track market trends including cost dynamics, acidulants demand, and regulatory considerations
Conduct customer and competitive analysis to support market development, pricing, mix, and volume decisions
Translate insights into clear recommendations for Sales and leadership
Develop and maintain sales tools, including product guides, cost‑in‑use models, and application positioning materials
Partner with Sales on forecasting, opportunity prioritization, and performance improvement plans
Support key customer engagements with data‑driven insights related to pricing, supply, and product fit
Act as a subject‑matter resource on malic and fumaric for internal commercial teams
Coordinate with Operations and Supply Chain to align demand forecasts, production plans, and inventory strategies
Support initiatives that improve service reliability, yield, cost, and operational efficiency
Partner with Manufacturing on product quality, specification management, and process capability alignment
Participate in cross‑functional forums related to portfolio performance and execution priorities
Ensure product line decisions and execution align with food safety, quality, regulatory, and ESG requirements
Support documentation, claims, and customer communications related to malic and fumaric
Adhere to all Primient policies related to safety, ethics, and compliance