Project Commercialization Manager

Simple Mills • Chicago, IL

1d • $105,000 - $120,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Most people walk through a store and see products. You see deadlines, manufacturing constraints, artwork approvals, ingredient lead times, packaging specs, and about 47 decisions that had to go exactly right for that product to land on shelf. And you love every minute of it.
You're the person who gets excited when a product goes from concept to “this is the one” and the real work of bringing it to shelf begins. The person who understands that successful commercialization isn't luck, it’s a disciplined process, strong cross-functional partnership, and relentless execution. You thrive at the intersection of Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility, connecting business objectives with operational realities to bring products to life. You know how to guide teams through a structured stage-gate architecture, align stakeholders around a common goal, and maintain momentum from concept to shelf.
If you've ever heard, "This is going to be complicated," and smiled, you're our kind of person.
As a Project Commercialization Manager, you’ll sit at the center of the action connecting teams, driving execution, and turning ideas into shelf-ready realities. The role spans graphics and compliance updates, manufacturing site transitions, capacity expansions, innovation launches, and other end-to-end commercialization efforts across the portfolio. While each project differs in scope, the mission is consistent: lead teams through a disciplined process and deliver successful launches. This isn’t a box-checking role. You’ll build the roadmap, align the right partners, remove roadblocks, and drive progress to the finish line. You bring structure to complexity, urgency to milestones, and clarity to decisions—ensuring alignment from concept through launch. If variety energizes you, complexity motivates you, and seeing products hit shelves feels like winning, we should talk.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in commercialization project management, operations, supply chain, or manufacturing within CPG, food/beverage, or similar industries
• Proven experience leading projects from concept through launch, including exposure to plant execution and manufacturing environments
• Strong understanding of how products are made, scaled, and delivered in production settings
• Ability to translate technical and operational realities into clear, actionable plans
• Highly organized with demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams and priorities
• Resourceful, proactive, and solutions-oriented, with a bias toward action and delivery
• Clear communicator who drives alignment, decisions, and execution across functions
• Low ego, high ownership, team-first mindset with a focus on delivering outcomes

Nice To Haves

• You translate commercialization strategy into execution grounded in real manufacturing and supply chain realities
• You balance speed, quality, and feasibility to drive disciplined delivery from concept to shelf
• You are the person teams rely on to align work, maintain momentum, and deliver outcomes

Responsibilities

• Lead End-to-End Project Execution: Own commercialization projects from concept through launch across varying scopes, timelines, and risk profiles, ensuring consistent accountability and delivery
• Build and manage integrated project plans in Microsoft Project; lead kickoffs to align scope, governance, and ways of working
• Lead large-scale network transformation initiatives, including manufacturing or warehouse transitions, ensuring continuity of supply, operational readiness, and minimal disruption to customers and stakeholders
• Orchestrate cross-functional execution across logistics, manufacturing, planning, and systems to successfully migrate operations, establish new capabilities, and stabilize performance post-transition
• Conduct feasibility and risk assessments across technical, supply, operational, packaging, and manufacturing dimensions, applying appropriate governance based on complexity
• Track milestones, dependencies, and critical path; proactively manage stakeholders to maintain momentum and deliverables
• Capture trade-offs, risks, and decision rationale to ensure alignment and timely resolution
• Prepare projects for stage-gate transitions, partnering with the project teams to structure inputs through a Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility (DVF) lens
• Lead launch readiness and execution; conduct post-launch reviews to capture insights and strengthen future delivery.
• Serve as the Central Connector: Act as the integration point across R&D, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Packaging, Procurement, Planning, Customer Logistics, Marketing, and Sales
• Align cross-functional teams around a single, integrated commercialization plan, ensuring coordinated inputs, decisions, and handoffs
• Maintain clear, real-time visibility on scope, timelines, risks, and next steps across stakeholders
• Translate complex cross-functional activity into actionable project artifacts (plans, trackers, risk logs, decision frameworks)
• Create clarity in ambiguous or fast-moving situations so teams can execute with confidence
• Ground Plans in Operational Reality: Ensure commercialization plans reflect true feasibility across product, packaging, manufacturing, supply, and systems readiness
• Apply working knowledge of how products are made (formulation, processing, packaging, plant capabilities) to strengthen planning and decision-making
• Harness cross-functional expertise across all workstreams, translating functional strengths into an integrated end-to-end project plan that drives readiness from development through launch
• Drive Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to accelerate timelines, simplify execution, and reduce risk across commercialization processes
• Apply post-launch learnings to improve stage-gate discipline, documentation quality, and cross-functional effectiveness
• Perform other duties as assigned

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation: This role offers a salary range of $105,000 to $120,000
• Annual Bonus Opportunity: Eligible for an annual bonus as part of our commitment to recognizing team contributions and company success.
• Holistic Benefits: A variety of health, financial, and wellness programs to help you feel your best and plan for the future.
• Time to Recharge: We believe your best work comes when you have space to rest, refocus, and show up fully—our time off approach is built with that in mind.
• Everyday Well-Being: From lifestyle perks to innovation shipments, we find meaningful ways to support you in living simply and feeling well.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level