Project Manager - Food Product Commercialization

Lucas James Talent Partners•East Chicago, IN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Harvest Food Group (HFG) is a diversified frozen food company based in East Chicago, IN, specializing in frozen food manufacturing and the distribution of frozen vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, and herbs. The Project Manager – Sales operations leads the execution of product commercialization initiatives across Harvest Food Group, including New Product Development (NPD), Customer launches and specifications, customer and product line extensions, product changes, packaging, productivity improvements, and manufacturing transitions. This role ensures products are successfully launched, coordinated, transitioned from concept to full-scale production while meeting quality, cost, and timeline objectives, and drives cross-functional alignment to connect business strategy, customer expectations, with operational execution in a dynamic food manufacturing environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Food Science, or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered
Minimum 5+ years of previous experience in project management, product commercialization, manufacturing, and equipment automation - ideally food (frozen) packaging and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
Previous experience with data analytics and understanding capacity analysis
Proven ability to work independently and operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment with shifting priorities and multiple stakeholders.
Experience with ERP systems, Gantt Charts, and proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other applications

Nice To Haves

Black Belt (Six Sigma) and Lean Manufacturing desired

Responsibilities

Leading cross-functional execution from concept through launch.
Establish and maintain the overall project timeline.
Develop detailed Gantt charts and ensure all project milestones are clearly defined and achieved.
Coordinate activities across departments, maintain project visibility, and hold teams accountable for deliverables to ensure projects progress according to plan.
Act as the primary point of contact for the customer and the sales team, managing external communications related to project status, timelines, and key decisions.
Align customer expectations with internal capabilities while ensuring clear communication across all stakeholders.
Lead external engagement activities, including coordination with packaging suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and other critical service providers required to successfully execute the project.
Conduct external engagements in close collaboration with the respective internal department owners (e.g., Procurement, Supply Chain, Maintenance, QA, Operations) to ensure technical alignment, supplier compliance, and effective project implementation.