Product Development & Commercialization Manager

Darigold is seeking a Product Development & Commercialization Manager to join our team. The Product Development & Commercialization Manager drives Product Lifecycle Management through targeted process improvement and monitoring. This individual will be responsible for cross-functional project management, execution and support between manufacturing, R&D, marketing, portfolio leaders, supply planning, procurement and pricing teams. The Product Development & Commercialization Manager will work with cross functional partners to set best practices, create clear goals and repeatable processes.

Darigold is transforming as we adopt a new vision of “leading dairy forward” with better processes and culture. The Product Development & Commercialization Manager must be committed to transitioning us from older to newer best practices in product life cycle management. This individual is expected to take charge of this area and advance the organization at an appropriate pace. It is expected that this role will interface with the rest of the Commercial team and cross functional partners in manufacturing and supply chain.

What You Will Do:

• Manage and coordinate all steps needed for new product launch through detailed project management, working closely with the Innovation and Product Development Team.
• Provide commercialization support to cross functional team by developing and executing project trackers and managing actions and deliverables on time and on target.
• Manage active product changes and discontinuation through stage gate process.
• Communicate project status to participants and stakeholders accurately and on-time.
• Support successful execution of Product Management Review as a part of Integrated Business planning.
• Design, develop & implement lifecycle and change control business processes across Portfolios and functions to facilitate operational execution.
• Set the business technology agenda, closing the gap between translating the business needs into suitable technology solves.
• Investigate future technical capability potentials from Agile PLM system in IT Dev environment.
• Map business processes slated for improvement, both current and future state. Determine, document and communicate the impact of process changes for the process users.
• Define target metrics and implements KPIs; communicates actual performance and initiatives driving improvement to defined KPIs.
• Serve as main interface with IT, relevant Business Process Owners & Operational Excellence team.
• Actively secure buy-in from cross functional leadership and drive the process users to embed best practices in their processes.
• Contribute to the further development of the Product Lifecycle Management department as part of Integrated Business Planning.
• Improve and manage stage/gate process for all product and package development and commercialization projects.
• Understanding of product development business principles, strategy and best practices with a focus on practical stage/gate design, implementation and management.
• In-depth understanding of product life cycle with focus on Change Control, Lifecycle Management and/or general Change Management. Ability to turn around projects at a fast pace. Flexible with ability to handle changing timelines and priorities. Excellent, rapid evaluation and communication of project risks and issues.
• Demonstrate good ability to manage projects day to day with little supervision. Knows when to involve management for assistance and guidance.
• Experience in process development and driving change.
• A strong written and oral communicator and collaborator with strong presentation skills. Comfortable with customer facing communication and presentation.
• Enjoys working in results oriented, customer focused, team environment. Creative and change-oriented, willing to constructively challenge status quo. Strong work ethic.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 20% of time.

What You Bring:

• B.S. Degree (in science, engineering, or business) with related business discipline experience. Advanced degree in science, engineering and business is a plus.
• 3-5 years of experience in Process and Project Management. Minimum 2 years of experience in Product Life Cycle Management.
• Working experience with Stage-Gate commercialization process is required.

Benefits of Working at Darigold:

We understand that as an employee, benefits that support you and your family in and out of work are important. We’re proud to offer eligible positions a competitive total rewards package that includes:

• 401k competitive employer matching
• Comprehensive medical, dental & vision benefits
• Employer paid life & disability coverage
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• 8 weeks paid parental leave
• Education assistance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible hybrid working arrangement where applies (up to 2 days/week after initial 90 days and approval by hiring manager and HR)
• Access to great dairy products & participation in our employee butter purchase program
• Compensation range: $94,808 - $142,212 (individual wage based on previous experience, knowledge, and skills)

Our Commitment to Diversity:

Achieving our vision to Lead Dairy Forward requires cultivating and supporting a team with varying backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We are committed to providing a workplace based on mutual respect where all employees feel included and can bring their best and authentic selves to work every day. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and Affirmative Action Employer. We welcome all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, marital status, creed, religion, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. As a condition of employment applicants offered a role will be required to successfully pass our pre-employment background screen, receive a negative drug screen result & confirm eligibility to work in the U.S. We participate in E-Verify - please follow the links for details, English / Spanish & view our Right to Work Statement, English / Spanish.

Salary : $94,808 - $142,212