Location: Medina, Ohio
Compensation: $85,000-$106,000 plus bonus

Brock11 is recruiting on behalf of our client, a growing and innovative food manufacturing organization, seeking a Project Manager – Food Commercialization to lead cross-functional product launch and commercialization initiatives.

This role is ideal for a highly organized project management professional with experience in food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or related production environments who thrives in fast-paced, collaborative settings.

The ideal candidate brings a collaborative, relationship-oriented communication style and the ability to lead projects through influence, communication, and strong cross-functional partnership.

Position Summary

The Project Manager will oversee the end-to-end commercialization process for new food products, packaging formats, private label programs, and operational improvement initiatives. This individual will coordinate efforts across Sales, Innovation, Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, Marketing, and Finance to ensure successful product launches and operational execution.

This role serves as a central hub for commercialization activity and requires strong organization, communication, and project leadership capabilities within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

The environment is high-volume and deadline-driven, with project managers overseeing a broad portfolio of initiatives ranging from private label launches and packaging modifications to long-term operational and innovation projects.

Approximately 80% of the organization’s business supports private label customers, creating a fast-paced environment with high project volume and significant customer interaction.

Examples of Projects

• Launching high-volume private label food programs with accelerated customer timelines
• Managing packaging transitions, tooling updates, and container changes
• Coordinating ingredient changes driven by supply chain or vendor shifts
• Supporting commercialization of new food products from concept through production
• Leading cross-functional initiatives tied to operational improvements and process optimization
• Supporting implementation of new manufacturing or packaging technologies
• Managing long-term innovation projects requiring extensive testing, specifications, and plant coordination

Key Responsibilities

• Lead assigned projects through all phases of the Stage-Gate commercialization process
• Develop and manage project timelines, deliverables, communication plans, and risk assessments
• Facilitate cross-functional meetings and ensure accountability for action items and project milestones
• Serve as the central communication point between Operations, QA, Regulatory, Procurement, Marketing, Sales, and Finance teams
• Build strong working relationships across departments and lead projects through influence rather than direct authority
• Support compliance with food safety and quality standards related to ingredients, packaging, and finished goods
• Identify project risks, bottlenecks, and implementation challenges and proactively develop solutions
• Conduct post-launch performance reviews to evaluate operational stability, customer feedback, and cost accuracy
• Recommend process improvements and support continuous improvement efforts
• Provide support and backup assistance to other project management team members as needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Food Science, Supply Chain, or related field
• Minimum 3 years of project management experience
• Demonstrated experience working within a Stage-Gate commercialization environment strongly preferred
• Prior experience within food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or food-related packaging environments required
• Understanding of USDA/FDA regulated food manufacturing environments
• Exposure to HPP (High Pressure Packaging) environments preferred
• Private label food manufacturing experience preferred
• Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and facilitating meetings
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities
• Project Management certification preferred

Work Environment & Travel

• This position is onsite in Medina, Ohio
• Candidates should expect an in-person work environment
• Limited overnight travel as needed to manufacturing facilities
• Full-time salaried exempt position

Culture & Environment

Our client offers a collaborative, family-oriented culture where teamwork, communication, and employee engagement are highly valued. The organization promotes strong cross-functional interaction and a supportive environment focused on long-term employee success.