Commercialization Manager - Ice Cream

Idaho Milk Products; Jerome (ID); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

Flexible Spending Accounts

Supplemental Insurance

Vacation

Holiday Pay

PTO

401(k) with company match

Job summary

Idaho Milk Products in Jerome, ID is seeking a Commercialization Manager, Ice Cream to own end-to-end launches for new customers and products. You will bridge Sales, Customer Service, R&D, QA, and Operations to ensure smooth onboarding, launch readiness, and on-time delivery from commitment through first production.

The role emphasizes cross-functional leadership, project management, and data-driven improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred.
• 3–7 years in food commercialization or project management.
• Experience leading cross-functional product launches.

Responsibilities

• Own commercialization for new ice cream launches from commitment through first production.
• Translate requirements into action plans for Sales, R&D, QA, and Operations.
• Manage launch readiness, timelines, and cross-functional accountability.
• Provide regular updates on status and risks.
• Develop scalable tools for stage-gate processes.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional teams

Communication

Problem-solving

Documentation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Tools

MS Office

Project tracking tools

Job description

Benefits

We are delighted to offer a comprehensive benefits package that encompasses Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Supplemental Insurance, Vacation, Holiday Pay, Personal Time Off (PTO), and a 401(k) plan with a company match. Eligibility and waiting periods may apply.

Department

Location: Ice Cream Plant City: Jerome State/Territory: Idaho Reports To: Ice Cream Business Manager Employment Status: Full time Shifts: FLSA Status: # of openings: 1

Position Summary

The Commercialization Manager, Ice Cream is responsible for owning the end-to-end commercialization process for new customer and product launches within the ice cream manufacturing business. This role serves as the primary connector between Sales, Customer Service, R&D, QA, Procurement, Finance, Demand Planning, Operations, and customers to ensure opportunities are transitioned into clear, executable launch plans. Unlike a traditional sales role, this position focuses less on transactional selling and more on customer onboarding, launch readiness, project execution, cross-functional accountability, and successful transition from customer commitment through first production and post-launch handoff. This role leverages strong project management, communication, problem-solving, and customer-facing skills to support scalable growth of the ice cream business.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, DUTIES AND PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES

General Purpose:

• Own commercialization for new ice cream customers, products, packaging formats, and SKU launches from commitment through first production and post-launch handoff.
• Translate customer requirements, timelines, risks, and deliverables into clear action plans for Sales, Customer Service, R&D, QA, Procurement, Operations, Demand Planning, and Finance.
• Serve as the central project owner for launch readiness, cross-functional accountability, and alignment between customer expectations and plant execution.

Commercialization & Project Execution:

• Lead commercialization projects, launch meetings, stage-gate trackers, timelines, milestones, and action-item ownership.
• Coordinate trials, packaging and artwork readiness, specifications, documentation, ingredient and packaging availability, costing inputs, production readiness, and customer updates.
• Monitor progress, mitigate launch risks, elevate roadblocks, and keep projects on time and within scope.

Customer & Cross-Functional Support:

• Serve as a key point of contact during onboarding, commercialization, trials, first production, and transition to routine execution.
• Partner with Sales, Business Development, Customer Service, R&D, QA, Procurement, Demand Planning, Finance, and Operations to define expectations, resolve issues, and improve the customer experience.

Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement:

• Provide regular updates to leadership on launch status, readiness, project risks, resource needs, and key milestones.
• Develop and improve tools, templates, stage-gate processes, trackers, and best practices for scalable ice cream commercialization.

POSITION SPECIFICATIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Food Science, Engineering, Project Management, Supply Chain, or a related field preferred.

Experience:

• 3–7 years of experience in food commercialization, project management, customer onboarding, food manufacturing, or sales support. Ice cream or CPG experience preferred.
• Experience managing cross-functional projects, product launches, customer initiatives, manufacturing start-up activities, or contract manufacturing support preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong project management, organization, communication, documentation, and follow-up skills.
• Ability to manage multiple launches, priorities, timelines, risks, and changing business needs.
• Ability to build relationships and drive accountability across commercial, technical, operations, quality, procurement, finance, demand planning, and customer service teams.
• Analytical problem-solver with sound decision-making, risk management, reporting, and customer-facing capabilities.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work in an office and manufacturing plant environment.
• Ability to walk production areas and stand for extended periods.
• Ability to use stairs and ladders as needed.
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs.

Working Conditions:

• Subject to office and plant conditions.
• Exposure to production noise, cold rooms, freezer areas, and moving equipment.
• Occasional indoor and outdoor environmental exposure based on business needs.