Senior Project Manager, Packaging & Creative Operations- Contract

Thorne; South Carolina; On-site; USD 117,096 - 130,872; Part time

Job summary

Thorne is looking for a Contract Senior Project Manager, Packaging & Creative Operations to lead packaging and marketing projects. This role requires 7-10+ years of experience and deep expertise in packaging development, along with strong communication and organizational skills.

You will collaborate closely with various departments to ensure projects meet brand quality and regulatory standards, and you will need to thrive in a fast-paced environment. Join Thorne’s mission to provide superior health solutions!

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of project management experience in CPG, food & beverage, or health & wellness.
• Strong understanding of packaging design workflows and project management processes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional teams effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead packaging and marketing projects from concept through commercialization.
• Develop and manage project plans, resource allocations, and schedules.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure successful project execution.

Skills

Project Management

Packaging Development

Leadership

Process Improvement

Stakeholder Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business or Project Management

PMP certification

Tools

Wrike

Quality Management Systems

Job description

Contract Senior Project Manager, Packaging & Creative Operations

Department: Marketing

Employment Type: Contract

Location: Remote

Compensation: $85.00 - $95.00 / hour

Description

At Thorne, we work to deliver high-quality, science-backed solutions to empower individuals to take a proactive approach to their well-being. Each day begins with a mission to help others discover and achieve their best health. We count on our team members to challenge and push the boundaries to make that happen. At Thorne, you’ll be joining a team of more than 750 passionate individuals committed to our cause of providing superior health solutions at every age and life stage.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Production & Creative Operations, the Senior Project Manager, Packaging & Creative Operations will lead the planning, execution, and delivery of packaging, labeling, artwork, and marketing projects across Thorne's product portfolio. Serving as the central hub for cross-functional collaboration, this role partners closely with Creative, Marketing, Regulatory Affairs, Product Development, Operations, Supply Chain, and external vendors to ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and in alignment with brand, quality, and regulatory standards.

The ideal candidate is a highly organized project management professional with deep expertise in packaging development, creative operations, print production, and prepress workflows. They bring a proven ability to build and optimize scalable processes, manage complex cross-functional initiatives, and drive operational excellence in a fast-paced consumer packaged goods (CPG) environment. This individual will play a critical role in streamlining packaging development while safeguarding the integrity of Thorne's brand and creative vision throughout the product lifecycle.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Enhance and continuously improve Thorne's packaging and creative operations by integrating creative best practices, design workflows, production, and prepress into a seamless end-to-end packaging development process.
• Establish, implement, and scale cross-functional project management processes that increase efficiency, visibility, and collaboration across Creative, Marketing, Regulatory Affairs, Product Development, Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain.
• Lead packaging, labeling, artwork, and marketing projects from concept through commercialization, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and timelines are met.
• Develop and manage comprehensive project plans, resource allocations, and schedules for new product launches, packaging updates, reformulations, and line extensions.
• Partner closely with Creative leadership to optimize resource planning, project prioritization, and team capacity.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and external partners—including packaging suppliers, printers, and production vendors—to ensure successful project execution and on-time delivery.
• Oversee packaging artwork workflows, including routing, approvals, version control, file management, proofing, and production readiness.
• Ensure the highest standards of creative quality, design integrity, regulatory compliance, and brand consistency are maintained throughout the packaging development lifecycle.
• Develop and maintain standardized workflows, templates, governance, and documentation that support a growing portfolio of packaging and marketing initiatives.
• Identify and implement process improvements that streamline development cycles, improve operational efficiency, and maintain quality and compliance standards.
• Facilitate packaging reviews, proof approvals, and cross-functional decision-making to keep projects moving forward efficiently.
• Monitor project budgets, packaging costs, vendor performance, and overall project health, proactively identifying and mitigating risks.
• Support commercialization and product launch initiatives by ensuring packaging deliverables align with business priorities and launch timelines.
• Provide regular project updates to stakeholders, communicating progress, timelines, dependencies, and potential risks while driving accountability across teams.

WHAT YOU NEED

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or GED required; Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, Project Management, or a related field preferred.
• PMP certification is a plus.
• 7–10+ years of project management experience supporting packaging, creative operations, brand marketing, or integrated marketing teams within a consumer packaged goods (CPG), food & beverage, health & wellness, manufacturing, or related industry.
• Proven experience establishing, implementing, and scaling project management processes across multiple cross-functional teams within a high-growth organization.
• Prior agency experience is a plus.

Technical Knowledge

• Strong understanding of packaging development, packaging design workflows, artwork management, print production, prepress, labeling, and commercialization.
• Experience integrating creative best practices into operational workflows while balancing business priorities, regulatory requirements, quality standards, and production timelines.
• Demonstrated ability to preserve creative and brand integrity throughout the packaging development lifecycle.
• Experience partnering with internal creative teams as well as external agencies, printers, packaging suppliers, and production vendors.
• Experience within the vitamins & supplements, food & beverage, CPG, manufacturing, or related industries preferred.
• Experience working with quality management systems (ETQ preferred).
• Proficiency with Wrike or other enterprise project management platforms.

Core Competencies

• Exceptional project management, organizational, and process improvement skills with the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Strong leadership and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and drive alignment without direct authority.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to effectively communicate project status, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Demonstrated success leading change management initiatives and driving adoption of new tools, workflows, and operational processes.
• Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• High attention to detail with a commitment to quality, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement.
• Solid understanding of design principles, print production, and integrated marketing processes.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, prioritize competing demands, and consistently meet deadlines.
• Collaborative, adaptable, and proactive approach with strong interpersonal skills and a customer-service mindset.