External Manufacturing & Commercialization Leader

GoMacro; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Wellness benefits

Job summary

GoMacro is seeking a Commercialization & External Manufacturing Manager to lead external manufacturing relationships and the technical execution of new product commercialization with external partners. You will ensure launches happen on time, at target cost, and at scale, partnering with R&D, Engineering, FSQA, and Supply Planning.

This role requires 5+ years in external manufacturing in food/CPG, strong problem-solving, and the ability to drive cross-functional programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in external manufacturing within food/CPG.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively with external partners from the C-level to the production floor.
• Strong financial and operational acumen connecting throughput, yield, labor, and cost to partner performance.
• Demonstrated success leading scale-up, line trials, and production ramp-ups.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary commercial, performance and operational contact for assigned external manufacturing partners.
• Establish clear expectations for performance, readiness, escalation paths, and continuous improvement.
• Create and maintain KPI and performance management processes with external manufacturers.
• Partner with external manufacturers to drive process capability, equipment readiness, OEE improvement, and line efficiency.
• Lead technical problem-solving during trials and production, including root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Continuously monitor the industry to maintain knowledge and insights of prospective GoMacro external manufacturers.
• Participate in external manufacturing negotiations (commercial negotiations and dispute negotiations).
• Lead RFI/RFP with external manufacturers and provide recommendations.
• Participate in long-term capacity planning with Operations for visibility into External Manufacturing capacity needs.
• Lead end-to-end commercialization at external manufacturers, from initial line trials through validated ramp curves and steady-state production.
• Own production ramp plans, run-rate targets, and readiness assessments for new and transferred products.
• Translate product and process requirements into executable manufacturing plans with external manufacturers.
• Identify scale-up risks and constraints; drive mitigation plans to achieve target throughput, yield, and quality.
• Provide recommendations to R&D and Innovation on product manufacturability during the early design phases.
• Partner with R&D and Innovation in early-phase design phases to identify and select the most appropriate manufacturing partners in innovation projects.
• Partner with R&D, Finance, Engineering, FSQA, Supply Planning, and Procurement throughout all phases of innovation and to ensure smooth handoff from design to commercialization.
• Partner with Project Management for external manufacturing initiatives, including timelines, dependencies, risks, and deliverables.
• Ensure commercialization milestones are aligned with demand, supply planning, and customer launch requirements.
• Drive clarity on ownership between internal teams and external partners across the commercialization lifecycle.
• Support equipment assessments, capex justification, and process changes required to meet target volumes and cost targets.
• Track and drive improvements in run rates, yield, labor efficiency, scrap, and downtime at external manufacturing partners.
• Ensure new products meet financial assumptions through disciplined ramp planning and cost transparency.
• Contribute to post-launch reviews and continuous improvement roadmaps for external manufacturing partners.
• Ensure process documentation, control plans, SOPs, and technical transfer packages are complete and production-ready.
• Partner with FSQA to ensure food safety, quality, and regulatory readiness at all external sites.
• Partner with Project Management on risk registers for commercialization and co-manufacturing programs, with clear mitigation and escalation plans.
• Support development of standardized commercialization playbooks, templates, and operating rhythms.

Skills

Communication

Problem-solving

Cross-functional leadership

Analytical thinking

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Operations, or a related field

Job description

GoMacro is seeking a Commercialization & External Manufacturing Manager to lead external manufacturing relationships and the technical execution of new product commercialization with external partners. You will ensure launches happen on time, at target cost, and at scale, partnering with R&D, Engineering, FSQA, and Supply Planning.

This role requires 5+ years in external manufacturing in food/CPG, strong problem-solving, and the ability to drive cross-functional programs.