Head of Global External Manufacturing & Partnerships

welchs; Waltham (MA); Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Paid Time Off

401K plan

Bonus

Health, Dental & Vision Insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Welch's is seeking a Director of Contract Manufacturing to shape a scalable external network, align with growth, and drive enterprise transformation. Based in the Waltham, MA headquarters, this role leads partnerships, governance, and multi‑year capacity planning to enable faster innovation and resilient supply.

The ideal candidate brings 10+ years in manufacturing leadership, strong negotiation skills, and a track record of building high‑performing teams in a CPG environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience across manufacturing, supply chain, operations, procurement, or external manufacturing.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred.
• Experience leading end-to-end external manufacturing partnerships including onboarding and performance management.
• Strong financial acumen with experience evaluating capital investments and network optimization.

Responsibilities

• Develop the external manufacturing strategy and expand the co-manufacturing network.
• Balance internal production with strategically selected external partners.
• Build long-term relationships with manufacturers for competitive advantage.
• Lead onboarding, governance, and performance management of external partners.
• Collaborate with supply chain and cross-functional leaders for capacity and expansion strategies.
• Serve as executive owner for the external manufacturing network with governance and scorecards.
• Drive make-versus-buy decisions and network investments for resilience.
• Lead contract negotiations to optimize cost, quality, and long-term value.
• Champion continuous improvement across the manufacturing network.
• Mentor a high-performing team and foster accountability and innovation.
• Build scalable processes and mature the external manufacturing function.
• Identify risks and mitigate supply continuity issues.
• Lead cross-functional transformation and align senior stakeholders.
• Develop and inspire the next generation of leaders.

Skills

Strategic leadership

External manufacturing partnerships

Negotiation

Financial acumen

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA preferred

Job description

Welch's is seeking a Director of Contract Manufacturing to shape a scalable external network, align with growth, and drive enterprise transformation. Based in the Waltham, MA headquarters, this role leads partnerships, governance, and multi‑year capacity planning to enable faster innovation and resilient supply.

The ideal candidate brings 10+ years in manufacturing leadership, strong negotiation skills, and a track record of building high‑performing teams in a CPG environment.