MANUFACTURING INNOVATION MANAGER

McCormick & Company; Cockeysville (MD); On-site; USD 88,000 - 154,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Career growth

Flexibility & support

Job summary

McCormick & Company in Hunt Valley, MD seeks a Manufacturing Innovation Manager to drive growth and supply chain resilience through manufacturing capabilities. This hands-on leader bridges the plant with cross-functional partners to assess capability, enable data-driven decisions, and accelerate speed to market.

You will lead a team, shape commercialization, data readiness, early management, and capital project startups, establishing closed-loop processes that connect testing and performance to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, packaging, operations, supply chain or related technical field.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and process development capabilities.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills with the ability to navigate ambiguity.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects within manufacturing and TPM/Lean.
• SAP experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven track record managing stakeholder expectations and driving adoption.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate manufacturing capability assessments and Make vs. Buy analyses with cross‑functional partners.
• Lead commercialization processes, MAC trials and First Time Order runs for new products.
• Build closed‑loop data processes linking product, packaging, lab, and manufacturing data.
• Lead Data Validation to ensure manufacturing readiness and data governance.
• Support Early Management and capital Start-up activities including IQ/OQ/PQ.
• Develop direct reports and communicate with frontline teams up to executive level.

Skills

Analytical

Problem solving

Process development

Business acumen

Communication skills

Influencing skills

Leadership of cross-functional teams

Stakeholder management

Lean manufacturing

TPM

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Packaging, Operations, or related technical discipline

Tools

SAP

Job description

You may know McCormick as a leader in herbs, spices, seasonings, and condiments – and we’re only getting started. At McCormick, we’re always looking for new people to bring their unique flavor to our team.Manufacuturing Innovation Manager for our Hunt Valley Plant.

McCormick employees – all 14,000 of us across the world – are what makes this company a great place to work.

What We Bring To The Table

• Competitive compensation
• Career growth opportunities
• Flexibility and Support for Diverse Life Stages and Choices

Position Overview

Under the direction of the Engineering Manager, the Manufacturing Innovation Manager plays a pivotal role in enabling business growth & supply chain resiliency strategies through the manufacturing capabilities of the Hunt Valley Plant (HVP). This hands‑on leader serves as a conduit between the plant and cross‑functional business partners, galvanizing teams to assess manufacturing capability, enable agile and data‑driven decisions, and accelerate speed to market through internal manufacturing.

The role leads a team of direct reports and key processes supporting commercialization, manufacturing innovation, data readiness, Early Management, and capital project startup. A key focus is establishing closed‑loop processes that connect testing, implementation, and actual manufacturing performance to strengthen future decisions and continuously improve HVP's manufacturing capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate manufacturing capability and product inflow assessments, including Make vs. Buy evaluations, by connecting business opportunities with HVP capabilities, constraints, risks, operational impacts, and potential investment needs.
• Lead manufacturing commercialization processes, including Manufacturing Analysis and Costing (MAC) trials and First Time Order (FTO) runs, supporting the successful introduction of new products, blends, packaging, materials, and suppliers.
• Build data‑driven, closed‑loop processes that connect product, packaging, laboratory, historical test, and manufacturing performance data to improve future assessments and understand impacts to safety, quality, yield, throughput, reliability, waste, and cost.
• Lead and continuously improve the Data Validation process, ensuring product, material, packaging, and manufacturing data is accurate, manufacturing‑ready, and effectively integrated across plant processes and systems.
• Supports the TPM - Early Management (EM) pillar. Supporting early management processes for new product innovations at the site and own capital project Start‑Up Management, including IQ/OQ/PQ, to enable manufacturing readiness and Vertical Start‑Ups.
• Lead and develop direct reports and their project portfolios while influencing broader manufacturing direction. Build strong relationships and communicate effectively from the manufacturing floor with frontline teams through executive‑level presentations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Packaging, Operations, Supply Chain, or related technical discipline.
• 7+ years’ experience in manufacturing, with 5+ years’ experience in engineering, commercialization, product/process development, or project management.
• Experience in managing stakeholder expectations, including key senior business stakeholders, and maximizing stakeholder adoption.
• Demonstrated success leading complex cross‑functional projects, processes, and teams within manufacturing.
• Demonstrated SAP experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, process‑development, and business acumen.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills with demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, challenge the status quo, and drive accountability.
• Experience with lean manufacturing principles & TPM

Preferred Qualifications

• Process and/or Packaging Engineering experience, preferably within food, beverage, CPG, pharmaceutical, chemical, or similar manufacturing.
• Experience with commercialization, manufacturing trials (verification & validation), capability assessment, Early Management, IQ/OQ/PQ, and capital project startup.
• Understanding of product, packaging, equipment, and process interactions and their impact on manufacturing performance.
• Experience with master data, material/packaging specifications, BOMs, manufacturing standards, and data governance.
• Experience with Agile, Lean, and/or iterative project management; PMP, PMI-ACP, Lean Six Sigma, Agile, or similar certification preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Prosci Change Management Model Certification

As a general policy, McCormick does not offer employment visa sponsorships upon hire or in the future.

McCormick & Company is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Base Salary

Base Salary: $87,910 - $153,870

Base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, experience for this role, and/or internal equity of our current employees as part of any final offer. This position is also eligible to participate in McCormick’s Incentive Bonus (MIB) Plan. In addition to a competitive compensation package, permanent employees of McCormick are eligible for our extensive Total Rewards programs that include:

• Comprehensive health plans covering medical, vision, dental, life and disability benefits
• Family-friendly benefits such as paid parental leave, fertility benefits, Employee Assistance Program, and caregiver support
• Retirement and investment programs including 401(k) and profit‑sharing plans