Operations Readiness Manager

Winland Foods, Inc.; United States; Hybrid; USD 93,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401(k) with match

STD/LTD/AD&D/Life

HSA

FSA

EAP

Hospital indemnity

Accident Insurance

Identity and Fraud Protection Plan

Legal

Critical Illness

Job summary

Winland Foods, Inc. is seeking an Operations Readiness Manager to bridge R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Commercial teams, ensuring new products move from development to full‑scale production.

The role requires coordinating with multiple departments to meet timelines, costs, and quality standards. The position oversees complex projects, line trials, and scale‑ups, ensuring materials, equipment, and labor readiness, while identifying risks and opportunities for efficiency improvements

Qualifications

• 3–7 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or product commercialization.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing processes and plant operations.
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP).
• Experience with stage‑gate or commercialization processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex, enterprise‑wide projects through disciplined project management practices, overseeing schedules, milestones, deliverables, stakeholder communications, risk mitigation, and cross‑functional alignment to achieve objectives.
• Lead cost and feasibility response for new/reformulated products and network moves, coordinating with R&D, Procurement, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and Operations.
• Develop and manage detailed project timelines for NPIs and network moves.
• Ensure all critical milestones are met (ingredient sourcing, packaging readiness, line trials).
• Coordinate multiple plant trials, scale‑ups, and first production runs.
• Identify and mitigate production risks prior to launch.
• Ensure BOMs, routing, and specifications are accurate in systems.
• Ensure all products meet food safety, regulatory, and quality standards.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder communication

Risk mitigation

Process improvement

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Project Management or related field

PMP Certification

Tools

SAP

Job description

Operations Readiness Manager

The Operations Readiness Manager is responsible for leading and coordinating all activities required to successfully transition new food products from development into full‑scale manufacturing. This role acts as the bridge between R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Commercial teams to ensure launches are on time, cost‑effective, and meet quality standards.

Position Details

Employee Type: Full‑time | Location: IL, Oak Brook | Job Type: Production Operations | Schedule: Hybrid office schedule with up to 60% travel expected.
Salary: $93k – $140k annually with additional bonus potential.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401(k) with match
• STD/LTD/AD&D/Life
• HSA
• FSA
• EAP
• Hospital indemnity
• Accident Insurance
• Identity and Fraud Protection Plan
• Legal
• Critical Illness

Key Responsibilities

• Lead complex, enterprise‑wide projects through disciplined project management practices, overseeing detailed schedules, critical paths, deliverables, stakeholder communications, risk mitigation, and cross‑functional alignment to achieve business objectives.
• Lead cost and feasibility response for all new and reformulated products, as well as network moves. This involves coordination with R&D, Procurement, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Operations, and others.
• Develop and manage detailed project timelines for new product introductions (NPIs) and network moves.
• Ensure all critical milestones are met (ingredient sourcing, packaging readiness, line trials, etc.).
• Coordinate multiple simultaneous plant trials, scale‑ups, and first production runs.
• Partner with plant teams to ensure materials, equipment, labor, and capacity are ready and available.
• Identify and mitigate production risks prior to launch.
• Ensure BOMs (Bill of Materials), routing, and specifications are accurate in systems.
• Ensure all products meet food safety, regulatory, and quality standards, as well as customer standards.
• Track and manage launch‑related costs (waste, trial runs, overtime, etc.).
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency during scale‑up.
• Support post‑launch cost optimization efforts.
• Proactively identify risks to timelines, cost, or quality.
• Lead problem‑solving efforts during trials and initial production.
• Escalate issues appropriately with recommended solutions.

Qualifications and Requirements

• 3–7 years of experience in manufacturing, operations, or product commercialization.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management, Supply Chain, Business or related field is preferred.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing processes and plant operations is highly preferred.
• Experience with new product launches or plant trials preferred.
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP).
• Experience with stage‑gate or commercialization processes.
• Understanding of food safety standards (e.g., HACCP, FSMA).
• PMP Certification is preferred.
• Lean / Six Sigma experience is a plus.

EEO Statement

Winland Foods seeks to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool, and as a global company we believe our success is enhanced by fostering equity and inclusion in the workplace. Therefore, Winland Foods is committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law.