Director Commercialization

Downers Grove, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America

Job Description

Posted Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at 5:00 AM

Position Summary:
The Director Commercialization–CoMan leads the full lifecycle of Bakery & Bars quote requests, business viability reviews, and commercial product launches; coordinating cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality, cost-effective products and packaging solutions. This role requires strong expertise in food manufacturing, internal product commercialization, and a proven ability to evolve processes to bring products from concept to market efficiently and successfully. The Director Commercialization-CoMan reports directly to the Chief Strategy Officer.

Key Responsibilities:

Commercialization Leadership (Co-Manufacturing Platforms of Bakery and Bars)

• Lead the full commercialization lifecycle—from concept launch, managing timelines, budgets, and quality.
• Oversee and optimize the commercialization stage-gate process, ensuring compliance and efficiency.
• Continually Improve and Iterate the Overall Commercialization Process to push for speed and effectiveness.
• Ensure all products meet food safety, labeling, and regulatory standards.
• Track product performance, manage reporting, and provide visibility on key initiatives across functions.

Customer & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as the primary liaison between internal teams (R&D, Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain) and external co-manufacturing partners.
• Translate product concepts into commercially viable solutions by aligning technical requirements with manufacturing capabilities.
• Partner with sales and logistics teams for flawless execution and maintain clear communication on project status and priorities.
• Partner with Finance and Supply Chain to evaluate cost structures, pricing strategies, and the P&L impact of new product launches.
• Ensure margin optimization and efficient scale-up through close coordination with co-manufacturers and internal stakeholders.

Performance Monitoring & Continuous Improvement

• Track product performance, manage reporting, and provide visibility on key initiatives across functions.
• Lead post-launch reviews and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance speed-to-market, cost efficiency, and product quality.
• Support R&D in bakery innovation, identify market gaps, and lead new product introductions to drive profitable growth.

Co-Man Commercialization Team Leadership

• Lead and manage a team of ~10 local Commercialization Managers, providing strategic direction and day-to-day leadership, coaching, and performance management.
• Lead resource planning and workload balancing to optimize team capacity and ensure timely delivery of commercialization projects.
• Act as an escalation point for complex issues, providing guidance and support to resolve challenges efficiently.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Food Science, or a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Experience:
• 10+ years of progressive experience in commercialization, product development, or operations within the food or CPG industry.
• Prior experience in an FDA or manufacturing environment preferred.
• Proven success in launching food products through co-manufacturing or external production partnerships.
• Strong background in cross-functional project leadership and commercialization process improvement.
• Skills:
• Excellent project management and stakeholder communication skills.
• Deep understanding of food manufacturing processes, supply chain dynamics, and product lifecycle management.
• Financial acumen with experience in cost modeling and margin analysis.
• Strong communication and influence skills to engage stakeholders at all levels, including executive leadership.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, matrixed environment with multiple external partners.
• Demonstrated success in leading through change and driving continuous improvement in processes and team dynamics.

The pay range for this full-time, salaried position is $160,266 - $240,400/year. Individual base pay depends on work location and additional factors such as experience, job-related skills, and relevant education or training. The position is eligible for a discretionary annual incentive based on company and individual performance. We offer a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, 401k and wellness benefits beginning on the first day of employment.

This information is provided per the relevant state and local pay transparency laws for the location in which this position will be performed. Base pay information is based on market location.

Maker's Pride is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Downers Grove, Downers Grove, Illinois, United States of America