California Dairies, Inc.
Job Summary
This role is responsible for ensuring that the business needs are met within each project assigned and for leading the changes determined by the core project team. The primary objective of the Project Manager (PM) role is to lead projects from concept to market for new and enhanced products while ensuring regulatory compliance and the highest possible quality. The PM emphasizes the effective utilization of resources, whether they be internal CDI employees, external contractors and/or consultants, or other solution providers.
This role acts as a critical interface between Sales, Marketing, Operations, Research & Development, Planning, and Quality Teams, ensuring that new product launches align with commercial strategies and customer success. The role requires a cross-functional mindset, strong commercial and operational acumen, and the ability to manage multiple projects across all product lines. The PM works with management to clearly identify and document project goals and to plan projects at a level of detail appropriate for the type of project, number and type of resources, project complexity, risk, and timeline.
This is a Corporate held position, with some travel to the other locations as needed. Throughout these responsibilities, the PM must continue to support and enforce SQF / QA, GMP, Safety policies and procedures, and production needs.
Essential Functions
Design, formalize, manage, and champion a best-in-class Commercialization Process, detailing deliverables, steps, and timing in relation to development and launch targets.
Develop/refine business processes for key deliverables including business case, acceptance criteria, trial management, etc. to continuously improve the Master Commercialization Plan.
Translate commercial goals into actionable project objectives. Develop project plans outlining scope, timeline, budget, milestones, and resource requirements for launch related activities and customer success. Measure project performance using appropriate systems, tools, and techniques.
Drive project success by removing barriers, ensuring teams meet milestones, critical business, and customer dates on time, on budget, and aligned to enterprise strategy.
Lead cross-functional teams in developing and executing new product development/commercialization projects by serving as the primary point of contact for all project stakeholders, ensuring clear, consistent, and timely communication across global teams.
Actively manage commercial risk. Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure successful project delivery. Troubleshoot and exercise independent judgement to achieve the best result for the business. Escalate critical risks and roadblocks to leadership with recommended mitigation strategy.
Conduct regular status meetings and prepare reports for all stakeholders to communicate progress, challenges, and risks.
Make decisions independently on project topics that are in the best interest of the project, the teams involved, and the business.
Ensure priorities of business units are anticipated and satisfied by operational functions.
Develop partnerships to resolve operational issues and partner with operational functions to identify strategic opportunities to improve service and reduce cost across business units.
Support visibility to broader company initiatives and ensure alignment.
Maintain library of model documents, templates, or other reusable knowledge assets.
Coordinate time studies, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations with all stakeholders to establish standard production rate or improve efficiency.
Supports improvements to the process to increase win rate and overall team efficiency.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A
Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Demonstrated strong project management and facilitation skills, including excellent organization and execution skills.
Demonstrated business process development and implementation skills
Demonstrated competency of CPG commercialization processes, regulatory requirements, and customer dynamics.
Proven success managing new product launches, reformulations, or large-scale supply chain changes.
Proven ability to lead a cross functional team with demonstrated leadership, team development, coaching, and/or teaching experience.
Proficient in Microsoft D365, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Project. Experience with ERP, CMMS, MES, QMS, SharePoint or similar software systems.
Proven analytical and creative problem-solving abilities
Must possess excellent organizational and communication skills including excellent writing and speaking in English.
Must be able to work independently and effectively manage own schedule to meet deadlines.
Must be able to manage multiple priorities and can change priorities quickly as the business needs.
Must demonstrate good judgement when carrying out duties as assigned.
Basic Understanding of:
Dairy/Food processing technology or similar discipline
Process qualification & validation in the dairy industry
Education and/or Experience
Five or more years of equivalent experience in Project Management, Change Management, or Commercialization in food manufacturing environment.
Certified Project Management (CPM) or equivalent preferred.
College level verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to communicate with upper management on a regular basis.
Reasoning Ability Must have the ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions given in written, oral, or diagram form. Must have the ability to discern when issues may require input from levels of authority within the corporation.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Must have a valid driver’s license.
CPM preferred.
Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The Company will make reasonable accommodations that do not cause an undue hardship to the company if such accommodation enables individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.
Sitting/Standing/Walking:
This position involves sitting at a desk and time walking / standing. Frequency and duration depend on the phase and nature of a project or issue resolution. This position is expected to have the ability to walk / stand for several hours. Walking could be up several flights of stairs or over uneven surfaces.
Lifting/Carrying:
Position may lift 50lbs unassisted on an infrequent basis.
Pushing/Pulling:
They may occasionally push or pull items. They are directed to seek assistance for anything heavy.
Bending/Stooping:
Both can be done occasionally.
Squatting/Kneeling/Crawling:
Both can be done occasionally.
Twisting/Turning:
Typical expectations associated with routine desk / computer work, training activities, and presentations.
Climbing/Balancing:
Potential to walk up and down flights of stairs several times throughout a day.
Reaching:
They may reach overhead to retrieve or replace files or documents on high shelves.
Grasping/Manipulating:
Typical expectations associated with routine desk /computer work.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The Company will make reasonable accommodations that do not cause an undue hardship to the company if such accommodation enables individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Employee will be subject to temperatures from 34 to over 100 degrees.
ADA/FEHA The Company will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.
EEO The Company is an equal employment opportunity employer.
Fraudulent Recruiting Scam Disclaimer To all applicants: We take your safety and privacy seriously at California Dairies Inc. All job applicants are directed to apply only through the official career pages. P Lease be aware that our talent team will never ask for any form of payment, financial account details, or sensitive personal information such as social security numbers. If you receive any suspicious messages claiming to be from California Dairies Inc., please contact us at talent@californiadaires.com . U.S. residents can get more information from the FTC at https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams .
The pay range is listed below and represents our good faith estimate upon hire. The final offer will depend on factors such as the candidates experiences, skills, and qualifications.
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This role acts as a critical interface between Sales, Marketing, Operations, Research & Development, Planning, and Quality Teams, ensuring that new product launches align with commercial strategies and customer success. The role requires a cross-functional mindset, strong commercial and operational acumen, and the ability to manage multiple projects across all product lines. The PM works with management to clearly identify and document project goals and to plan projects at a level of detail appropriate for the type of project, number and type of resources, project complexity, risk, and timeline.
This is a Corporate held position, with some travel to the other locations as needed. Throughout these responsibilities, the PM must continue to support and enforce SQF / QA, GMP, Safety policies and procedures, and production needs.
Essential Functions
Design, formalize, manage, and champion a best-in-class Commercialization Process, detailing deliverables, steps, and timing in relation to development and launch targets.
Develop/refine business processes for key deliverables including business case, acceptance criteria, trial management, etc. to continuously improve the Master Commercialization Plan.
Translate commercial goals into actionable project objectives. Develop project plans outlining scope, timeline, budget, milestones, and resource requirements for launch related activities and customer success. Measure project performance using appropriate systems, tools, and techniques.
Drive project success by removing barriers, ensuring teams meet milestones, critical business, and customer dates on time, on budget, and aligned to enterprise strategy.
Lead cross-functional teams in developing and executing new product development/commercialization projects by serving as the primary point of contact for all project stakeholders, ensuring clear, consistent, and timely communication across global teams.
Actively manage commercial risk. Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure successful project delivery. Troubleshoot and exercise independent judgement to achieve the best result for the business. Escalate critical risks and roadblocks to leadership with recommended mitigation strategy.
Conduct regular status meetings and prepare reports for all stakeholders to communicate progress, challenges, and risks.
Make decisions independently on project topics that are in the best interest of the project, the teams involved, and the business.
Ensure priorities of business units are anticipated and satisfied by operational functions.
Develop partnerships to resolve operational issues and partner with operational functions to identify strategic opportunities to improve service and reduce cost across business units.
Support visibility to broader company initiatives and ensure alignment.
Maintain library of model documents, templates, or other reusable knowledge assets.
Coordinate time studies, motion, methods, or speed involved in maintenance, production, or other operations with all stakeholders to establish standard production rate or improve efficiency.
Supports improvements to the process to increase win rate and overall team efficiency.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A
Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Demonstrated strong project management and facilitation skills, including excellent organization and execution skills.
Demonstrated business process development and implementation skills
Demonstrated competency of CPG commercialization processes, regulatory requirements, and customer dynamics.
Proven success managing new product launches, reformulations, or large-scale supply chain changes.
Proven ability to lead a cross functional team with demonstrated leadership, team development, coaching, and/or teaching experience.
Proficient in Microsoft D365, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Project. Experience with ERP, CMMS, MES, QMS, SharePoint or similar software systems.
Proven analytical and creative problem-solving abilities
Must possess excellent organizational and communication skills including excellent writing and speaking in English.
Must be able to work independently and effectively manage own schedule to meet deadlines.
Must be able to manage multiple priorities and can change priorities quickly as the business needs.
Must demonstrate good judgement when carrying out duties as assigned.
Basic Understanding of:
Dairy/Food processing technology or similar discipline
Process qualification & validation in the dairy industry
Education and/or Experience
Five or more years of equivalent experience in Project Management, Change Management, or Commercialization in food manufacturing environment.
Certified Project Management (CPM) or equivalent preferred.
College level verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to communicate with upper management on a regular basis.
Reasoning Ability Must have the ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions given in written, oral, or diagram form. Must have the ability to discern when issues may require input from levels of authority within the corporation.
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations Must have a valid driver’s license.
CPM preferred.
Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The Company will make reasonable accommodations that do not cause an undue hardship to the company if such accommodation enables individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.
Sitting/Standing/Walking:
This position involves sitting at a desk and time walking / standing. Frequency and duration depend on the phase and nature of a project or issue resolution. This position is expected to have the ability to walk / stand for several hours. Walking could be up several flights of stairs or over uneven surfaces.
Lifting/Carrying:
Position may lift 50lbs unassisted on an infrequent basis.
Pushing/Pulling:
They may occasionally push or pull items. They are directed to seek assistance for anything heavy.
Bending/Stooping:
Both can be done occasionally.
Squatting/Kneeling/Crawling:
Both can be done occasionally.
Twisting/Turning:
Typical expectations associated with routine desk / computer work, training activities, and presentations.
Climbing/Balancing:
Potential to walk up and down flights of stairs several times throughout a day.
Reaching:
They may reach overhead to retrieve or replace files or documents on high shelves.
Grasping/Manipulating:
Typical expectations associated with routine desk /computer work.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The Company will make reasonable accommodations that do not cause an undue hardship to the company if such accommodation enables individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Employee will be subject to temperatures from 34 to over 100 degrees.
ADA/FEHA The Company will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.
EEO The Company is an equal employment opportunity employer.
Fraudulent Recruiting Scam Disclaimer To all applicants: We take your safety and privacy seriously at California Dairies Inc. All job applicants are directed to apply only through the official career pages. P Lease be aware that our talent team will never ask for any form of payment, financial account details, or sensitive personal information such as social security numbers. If you receive any suspicious messages claiming to be from California Dairies Inc., please contact us at talent@californiadaires.com . U.S. residents can get more information from the FTC at https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams .
The pay range is listed below and represents our good faith estimate upon hire. The final offer will depend on factors such as the candidates experiences, skills, and qualifications.
#J-18808-Ljbffr