Director of Commercialization

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Take ownership of the complete commercialization process for new products and innovations, starting from the R&D handoff and feasibility assessment, through line trials, scale-up, and full production launch.

• Lead and cultivate Engineering and Continuous Improvement teams.

• Establish priorities, enhance capabilities, and hold teams accountable to established standards and timelines.

• Define specifications for new equipment and oversee capital installation and improvement projects from start to finish.

• Ensure that projects are completed on schedule, within budget, and meet quality standards.

• Direct the commissioning of new production lines and facilities.

• Promote continuous improvement throughout the network in areas such as yield, waste, OEE, and cost efficiency.

• Collaborate with R&D to evaluate manufacturing feasibility.

• Assess potential facilities and co-manufacturing partners while upholding technical standards.

• Work in partnership with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and R&D teams.

• Manage capital and project budgets related to commercialization, engineering, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Provide progress updates to executive leadership.

• Contribute to the evolution of manufacturing and processing operations across the network as the company expands.

⛳️ Requirements

• Must possess hands-on experience in dairy processing with actual time spent on the plant floor; experience in cottage cheese and cultured dairy is highly preferred, while broader cheese-making knowledge will be considered.

• Over 10 years of progressive experience in plant engineering, manufacturing, and continuous improvement, including leadership roles.

• Demonstrated success in bringing new products from concept through line trials to full-scale production.

• Experience in leading Engineering and/or Continuous Improvement teams.

• Strong expertise in capital planning, equipment specification, and commissioning of lines or facilities.

• Experience collaborating with or working within co-manufacturers.

• Ability to achieve results through influence and relationship-building, rather than relying solely on direct authority.

• Capacity to excel in a lean, agile, and fast-paced environment that lacks the infrastructure of larger companies.

• Skill in establishing processes and rigor where none currently exists.

• Strong leadership capabilities, including team development, providing constructive feedback, managing tension effectively, and quickly building rapport.

• Must be based in the Chicago area or the broader Midwest region.

• Willingness to travel 40–60% of the time.

• A degree in engineering, food science, or dairy science is advantageous, though not mandatory.

🏝️ Benefits

• Equal opportunity employer.

• Diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce.

• Inclusive work environment.