FREE ACCESS
5,000–10,000 jobs/day
See all jobs on Scoutfield
Search thousands of fresh jobs every day.
Discover
- Fresh listings
- Fast filters
- No subscription required
Create a free account and start exploring right away.
Director of Commercialization
good culture. Own end-to-end commercialization of new products and innovation from R&D handoff and feasibility through line trials, scale-up, and full production launch .
About the role
Key responsibilities & impact- Own end-to-end commercialization of new products and innovation from R&D handoff and feasibility through line trials, scale-up, and full production launch
- Lead and develop Engineering and Continuous Improvement teams
- Set priorities, build capability, and hold teams accountable to standards and timelines
- Specify new equipment and lead capital installation and improvement projects end-to-end
- Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to standard
- Lead commissioning of new production lines and facilities
- Drive continuous improvement across the network in yield, waste, OEE, and cost
- Partner with R&D to assess manufacturing feasibility
- Vet prospective facilities and co-manufacturing partners and maintain technical standards
- Collaborate with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, and R&D
- Own capital and project budgets for commercialization, engineering, and continuous improvement
- Report progress to executive leadership
- Help shape manufacturing and processing operations across the network as the company scales
Requirements
What you’ll need- Must have hands-on dairy processing experience with real time spent on the plant floor; cottage cheese and cultured dairy experience strongly preferred; broader cheese-making experience considered
- 10+ years of progressive plant engineering, manufacturing, and continuous improvement experience, including people leadership
- Proven track record commercializing new products from concept through line trials and into full-scale production
- Experience leading Engineering and/or Continuous Improvement teams
- Strong command of capital planning, equipment specification, and line or facility commissioning
- Experience working with or inside co-manufacturers
- Ability to drive results through influence and rapport, not just direct authority
- Ability to thrive in a lean, scrappy, fast-moving environment without big-company infrastructure
- Ability to build process and rigor where none exists yet
- Strong people leadership, including building capable teams, giving direct feedback, handling tension productively, and building rapport quickly
- Based in the Chicago area or broader Midwest
- Ability to travel 40–60% of the time
- Degree in engineering, food science, or dairy science is a plus, not required
Benefits
Comp & perks- Equal opportunity employer
- Diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce
- Inclusive work environment