Sr Manager, Bakery Commercialization

Job Purpose

The Sr. Manager, Bakery Commercialization reports to the Director, Bakery Commercialization. This role is highly “hands-on” in the field, working internally with our Bakery/Culinary Team, Quality Assurance, Operations, Supply Chain and Category Growth teams and externally with our manufacturing partners of bakery components, ingredients, equipment, etc. to drive and manage key project deliverables. Supporting all elements of bakery product development and commercialization initiatives from formula scale up all the way through product manufacturing support. With a cross functional mindset, this role relies on deeply ingrained bakery manufacturing expertise and fosters environments of passion, innovation and integrity.

Duties & Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of this job include, but are not limited to:

Bakery Commercialization

• Support bakery & culinary product development efforts as they relate to: ideation, plant scale up, post trial evaluations, and ongoing product quality optimizations.
• Support bakery & culinary commercialization through attendance and leadership at manufacturer plant trials to include: ingredient spec validation, formula documentation, processing equipment documentation and ongoing quality assurance testing required. Be the voice of the customer (Panera) with our manufacturing partners.
• Support bakery & culinary commercialization with regards to setting up and validating secondary suppliers on an on-going basis.
• Coordinate all aspects of on-going product shelf life testing and validation. Including analytical tests and organoleptic tests of both individual products and those products in full build (sandwiches). Shelf life testing will consist of both baked shelf life and frozen shelf life.
• Brings a mindset of curiosity and continuous improvement, challenging established processes where appropriate and balancing innovation with practical execution.

Manufacturing & Quality Oversight

• Maintain Bakery Manufacturing Specifications to include: formulas, material processing specs, ingredient specs, packaging, QA specs, café handling, etc.
• Routinely audit the product quality and manufacturing effectiveness of our bakery manufacturing partners.

Leadership & Communication

• Create clear executive summaries of commercialization activities to be shared with culinary and x-functional teams.
• Be an effective change agent that fosters open dialogue, drives engagement within the project team and creates collaborative environments where people can be vulnerable, passionate, free-thinking contributors.

Qualifications (Education & Experience)

Qualifications include:

• Education Level: Four-year college education (preferred, but not required).
• Strong baking skills: understanding of formulation, fermentation, processing, quality testing, etc.
• Minimum of 5 years of bakery manufacturing experience, other food manufacturing experience beneficial.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Able to leverage skills to influence others.
• Self-motivated. Strong organizational, time management, prioritization, and planning skills.
• Able to build relationships, collaboration and consensus among peers, managers, partners, and associates. Able to lead through influence.
• Successfully demonstrated organizationally agility – ability to proactively and cross functionally collaborate with multiple stakeholders and departments.
• Shown demonstrated ability to understand and articulate end to end impact of new process improvement initiatives.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and internet-based tools (Workday, Sharepoint, etc.). Able to complete other basic computer functions.

Working Conditions

• Must have valid passport and driver’s license.
• This role requires flexible hours including periodic nights, overnights and weekends in a faced paced environment with shifting priorities.
• Position is based in Newton, MA with frequent travel required – up to 50% by plane or car.

Physical Requirements

• This position requires a mix of walking/standing during long periods while on manufacturing plant/test cafe visits (including the lifting of heavy items or boxes), some desk/office administrative work, as well as driving between airports and manufacturing facilities or Panera test sites.

Direct Reports

• This position will have no direct reports at this time.