Commericalization Manager

Company Description Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is a retail franchisor and manufacturer of premium chocolates and confections, headquartered in the historic town of Durango, Colorado. From its 53,000-square-foot production facility, the company supports a broad network of franchise locations that specialize in handcrafted caramel apples, classic confections, and chocolates. Using proprietary recipes developed by its master candy maker, the factory produces around 300 varieties of clusters, caramels, creams, meltaways, truffles, and molded chocolates. Products are supplied fresh to franchise stores, often via a dedicated fleet of refrigerated trucks, helping ensure a consistent, high-quality customer experience. Individual stores further enhance the brand by making caramel apples, fudge, and other treats in full view of customers, using traditional methods and equipment.

Position Summary

The Commercialization Manager is translating approved R&D concepts, formulas, and product specifications into controlled, scalable, production-ready documentation for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. This role serves as a critical bridge between R&D, Production, Quality, Purchasing, Finance, and Operations by ensuring that formulas, batch sheets, process instructions, product information guides, finished product specifications, and financial BOM inputs are accurate, complete, and aligned with approved product standards.

This position does not have direct reports but requires strong cross-functional influence, technical credibility, and disciplined documentation practices. The Commercialization Manager will support the testing, scale-up, validation, and production readiness of approved formulas, with particular emphasis on chocolate and confectionery systems, water activity control, process repeatability, ingredient functionality, and operational feasibility.

The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in confectionery formulation, chocolate handling, product development documentation, and commercialization discipline, with the ability to move products from bench or pilot stage into repeatable manufacturing execution.

Key Responsibilities

The Commercialization Manager will be expected to consistently deliver outstanding outcomes in the following areas:

Commercialization & Scale-Up

·     Lead the commercialization process for approved formulas from R&D handoff through production readiness.

·     Support test batches, pilot runs, and production-scale trials for new and revised products.

·     Translate approved formulas into scalable batch sheets, production methods, process steps, and operator-facing documentation.

·     Identify scale-up risks related to texture, viscosity, water activity, depositability, enrobing, cooling, shelf life, handling, and finished-product appearance.

·     Partner with Production to confirm that formulas are operationally feasible using existing equipment, labor structure, and process capabilities.

·     Document trial results, process observations, deviations, corrective actions, and final approved methods.

R&D Documentation & Formula Control

·     Create, maintain, and control R&D documentation, including:

·     Product Information Guides / PIGs

·     Batch sheets

·     Formula records

·     Process methods

·     Finished product specifications

·     Ingredient declarations

·     Testing summaries

·     Commercialization notes

·     Product handling instructions

·     Ensure documentation is complete, technically accurate, version-controlled, and suitable for cross-functional use.

·     Maintain clear alignment between approved formulas, production batch sheets, financial BOM inputs, and product specifications.

·     Support accurate documentation of ingredient percentages, process losses, yield assumptions, allergen considerations, and production parameters.

Product Specifications & BOM Support

·     Develop and maintain finished product specifications for approved items, including physical attributes, sensory expectations, garnish standards, weight targets, handling requirements, and quality checkpoints.

·     Partner with Finance, Purchasing, and Operations to provide accurate formula and process inputs for financial BOM development.

·     Ensure that BOM inputs reflect approved formulas, ingredient usage, batch yields, rework allowances where applicable, and commercialization assumptions.

·     Support ingredient setup, formula validation, and documentation required for ERP or internal product management systems.

Water Activity & Process Controls

·     Conduct or support water activity testing as a defined process control point for fillings, ganaches, creams, caramels, and other moisture-sensitive confectionery systems.

·     Interpret water activity readings in relation to product safety, quality, shelf life, and release criteria.

·     Document water activity results as part of commercialization, scale-up, and production readiness records.

·     Escalate out-of-spec water activity results and support corrective action or reformulation as needed.

·     Help establish practical process guardrails for moisture control, including ingredient handling, cooking parameters, cooling, staging, storage, and post-production handling.

Confectionery & Chocolate Technical Support

·     Provide technical support for chocolate and confectionery products including ganaches, truffles, creams, caramels, meltaways, molded pieces, enrobed products, and seasonal items.

·     Apply knowledge of chocolate tempering, fat systems, crystallization, emulsions, viscosity, shelf life, water activity, sugar systems, inclusions, flavors, and confectionery texture.

·     Support research and development of formulas when requested, particularly where commercialization, manufacturability, or process stability must be improved.

·     Assist in troubleshooting issues related to bloom, separation, graining, texture defects, depositability, enrobing performance, garnish adhesion, and shelf-life performance.

·        Bring a research chocolatier mindset to product execution, balancing creativity with technical control, production repeatability, and brand standards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

·        Work closely with R&D, Production, QA/QC, Purchasing, Finance, Marketing, Franchise Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure product readiness and documentation accuracy.

·        Serve as a technical resource during commercialization meetings, production trials, and post-run reviews.

·        Communicate clearly and professionally with both technical and non-technical audiences.

·        Help ensure that approved product specifications are understood and followed across departments.

·        Support a disciplined commercialization process that reduces ambiguity, improves accountability, and protects product quality.

This is an individual contributor role with no direct reports. The position carries significant responsibility for documentation integrity, commercialization readiness, and technical execution of approved product formulas. This role is expected to operate with independence, technical credibility, and strong ownership of the commercialization process.  

Education, Experience & Skills

●   Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Baking & Patry, Confectionary Science, or related field preferred; equivalent professional experience will be considered.

●   Minimum 3–5 years of experience in product development, commercialization, confectionery production, chocolate production, or related food manufacturing environment.

●   Strong background in chocolate, confectionery, ganache, creams, caramels, or filled chocolate systems.

●   Experience creating or maintaining formulas, batch sheets, product specifications, process documents, or commercialization records.

●   Working knowledge of scale-up from bench, pilot, or test batch to production.

●   Familiarity with water activity testing and its relationship to product stability, shelf life, and quality control.

●   Ability to interpret formulas, ingredient functionality, process steps, yields, and manufacturing constraints.

●   Strong written documentation skills and attention to technical accuracy.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

●   Research chocolatier, chocolatier, pastry chef, or confectionery R&D background.

●   Experience with enrobed and deposited chocolate products.

●   Experience with ERP, BOM, or product specification systems.

●   Knowledge of allergen documentation, ingredient declarations, nutrition inputs, and product labeling support.

●   Experience working in a franchised, multi-unit, or corporate food manufacturing environment.

●   Understanding of chocolate tempering, emulsification, sugar crystallization, fat migration, bloom, and moisture migration.

●   Experience supporting shelf-life, quality, or commercialization validation.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

●   Ability to work in both office and production environments.

●   Ability to stand, walk production areas, and participate in test or scale-up runs as needed.

●   Ability to lift ingredients, samples, or production materials as required by company policy.

●   Comfortable working around chocolate production equipment, kettles, enrobers, depositors, cooling systems, and general confectionery manufacturing conditions.

●   Must be able to follow all food safety, GMP, allergen, safety, and quality procedures.