Associate Product Integration Manager

If you are currently employed at Smithfield, please log into Workday and submit your application through the Jobs Hub. A great job-and a great future-awaits you at Smithfield Foods. We are an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. We’re looking for motivated people who want to join our team and grow lasting and meaningful careers with us. Apply Now! THE VALUE YOU’LL BRING: The position summary states the general nature and purpose of the job. Overall accountabilities are defined in this section. As an Associate Product Integration Manager, you will embark on a journey to master product integration principles and apply them to commercialization opportunities. Through hands-on project management, you will facilitate smooth cross-functional execution and ensure successful product delivery to market. In this role, you will lead commercialization efforts by developing plans, launching new products, implementing manufacturing and packaging changes, and managing new production set-ups. You will apply product integration principles and disciplined commercialization processes to meet business, customer, and consumer expectations. You will gain expertise in Smithfield’s launch processes, learning how to navigate product development, manufacturing transitions, and market distribution. Leading multiple project teams, you will engage stakeholders, solve business challenges, influence action, and hold teams accountable for timely execution—all contributing to Smithfield’s growth and profitability WHAT YOU’LL DO: The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. May perform other duties as assigned. Product Commercialization and Launch Execution: You will lead the commercialization of new products, packaging, and major manufacturing changes, integrating business processes across products and locations. By establishing launch plans and ensuring stakeholder alignment, you will lead successful market execution. You will hold teams accountable, mitigate risks, and ensure projects meet timelines and quality standards, delivering impactful business results. Strategic Leadership and Cross-Functional Collaboration: You will develop a strong foundation in product integration principles, applying them to commercialization opportunities while building expertise in project management. By engaging stakeholders and leading cross-functional project teams, you will align commercialization plans, inspire action, and ensure seamless execution across business functions. You will integrate upfront deliverables across key teams to meet launch timing and customer expectations, holding Business Teams accountable for providing necessary requirements and aligning with customers on achievable targets. Risk Management and Problem Solving: You will tackle business challenges, proactively adjusting project steps to minimize complications and ensure seamless commercialization. By closely monitoring development progress, escalating risks, and driving corrective actions, you will maintain project momentum and deliver successful outcomes. You will also mitigate financial risk by collaborating with Plant Operations and Corporate Food Safety Quality Assurance while tracking analytics, managing reporting, and documenting key performance metrics for leadership visibility and informed decision-making. Operational Readiness and Manufacturing Execution: You will ensure manufacturing plant readiness for new production, coordinating equipment installations, ramp-up plans, and staffing needs to ensure a seamless transition. By confirming downtime requirements, first production schedules, and financial inputs for costing, you will optimize efficiency while driving timely product code activations and forecast visibility. You will monitor production ramp-up, follow first production protocols, and ensure finished goods are positioned for market distribution, securing approval for product acceptance and shipping. Process Development and Continuous Improvement: You will assess commercialization readiness across products, leading the discovery phase to define product codes, specifications, costing, and packaging needs. By preparing and securing cross-functional alignment on project scope, you will develop a roadmap with key milestones and initiate major projects with manufacturing plants and teams. You will evaluate project performance challenges, applying insights to advance continuous process improvement and ensure successful commercialization. WHAT WE’RE SEEKING: 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 to perform the essential functions. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Business Management, Marketing, Food Science, Engineering, Supply Chain, Accounting or a related field and 3 years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience, required. Experience in acting as a lead by providing training, coaching or mentoring to less experienced staff or through managing a processes or project, required. Experience in positions of increasing responsibility with a consumer-packaged goods company. Strong work experience grounded in leadership, adaptation, and interpersonal skills. Highly organized, efficient, and able to manage business processes as well as grasp operational details and financial strategies. General understanding of new product launch process and operational impact from concept to commerce which includes evaluating ideas, testing concepts, prioritizing and defining projects, confirming feasibility, driving development completion, leading implementation and delivery to market. Outstanding time management skills and ability to execute across multiple projects. Proficient attention to details with ability to drive the larger scope. Great listening skills and highly inquisitive. Ability to work well with others in fast paced, dynamic environment. Ability to be respectful, approachable and team oriented while building strong working relationships and a positive work environment. OTHER SKILLS THAT MAKE YOU STAND OUT: Master's Degree, preferred. Project management experience, preferred. Solution-oriented with proven problem-solving capability, desirable. Experience working with Business Management, Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Technical Services and Operations Teams, desirable. PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT: The physical demands described here are representative of those an employee should possess to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Capable of sitting for extended periods of time. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision and depth perception. Able to travel as needed. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Relocation Package Available Yes EEO Information Smithfield is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, gender identity, protected veterans status, status as a disabled individual or any other protected group status or non-job characteristic as directed by law. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment selection process, please call us at 757-357-1595. At Smithfield, good food starts with good people. "Good food. Responsibly.®" is more than just our tagline; it's what we do. We provide good jobs. We take good care of our animals. We are good stewards of the environment. We do good in our local communities. Smithfield is proud to offer robust, flexible and affordable benefit plans and programs to support our team members and their loved ones, and with out-of-pocket costs, on average, 20 percent less than plans offered by other employers. Beyond our medical plans, our Be Well programs offer tools and resources to enhance your quality of life, at no additional cost. These programs are uniquely tailored to our Smithfield team and provide support for elective surgeries, weight loss, mental health, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, smoking cessation, asthma, maternity management and more. Our company invests in your future. We offer comprehensive training and professional development programs designed to help you reach your full potential. Our partnership with GUILD supports your continuing education with tuition assistance covering English language learning and various certificate programs, while our leadership development initiatives nurture high-potential talent. For those looking to build specialized skills, we offer apprenticeship programs that combine hands-on experience with focused learning. We also offer unique benefits like our Smithfield Scholarship Program for employees’ children. Smithfield’s Education Reimbursement Program provides financial reimbursement to team members who want to further their formal education by obtaining a GED/High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma or by pursuing an academic degree at an accredited college or university that is not a Guild learning partner. Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. With a diverse brand portfolio and strong relationships with U.S. farmers and customers, we responsibly meet demand for quality protein around the world. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan's Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Not finding the right fit? Let us know you're interested in a future opportunity by clicking Get Started below or create an account by clicking 'Sign In' at the top of the page to set up email alerts as new job postings become available that meet your interest!