Contract Manufacturing Manager - Post Holdings Inc.
Saint Louis, MO 63144
About the Job
Feeding the world is what we do – how we do it is unique. We are not your textbook consumer packaged goods company. While others may be slow to make change happen, Post continuously drives both inorganic and organic growth. Our history is evidence of that fact with over 100 years of heritage and growth from brands that transcend generations like Honey Bunches of Oats, Fruity Pebbles, Malt-O-Meal, Bob Evans Farms, Kibbles 'n Bits, Egg Beaters, Peter Pan Peanut Butter, Ronzoni Pasta and more. Our foodservice and ingredient businesses supply other products you love for brands, restaurants and stores.
Our offices and manufacturing sites are in 62 locations in five countries, and we have 11,500+ employees. Over the past 10 years, Post has made 22+ acquisitions and reached $7 billion in net sales in fiscal 2023. During turbulent times of market uncertainty, the food industry has provided a level of stability unlike other industries.
Post Holdings, Inc. is headquartered in Brentwood, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Our casual professional atmosphere encourages team members to collaborate, innovate and support our operating companies. Our passion and drive advance the reputation of our operating companies and brands—together, we make a difference.
Responsibilities:The Contract Manufacturing Manager will interact with and support Marketing & Sales as well as all other functional departments including Operations, Logistics, Demand Planning, Quality, Research & Development, Procurement, and Finance across within the Bob Evans Foods business unit and across Post Holdings. This person will manage external manufacturing relationships across multiple brands and facilities and play a key role in the development and implementation of key commercialization and innovation initiatives with a focus on volume and profit growth as well as cost reduction.
KEY RESPONSIBLITIES
- Management of External Co-Manufacturing Network & Relationships
- Manage external co-manufacturing companies that can deliver unique capability and capacity at competitive delivered costs
- Foster relationships across multiple grocery and pet brands and facilities
- Contribute to key commercialization and innovation initiatives, focusing on volume and profit growth as well as cost reduction
- Participate in Product Supply outsourcing decisions when our plants are fully utilized or lack specific capabilities
- Facilitate capability searches and development of RFPs as it relates to innovation or changes in manufacturing locations
- Participate in make / buy decisions to determine if projects should be done at our plants or at a co-packer
- Engage in contract negotiations with qualified contract manufacturers or co-packers that clearly convey expectations, accountability, low costs, superior services, and promote strong relationships
- Promote and support continuous improvement with co-packers to improve efficiencies, reduce costs, and improve margins
- Collaborate with Quality Assurance to provide oversight and direction related to product safety incidents and negotiate disposition and related payments / penalties
- Assist with annual reviews with third parties and respective leadership programs
- Participate in development of annual budgets and product costs for all co-packed items and reporting out on performance against operating profit targets monthly
- Review co-manufacturing P&Ls with finance and validate COGS variances vs standard
- Lead monthly business reviews of KPIs and a performance scorecard for all external manufacturers and co-packers
- Work with legal to develop, execute, and maintain all Post confidentiality agreements and contract(s)
- Provide project management leadership and support for key business initiatives:
- Lead, support, and participate on cross-functional project teams on key business unit commercialization initiatives
- Assist in new product launch trials and start-ups at third party manufacturers to ensure execution against overall timeline and key objectives
- Coordinate quality audits, physical inspections, and site approvals for new third party manufacturers
- Provide support with project requests for miscellaneous capital as needed with appropriate scope, business rationale, and financial analysis
- Lead and facilitate project team meetings and publish meeting minutes with key deliverables, owners, and dates
- Assist in contingency planning for potential labor interruptions and fluctuations in product demand
- Oversee administrative activities including inventory control and disposition of obsolete inventory at co-packers
- Maintain communication with key internal contacts, including Sales, Marketing, Accounting, R&D, Quality, Legal, and Product Supply
- Manage relationships with external manufacturing customers and contractors sourced throughout the year to support current business and innovation
QUALIFICATIONS / SKILLS
- Bachelor’s Degree in a related field (Business, Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations, Engineering, etc)
- Minimum of 5-7 years of operational and plant manufacturing experience preferably in a CPG environment
- Minimum of 5-7 years of project management experience
- Willing to develop expertise in quality and food safety regulations and compliance requirements
- Assertive and ready to gain proficiency with P&Ls, negotiating pricing, and key business terms within co-manufacturing agreements
- Familiar with ERP software and systems such as Oracle, SAP, JDE, etc
- Ability to take initiative with little supervision
- Demonstrated cross functional leadership skills
- Strong business acumen
- Travel Requirements: ~30% monthly