Commercialization Manager Ii

**Make a Difference in YOUR Career**

Our vision is both simple and ambitious: to put our drinks on every table.

We are the leading global independent beverage solutions provider. We serve a broad range of national and international retailers as well as Global, National and Emerging (GNE) brands. Our products are distributed worldwide from our production sites in Europe, North America, and Australia. Although our own branding may not appear on the labels of the beverages we produce, there is a good chance you are reading this while sipping one of our drinks.

Our ambition is to continually improve and it’s what keeps us at the top of our game. We are solutions-based. We are innovative. We seek out new challenges and conquer them. This is our company ethos, but it’s our people’s too: Refresco is at the cutting edge of a fast-moving industry because we have passionate people pushing the boundaries of what’s best.

Stop and think: how would YOU put our drinks on every table?

**Position Description**

The Commercialization Manager II works, based on background and/or experience, either on commercialization projects for retail customers or on commercialization projects for contract manufacturing customers. They are the central hub responsible for managing and linking all cross-functional team members needed to commercialize new projects, existing customer changes, and/or key initiatives. By actively managing these projects, the Commercialization Manager ensures an efficient process for these customers from inception to launch of a new or changed product out of the Refresco North America Product Portfolio.

**Essential Functions**:

- Ensures the strategic sales funnel is being utilized and evaluated with each opportunity
- Together with Commercial Finance, and in close cooperation with Sales and the Manager, Commercialization, prepares the start of complex bids preparing the go / no-go decision for these complex bids and gathers all relevant preliminary information for a successful handoff to Commercial Finance.
- Strategic partner in creating alternative solutions utilizing cross functional team members and strategic partnerships.
- Primary lead for commercialization projects and follows up according to set and/or customized time lines and deliverables
- Establish product launch project to determine requirements, milestones, deadlines and action planning and execution. This project should be customized based on complexity and accounts
- For more complex projects, creates a customized commercialization timeline distinguishing between prepare, setup, trial and deploy phase of the commercialization project. This includes appropriate consultation and informing of cross functional project members (R&D, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Manufacturing and Commercial Finance).
- Assists the sales organization in the timeline communication to the customer, inclusive of the customer’s responsibilities and timelines critical to deadline.
- Reports out to Manager or Sr. Manager and other commercial stakeholders on complex projects by using appropriate measurement, analysis and evaluation methods
- For more straightforward projects (i.e. but not limited to line extensions or core product offerings) uses Refresco project management tools to inform project members and Sales and the on the progress.
- Ability to prioritize, with mínimal assistance from manager, with a focus on 80% of time on top 30/strategic customers.
- Ability to communicate appropriately and timely the escalation of concerns inclusive of proposed solutions
- Advanced understanding of key stakeholder inputs, including manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and finance with the ability to maintain strong strategic partnerships and foster collaboration.
- Conduct project post mortems and create recommendations based on lessons learned; identify both successful and unsuccessful project elements, and recommend creative solutions to manager and cross functions teams.
- Be a “go to” person for the Commercialization process and assist in guiding new Commercialization Managers.
- Project manage key initiatives for assigned accounts and Account Managers as well as company-wide or strategic initiatives.
- Advanced P&L understanding to assist in determining the health of a potential new project or assist in lifecycle analysis of existing business.

**Requirements**:

- Associate’s Degree in Business Economics, Commercial Studies, Project Management, Accounting, or related field is required. Must have a sound understanding of business financials and Product Lifecycle Management required. Bachelor's Degree is strongly preferred.
- Four (4) to six (6) years of experience in similar project management, sales and/or marketing roles with proven ability to manage multi-department projects
- Sound analytical skills matched with business acumen
- Experience in industrial FMCG, food, high volume commodity products segment, and/or CPG preferably private label