Our Purpose at The Little Potato Company is “Feed the World, Better.”

Because we believe everyone, everywhere deserves to have healthy, great food. 

We are a dynamic team that embraces diversity and unique differences, holding every employee in the highest regard, while fostering an award-winning workplace where health, safety and fun combine to create an environment where everyone feels like family.

Come join our rapidly expanding company and help us transform the entire potato industry – one little Creamer at a time!

The Project Manager is a valuable member of LPC’s Business Development team. This position will work with internal and external stakeholders to support multi-departmental projects and is responsible for managing the end-to-end delivery of these product development projects. This role requires strong interpersonal skills to identify and engage with project stakeholders to ensure all are kept informed at an appropriate level. The Project Manager must develop and manage a clear process for identifying milestones, deliverables, and timelines, and then manage progress to successful outcomes. The Project Manager will enhance project visibility and collaboration. As a key program leader, they will deliver tangible business results through deployment of project management techniques.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Manage the company’s product development process from project ideation and project formation through to launch.
  • Partner with key functional departments including Product Development, Marketing, Sales, Packaging, Engineering, Procurement, Regulatory, Quality, Finance, Operations, Senior Leadership, Co-manufacturers and other stakeholders to manage the project development process to hit the market during key launch windows.
  • Collaborate with key stakeholders to prioritize projects, address project changes, and evaluate options, including resource allocation, and execute timelines based on business needs and requirements.
  • Ensure that current and new packaging meets regulatory requirements for Canadian, US, and international markets.
  • Plan, monitor, and control project schedule, budget and resource mapping throughout the project lifecycle of scoping, development, and commercialization phases.
  • Track deliverables, manage timelines and information flow, lead efficient meetings.
  • Coordinate documentation of detailed customer requirements, business justification, product requirements, engineering specifications and other design input and design output documents to establish the project deliverables.
  • Support the preparation and presentation of business and project analysis to senior management.
  • Build teamwork within the project teams but also across departments, plant sites, external partners (customers/vendors) to ensure the success of the project.
  • Develop and implement metrics for the measurement of efficiency and speed.
  • Administer RACI Matrixes (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed).
  • Provide/negotiate resolution to potential issues to maintain project timelines and when necessary, highlight potential barriers to project progression (such as resource constraints) to management.
  • Ensure that risk assessment and contingency planning (for relevant projects) takes place and is communicated and agreed upon by all core team members and is acted on if necessary to keep the project on track or to escalate any unresolved issues.
  • Manage every portion of the approval process between internal and external partners to ensure alignment at every step of the design and activation process.
  • Be a key contributor in the Product Development Team in the assessment of product concepts
  • Be the gate keeper of the Product Development process and communications

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

  • 5+ years of project management experience.
  • Bachelor’s Degree in a related discipline.
  • PMI/PMC certification required or actively working toward; equivalent experience will be considered.
  • Experience in project management especially experience managing new product launches and innovation processes within the food industry
  • Understanding of business principles and financials.
  • Extensive experience in project management software, and Microsoft software.

KEY COMPETENCIES:

  • Strong project management skills including Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Closing Projects within a CPG environment
  • Ability to work and thrive in a fast-paced environment, learn rapidly and master specific product information, supporting multiple projects from start to finish.
  • Exceptional interpersonal skills; able to form positive working relationships and motivate cross functional groups.
  • Excellent communicator across all disciplines and levels, both internally and externally; skilled at summarizing and conveying precise and relevant details to project teams, leadership, and external parties.
  • Strong problem-solving skills; ability to identify and execute effective solutions
  • Ability to work well in a team environment and develop collaborative relationships with colleagues across the company and client stakeholders
  • Detailed organizational skills

KEY MEASURES OF SUCCESS:

  • Living the values of The Little Potato Company.
  • Drive process improvement to Stage-Gate metrics for new product launches and commercialization on-time and on budget.
  • Ensures change management best practices are implemented cross-functionally to sustain new program design
  • Translates business opportunities into concrete action plans
  • Delivering on Product Development plan for launches over 1, 3 & 5 years

The Little Potato Company is an innovative, fast-growing company in a unique niche market. Our future looks very bright, and so could yours. Not yet passionate about potatoes? No worries – it’s inspiring around here.

We’ve worked hard to build an award-winning workplace where people feel like a family. If you share our people-centered values, we’d love to talk.