Product Deployment Project Manager

PURPOSE:

The Product Deployment Project Manager is responsible for overseeing and coordinating marketing and product deployment initiatives, ensuring seamless collaboration with the product management team. This role involves managing projects throughout the product lifecycle, with a focus on business case development, product performance measurement, and effective communication of product changes to customers. The Project Manager will work closely with cross-functional teams, including R&D, Marketing, Sales, Production, and Purchasing, to ensure projects align with the company's strategic goals, meet timelines, and drive revenue growth. Based at the Indianapolis headquarters, this role serves as a key liaison to streamline communication, manage project deliverables, and maintain alignment across departments.

KEY OBEJCTIVES & RESPONSIBILITES:

• Define and manage project timelines, milestones, and deliverables to ensure timely execution of product deployment and marketing initiatives.
• Coordinate and lead project kick-off meetings, identifying key stakeholders (e.g., Production, Purchasing, R&D, Marketing, Master Data, Pricing) and ensuring alignment on project scope, objectives, and deliverables.
• Communicate product project goals, milestones, timelines, and updates to key stakeholders, ensuring transparency and accountability.
• Facilitate meetings, determine appropriate project team members, and assign action items, following up to ensure stakeholders complete tasks (e.g., gathering product lists, regulatory information) on time.
• Support the business case process by collaborating with stakeholders to compile necessary data and insights for approval.
• Coordinate the Request for Change (RFC) process, ensuring all product changes are documented, communicated, and implemented effectively.
• Oversee label and package design processes, working with Marketing and R&D to submit design briefs and ensure compliance with branding, regulatory, and technical requirements.
• Develop segmented impact decks and brochures to support product launches and marketing efforts.
• Communicate product launch timelines and updates to the Sales team to ensure readiness for market entry.
• Utilize the OEC system (Fusion software) to manage labels and case artwork, ensuring the platform houses up-to-date materials and improves quality control across plants.
• Update Aces/Pies Retail database with accurate product information to support commercialization.
• Manage all packaging information for Sales and customers, ensuring accurate, up-to-date, and accessible details are provided to support sales efforts and customer inquiries.
• Act as a liaison between internal teams and external vendors, managing timelines, deliverable dates, project quotes, and invoicing.
• Conduct quality checks on deliverables to ensure accuracy, compliance, and adherence to branding guidelines.
• Lead post-mortem processes at project completion, applying learnings and optimizations to future projects.
• Support market data and insights by managing market analysis vendors and coordinating external content generation to align with product deployment and marketing strategies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCES:

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of project management experience, ideally in a client-facing or product deployment capacity.
• Proven success in managing complex projects, preferably in product deployment or marketing.
• Familiarity with packaging production processes, materials, and techniques is a plus.
• Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (particularly Photoshop & Illustrator) is a plus.
• Proficient in Microsoft Suite (particularly Excel & PowerPoint) for project tracking and presentations.
• Experience with business case development, product lifecycle analysis, or performance measurement is highly desirable.
• Ability to travel up to 20% as needed.

COMPETENCIES:

• Strong organizational and project management skills, with experience using tools and software to track progress and deliverables.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and external vendors.
• Proactive, solution-oriented mindset with a focus on problem-solving and process improvement.
• Ability to prioritize and manage diverse responsibilities concurrently in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional teams without formal authority.
• Strong business writing and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to stakeholders.
• Demonstration of Calumet Values - Safety, Environment & Social Responsibility, Teamwork, Ownership, Passion for Customers, & Excellence.