Job Title: Manager, Leafy Production
Reporting to: Lead, Leafy Supply Chain
Location: Central Valley Area, California
About Pairwise:
Pairwise is a mission-driven food+tech company dedicated to building a healthier world through better fruits and vegetables. Founded in 2017 by eminent scientists in the gene editing and biotechnology fields, Pairwise holds licenses from Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital to base editing and high-fidelity enzymes. We also are tuned in to consumer food trends, and we believe that consumers deserve more variety and innovation in their fresh food choices. Our team is primed to deliver that innovation through one of the best gene-editing platforms in food and agriculture. Pairwise has an exclusive 5-year research collaboration with Bayer to develop products in corn, soybean, wheat, canola, and cotton. Plus, Pairwise is developing new types of leafy greens, berries, and stone fruit, with the first product expected in early 2023. Pairwise is based in the start-up friendly Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina.
About This Role:
Pairwise will launch a new category of leafy greens with compelling consumer benefits in 2023. This position will oversee and collaborate with our leafy co-packer partners to both support and optimize the production of our salads. This person will be the organizational expert in leafy greens salad production for Pairwise, with responsibility from receipt of raw materials through delivery of finished goods to customers. Critical to this role will be the ability to establish and build relationships with the internal team, processors, growers, contractors, and vendors. Strategic thinking, analysis, and communication skills are essential as responsibilities will include plant yield optimization, quality improvement, support of new product launch, customer service, and resource allocation for production activities. The impact of this role on the organization is significant, managing co-packer relationships across North America and influencing product costs and collaborations.
This new position will report to the Leafy Supply Chain Lead and will work closely with internal stakeholders (R&D, Business Development, Quality, Product Development, Marketing, Finance) and external stakeholders (Co-packers, Processors, Equipment Manufacturers, Engineers, Packaging Suppliers, Component Suppliers) to develop commercial production expertise of our materials to maximize productivity, quality, service, and cost.
In addition, being comfortable understanding internally generated data and technical capabilities and how to best leverage externally, motivation to provide feedback on the technical discovery and development processes, working with many internal stakeholders, and contributing and leading in a fast-pacedp environment where ownership and action is encouraged will be a key aspects of this role.
Essential Functions:
• Responsible for overall production of salads from leafy green raw materials to delivered finished goods.
• Manage existing co-packer network and assist in the identification/ qualification of future production partners to assure best in class production.
• Manage short- and long-term production to forecast and to set specifications and work with Quality on deviations.
• Responsible for helping to establish, maintain, and improve key performance indicators including cost, yield, pounds per hour, service level, order fill rate, customer logistics, and finished good quality.
• Provide internal awareness and reporting with regards to production challenges and preventative/predictive actions.
• Develop and manage continuous improvement and cost improvement projects related to production of finished goods.
• Interact with customer service to address real time operational needs as owner of production- and delivery-related customer service levels to various channels including retail and foodservice.
• Partner with co-packers and external partners as necessary to assure best in class raw product and finished goods logistics.
• Support New Product Development in the development and management of finished goods specifications as it relates to production and logistics.
• Participate in internal SOP processes to ensure operational execution.
• Provide internal awareness and direction of co-packer inventory management process for critical production inputs including raw product, totes, film, boxes, tape, kit components, etc.
• Develop and build relationship with key production partners including representing Pairwise in agricultural industry events to cultivate relationships with current and prospective processors and vendors.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance with contract provisions.
- Contribute to the development and execution of plans to deliver on key commercial priorities including revenue goals, processing strategies, margin attainment, etc.
• Participate in internal ESG/sustainability activities as it relates to processing of Conscious Greens®.
Required Education & Experience:
• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience, in engineering or related area of study; Master’s degree preferred.
• Extensive experience in salad processing and management for both retail and foodservice channels.
• Demonstrated excellence in communication and stakeholder management.
• A track record of leading business-driving programs with external collaborators.
• 5+ years in value added salad and/or vegetable production, produce or food industry working in a combination of technical sales, supply chain or business roles.
• Versatile team player that is comfortable with ambiguity, tight timelines, and can solve problems.
• Solid analytical skills and ability to translate data into fact-based decision making to support strategic planning and program implementation.
• Effective in data gathering, able to work in an unstructured environment, persuasive communication skills and able to build partnerships internally and externally.
• Public speaking skills and ability to articulate complex concepts to cross-function audience.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to set clear priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• High emotional intelligence and conflict resolution; able to effectively maintain relationships via flexibility, collaboration and negotiation.
• Ability to build strong working relationships with clients and colleagues across departments, geographic locations, and time zones.
Offerings:
• Comprehensive Benefits Plan, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA/FSA, 401k, Life Insurance, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability, and more!
• Flexible PTO (use what you need, when you need it), in addition to company holidays.
• Casual work environment.
• Mission-driven organization focused on creating healthier fruits and veggies.
• A cutting-edge, driven community looking to lead the industry in innovation and nutrition.
Physical Demands:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and use hands to finger, handle or feel, and techniques that require fine motor skills and repetitive motions. The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. The employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
EEO Statement:
We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Pairwise we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
No Recruiters please.