Senior Co‑Manufacturing Manager

Reports to: VP of Operations Location: Remote with travel to partner facilities

The Senior Co‑Man Manager is the primary operational leader overseeing Kettle & Fire’s external manufacturing network. This role ensures every co‑manufacturer operates with the same rigor, discipline, and performance standards as KettleWorks. The Senior Comanufacturing Manager drives daily execution, strengthens cross‑functional alignment, and ensures our partners deliver against expectations in Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Daily Operational Management

• Monitor comanufacturer production performance including yields, throughput, downtime, and labor efficiency.

• Ensure adherence to K&F SOPs, specifications, and process controls.

• Lead daily/weekly operational check‑ins with comanufacturer teams.

• Escalate issues with clear context, root cause insights, and recommended actions.

2. Production Planning & Scheduling Governance & Network Reliability

• Establish a standardized planning framework

• Implement a unified scheduling cadence.

• Ensure comanufacturer’s readiness systems are in place to confirm labor, materials, equipment, and capacity before production commitments are made

• Help govern adherence to contracted terms including throughput, yields, labor assumptions, changeover times, and service levels

• Create a network‑wide escalation and communication model to ensure issues are surfaced early and resolved quickly.

• Drive consistency across all manufacturers.

3. Quality, Food Safety & Compliance Support & Operational Reinforcement

• Partner with QA/Regulatory to ensure full compliance with K&F standards.

• Ensure comanufacturer’s QFS expectations.

• Support QFS interactions with process authorities.

• Provide operational pressure when needed.

4. Cost, Efficiency & Performance Management System

• Build a standardized KPI framework for cost, yield, labor, throughput, and waste

• Implement consistent reporting across all comanufacturer

• Track core cost drivers including yields, labor use, changeovers, and scrap

• Identify performance gaps and quantify financial impact

• Lead continuous improvement work with comanufacturer

• Validate run‑rate assumptions for costing and forecasting

• Ensure compliance with contracted terms for throughput, yields, and labor

• Provide data for negotiations and performance reviews

• Validate comanufacturer invoices, run‑rate assumptions, and cost‑to‑serve models.

5. Commercialization & New Product Launch Support

• Coordinate trials, pilots, and first production runs at comanufacturers.

• Ensure readiness for new formulas, packaging formats, and processes.

• Document run parameters and transfer learnings to internal teams.

• Support cross‑functional launch teams across R&D, QA, and Supply Chain.

6. Co‑Man Relationship Management

• Serve as the primary day‑to‑day contact for comanufacturer operations teams.

• Build strong relationships with plant managers, schedulers, and QA leads.

• Ensure comanufacturers understand expectations, scorecards, and accountability frameworks.

• Support contract negotiations with performance data and operational insights.

7. Scorecards, Reporting & Supplier Relationship Governance

• Maintain standardized CM scorecards across Safety, Quality, Delivery, and Cost

• Develop a co‑man SRM program

• Score co‑mans on relationship health including responsiveness, collaboration, and continuous improvement

• Prepare weekly performance updates for the VP of Operations

• Track KPIs and risk indicators to identify gaps early

• Lead monthly business reviews with each co‑man partner

• Partner with Procurement to ensure scoring, expectations, and accountability are consistent across all suppliers

• Drive long‑term partner development through structured feedback, action plans, and performance commitments

8. Issue Resolution & Escalation Management

• Own first‑level troubleshooting and problem solving with comanufacturers.

• Coordinate cross‑functional support (QA, Supply Chain, Engineering) as needed.

• Escalate only high‑impact or strategic issues.

• Document root causes and ensure follow‑through on corrective actions.

9. Alignment With KettleWorks & Internal Operations

• Ensure comanufacturer processes mirror KettleWorks standards and best practices.

• Facilitate knowledge‑sharing between internal and external sites.

• Support network‑wide strategy, capacity modeling, and long‑range planning.

• Partner with internal teams to ensure seamless integration across the supply chain.

10. Special Projects & Strategic Support

• Lead comanufacturer onboarding, audits, and capability assessments.

• Prepare comanufacturers for seasonal spikes, promotions, and demand surges.

• Assist with expansion, utilities, and infrastructure initiatives.

• Champion innovation by actively participating in cross-functional ideation sessions, evaluating operational feasibility for new concepts, and driving the successful execution of pilot programs.

• Lead the strategic vetting process for potential co-manufacturers, conducting thorough capability assessments, facility audits, and risk analyses to ensure alignment with company standards.

• Manage the end-to-end onboarding of new partners, establishing clear operational frameworks, defining KPIs, and fostering strong collaborative relationships from day one.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 7–10+ years in food manufacturing, comanufacturing, or operations leadership.

• Strong understanding of thermal processing, food safety, and regulatory compliance.

• Proven experience managing external manufacturing partners.

• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and drive performance improvements.

• Excellent communication, relationship‑building, and cross‑functional leadership skills.

• Willingness to travel to comanufacturer sites as needed.