Manager, Contract Manufacturing

Company Description

Simple Mills is on a mission to transform the way food is made, creating nourishing products with astounding ingredients and amazing taste. Founded in 2012 by Katlin Smith, our brand has redefined center-aisle grocery by delivering better-for-you products made with unique, nutrient-dense ingredients. Today, we’re a category leader and the #1 natural brand in multiple segments, with distribution in over 30,000 stores nationwide.

Now, as part of Flowers Foods, we’re entering an exciting new phase of growth—expanding our reach, accelerating innovation, and amplifying brand awareness, all while preserving the integrity of what makes Simple Mills special. Our commitment to using simple, high-quality ingredients ensures that every bite is both delicious and nutritious. Whether it’s watermelon seed flour in our cookies or butternut squash in our crackers, we craft our products with innovative, wholesome ingredients that deliver extraordinary taste.

Our work has been recognized by Fast Company as a Brand That Matters and a Most Innovative Company, and has been featured in Vogue, Forbes, Women’s Health, and NPR’s How I Built This. In 2024, Inc. named us one of its Best Workplaces, reflecting our dedication to fostering an inspiring and inclusive environment where passionate individuals can make a difference.

Join us as we shape the future of food. Learn more at www.simplemills.com.

Requirements

• Role Description
• The Manager of Contract Manufacturing is a critical role on Simple Mills’ Manufacturing team, supporting performance and growth across the contract manufacturing & repacking network for the Simple Mills product portfolio. Reporting to the Director of Contract Manufacturing, this role partners closely with external manufacturers, co-packers, and internal cross-functional teams to ensure manufacturing plans are executed effectively, issues are resolved with urgency, and continuous improvement opportunities are advanced.

This is a hands-on, relationship-driven role that requires strong operational judgment, clear communication, and comfort balancing day-to-day execution with broader business objectives.

Contract Manufacturing Partnership & Performance

Manage business relationships with existing and new contract manufacturers and contract packers (co-packers), serving as a primary day-to-day point of contact and helping ensure alignment to quality, service, cost, and performance expectations.

Partner hands-on with co-manufacturers, R&D, Quality Assurance, and the broader Operations team to resolve day-to-day issues, bringing structure to problem-solving, escalating appropriately, and balancing cost, service, and risk considerations.

Lead weekly cross-functional discussions with co-manufacturers/co-packers and Operations teams to drive accountability, align on priorities, and reinforce expectations across internal and external partners.

Drive supplier performance through KPI tracking and lead quarterly business reviews, translating performance trends into actionable improvement plans and follow-ups.

Cost & Continuous Improvement

Negotiate one-off expenses with contract manufacturers within existing contract terms and support cost management initiatives.

Identify and lead manufacturing and continuous improvement projects, such as transitioning production between co-manufacturers, to support cost, capacity, and risk management objectives.

Continuously develop and improve processes, tools, and best practices to support operational consistency and scalability as the business grows.

Innovation, Network Support & Strategic Initiatives

Support Innovation and Brand Renovation project teams by collaborating closely with R&D, Quality, and Operations and attending manufacturing trials.

Support sourcing of new contract manufacturers to expand capacity and innovation platforms, contributing operational input, assessments, and recommendations aligned with Simple Mills’ growth strategy.

Support Simple Mills’ broader strategic initiatives to enable growth and manage costs across the manufacturing network.

Financial Management & Cross-Functional Partnership

Write purchase orders for R&D trial expenses and capital projects; manage spend against annual budgets and provide visibility to variances.

Partner with the Director, Operations, and Legal teams to help craft and negotiate contracts with new and existing contract manufacturers that support the business, convey expectations, and promote strong, collaborative relationships.

Performs other projects as assigned

Position Requirements

4–7 years of experience in Contract Manufacturing, Manufacturing, Operations, and/or Supply Chain, preferably within a Food & Beverage CPG environment.

Bachelor’s degree required

Technical experience in Food & Bev (Engineering, R&D, etc) strongly preferred.

Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to have supportive yet candid conversations at all levels and build alignment across the organization, including with internal teams and external partners.

Sound operational judgment and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess trade-offs, synthesize information, and make thoughtful recommendations.

Self-directed and results-oriented, with a strong sense of ownership and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Detail-oriented while maintaining a broader business perspective and comfort operating amid ambiguity and change.

Travel required up to 35%, including regular travel to manufacturing sites and on-site support for trials and key initiatives.