Manager, Project Management & Portfolio - Remote

At Eagle Foods we are builders.  We are builders of brands, categories, and people.  Eagle Foods enjoys a rich heritage with brands that have proven category leadership for more than 150 years.  Eagle is a diversified food company producing and marketing sweetened condensed and evaporated milk, snacks and convenient meal solutions products.  As a company, Eagle Foods is passionate about fostering an entrepreneurial spirit that boldly builds better people and better brands while focusing on the positive impact our company, our products and our people have on the world.  Eagle Foods has a bold family of brands that consumers have come to rely on for decades, including Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk and Evaporated Milk, Magnolia® Sweetened Condensed Milk, PET® Milk, Popcorn Indiana, Cretors Popcorn, Helper and Suddenly Salad.  Eagle Foods products are marketed and distributed across all U.S. retail channels, including grocery stores, club stores and mass-merchandisers, as well as foodservice and export, U.S. military, and private label business.

Job Description Summary

The Manager of Project Management & Portfolio is essential to Eagle Foods’ ability to deliver excellence across its innovation and commercialization pipeline. Reporting into R&D while supporting cross-functional teams company-wide, this role is responsible for leading high-priority projects (approximately 50% of the time), managing two direct reports, and contributing to broader portfolio planning and prioritization. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and brings a balance of strategic thinking and execution. They will apply structure, tools, and clear communication to drive progress, ensure accountability, and enable timely decision-making. This role is also instrumental in reinforcing Stage-Gate discipline, improving project visibility, and driving continuous improvement in how the organization operates.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Project Leadership & Excellence
   1. • Lead high-impact innovation and commercialization projects, ensuring on-time execution and stakeholder alignment
      • Use Stage-Gate methodology to manage project phases and guide cross-functional teams from concept to launch
      • Ensure compliance with Eagle Foods’ Stage-Gate process and drive clarity on expectations at each project stage
      • Partner with stakeholders in Marketing, Sales, Operations, Regulatory, and Finance to resolve issues and align on critical path activities 

2. Team & People Management
   1. • Manage two direct reports, ensuring team collaboration, accountability, and workload balance 

3. Portfolio & Cross-Functional Collaboration
   1. • Collaborate with the Vice President, R&D and other leaders to maintain the project portfolio and identify opportunities for streamlining and prioritization
      • Translate complex information into clear communications and reports for project teams and leadership 

4. Tools, Systems & Continuous Improvement
   1. • Champion the use of project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Power BI) to track progress, share information, and ensure transparency
      • Identify and implement process improvements to enhance speed, efficiency, and decision clarity
      • Support development and refinement of tools, templates, and workflows to standardize execution

Qualifications and Competencies

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Project Management, or a related field is highly preferred; a Master’s degree is a plus
• PMP certification is preferred
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in CPG project management or commercialization, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Some experience mentoring or supporting junior team members
• Strong working knowledge of Stage-Gate processes and cross-functional innovation practices
• Proficiency in project management and reporting tools such as Smartsheet, Power BI, or Microsoft Project

Leadership & Collaboration

• Proven ability to manage and coach a team, including direct oversight of two project management professionals
• Committed to fostering a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team culture
• Skilled in cross-functional collaboration with departments such as Marketing, Sales, Operations, Regulatory, and Finance
• Ability to influence and guide project teams to maintain momentum and achieve outcomes
• Builds strong relationships across teams to ensure clear handoffs, alignment, and effective communication

Strategic & Analytical Thinking

• Experience supporting ownership of an innovation project portfolio, surfacing risks and tradeoffs as they arise
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to prioritization discussions and capacity planning at a portfolio level
• Applies strategic thinking to drive timely decision-making and support executive leadership with actionable insights
• Identifies opportunities for parallel workstreams to accelerate execution and improve time-to-market
• Brings a continuous improvement mindset, contributing to the enhancement of systems and processes that increase efficiency and reduce redundancy

Communication

• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills
• Skilled at translating complex, cross-functional project details into clear, concise updates for a variety of audiences
• Ensures consistent documentation and communication of project status, risks, and decisions
• Provides executive-level visibility through regular reporting and insight generation

Execution & Personal Effectiveness

• Demonstrated success in directly leading commercialization and innovation projects across product categories
• Maintains proactive control over project schedules, risk mitigation, and critical decision points
• Champions the use of project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Power BI) to drive visibility, transparency, and alignment
• Acts as a Stage-Gate process champion, upholding standardization and clarity around project expectations
• Supports team development in planning, communication, and effective use of project tools

Location & Travel

• This is a remote position with flexibility; however, periodic travel may be required based on project needs
• Estimated travel is approximately 10–20%, which may include visits to corporate offices, co-manufacturers, or customer locations to support project execution and alignment