Project Manager-Innovation

Location:

South of Milwaukee, WI

Employment Type:

Contract-to-Hire

Schedule:

Monday–Friday | Day Shift
Compensation: $125,000–$150,000 annually, depending on experience

Kelly Science & Clinical is seeking a Project Manager – Innovation (Global/US) to lead customer-driven innovation projects within the natural colors/food ingredients industry. This role will manage projects from product development through commercialization, coordinating cross-functional teams across technical, commercial, supply chain, and operations. The ideal candidate is a strategic, organized project leader with experience in B2B ingredients, food & beverage, natural colors, or related industries.

• Lead end-to-end project management for strategic customer and innovation projects globally.
• Establish project scope, objectives, timelines, milestones, and success criteria.
• Develop project plans and critical paths across Sales, Applications, Product Development, Regulatory, Sourcing, Supply Chain, and Operations.
• Lead project kickoffs and establish roles, responsibilities, and decision-making processes.
• Identify project risks, dependencies, resource constraints, and potential roadblocks.
• Facilitate resolution of cross-functional and cross-regional challenges and elevate issues when appropriate.
• Maintain visibility into the global Innovation project portfolio and pipeline.
• Establish standardized project management processes, governance, and stage-gate practices.
• Ensure projects remain aligned with customer expectations, commercial priorities, and global Innovation strategy.

• Improved on-time execution of strategic global customer projects.
• Faster progression from opportunity through commercialization.
• Stronger collaboration across regions and functional teams.
• Reduced delays caused by unclear ownership or regional handoffs.
• Improved visibility into project risks, resources, priorities, and overall portfolio status.

• Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Engineering, Food Science, Chemistry, Business, or a related field
  .
• 7–10 years of project management experience
  , preferably within food ingredients, natural colors, food & beverage, or a related B2B industry.
• Proven experience leading complex, cross-functional and multi-region projects.
• Experience managing customer projects from development through commercialization.
• Strong stakeholder management skills across technical, commercial, and operational functions.
• Comfortable working within a matrixed, global organization.
• PMP certification or equivalent preferred.

This is an opportunity to play a key role in global innovation and customer-driven product development
, working across technical and commercial functions to move projects from concept to commercialization.