Manufacturing Manager - Utah

Hello potential future Oatly employee. It’s us, the original oatmilk company that started in Sweden back 25 or so years ago and has since expanded to the U.S. where we’ve continued growing at a rate such that we need more brilliant minds to come work with us to keep the momentum going and the oatmilk flowing.

Sustainability, health, and transparency are the core values that guide everything we do. Basically, we exist to help people live a healthier life without recklessly taxing the planet’s resources in the process, and to change the food system for the better. We drive that change through the power of oats and through a significant reduction in cow’s milk consumption. If any of this resonates with you, then maybe you’d like to work for Oatly, too.

Now onto the formal stuff.

We are looking for a Contract Manufacturing Manager to join our team. This role will support Oatly’s expansion by ensuring we get the right service levels delivered at the right cost at the right quality, while meeting our sustainability standards. This role co-creates and co-leads our Contract Manufacturing Partner development plans.

Due to business needs, the qualified candidate will reside in Utah.

Here are the things we want to hire you to do:

• Drive supplier performance initiatives to ensure cost competitiveness, sustainability improvements, and continuous improvements in adjacent functions
• Lead and manage end-to-end relationships with Contract Manufacturing partners
• Co-create and Co-lead building and executing strategic partner development plans, aligned with the company’s strategy and functional ambitions
• Work hands-on and drive operational work in close collaboration with co-manufacturers while having the strategic height to identify what is needed to drive partner development plans towards company goals
• Coordinate a variety of Co-Manufacturers projects, ranging from coordinating product changes, implementing New Product Developments, and managing ad-hoc projects
• Work closely with cross-functional partners such as Planning, Quality, Sustainability, Sourcing, and Product Development
• Continuously develop and improve processes and best practices
• Support and ensure that day-to-day issues are solved or escalated
• Screen and source new Contract Manufacturers when required
• Identify and lead improvement projects
• Manage contracts and negotiations, with responsibility for overseeing all aspects of Co-Manufacturer contracts, including SLA compliance, supplier performance tracking, and KPI reporting

Here are the things we think you need:

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 10% travel required
• 5+ years of experience within operations/supply chain and/or procurement- external production/contract manufacturing within the food industry preferred
• 1+ year of project management experience
• High integrity and solid negotiation skills with internal and external parties
• Strong business acumen with the ability to communicate seamlessly across functions
• Comprehensive understanding of production and supply chain processes
• Great stakeholder management and communication skills
• Proven track record of driving strategic external partnership development
• Collaborative, with the ability to build strong relationships both internally and externally
• Lean/Production, system/Six Sigma preferred
• Knowledge of BRC/ISO standards preferred

And here’s another list of qualities we think make a good Oatly team member:

• You feel connected to our mission of encouraging health, sustainability, and transparency
• You are a self-starter who doesn’t need direct supervision to motivate you for success – we believe strongly in building a culture of individual accountability and ownership, and need partners that can embrace that mentality
• You are ready to make your mark in a smaller, growing brand, leveraging your experience to deliver amazing results and build an outstanding company
• You have an entrepreneurial spirit in that you’re comfortable with ambiguity and are energized by the process of building something lasting from the ground up
• You enjoy sharing your quirkiness and talents with your coworkers

Another bulleted list felt a bit too…bullet-y. So we wrote this long, awkward sentence to let you know all…