Our Purpose at The Little Potato Company is to “Feed the World, better.”
Because we believe everyone, everywhere, deserves to eat good, healthy food. And it all starts with our little Creamer Potatoes – one of the most economical, energy efficient, and highly nutritious food crops available.
The Little Potato Company (LPC) is an innovative, fast-growing company in a unique niche market with a dynamic team that embraces diversity and unique differences.
Come join our rapidly expanding company and help us transform the entire potato industry – one little Creamer at a time!
We are seeking an experienced Project Manager - Food Manufacturing to lead the end‑to‑end delivery of capital projects across our potato processing facilities. This role is part of the Project and Portfolio Management Office (PPMO) and reports to the Director, PMMO, supporting the execution of capital investments aligned with operational priorities and portfolio governance.
In this role, you’ll oversee a diverse portfolio of capital investments, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time, and within approved budgets, while minimizing disruption to ongoing production. You will manage an annual capital portfolio of approximately $10M, with individual projects ranging from $250K to $5M+. These projects span equipment upgrades, automation initiatives, facility expansions, reliability improvements, and regulatory or food‑safety‑driven initiatives.
This is a hands‑on role in an active manufacturing environment, requiring regular presence on the plant floor and close collaboration with Operations, Maintenance, Quality and external partners. If you thrive in fast‑paced production settings and enjoy turning complex projects into real‑world results, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on our facilities and operations.
This is a hybrid role based in DeForest, WI with regular on‑site plant presence and occasional travel across Canada and the U.S.
Key Responsibilities for this position include (but not limited to):
Capital Project Planning & Delivery:
- Lead end‑to‑end delivery of capital projects across two processing facilities, including equipment installations, automation, utilities, infrastructure upgrades, and facility modifications.
- Plan, execute, monitor, and close projects in accordance with PPMO standards, engineering best practices, and the Stage‑Gate governance framework.
- Develop and maintain integrated project plans covering scope, schedule, budget, resources, procurement, risk, commissioning, and start‑up.
- Facilitate cross‑functional alignment with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and external partners to define requirements and deliverables.
- Track performance against milestones, budgets, and risk profiles; implement mitigation strategies to protect safety, food safety, production continuity, and capital outcomes.
- Provide clear status reporting, dashboards, and Stage‑Gate updates to the Director, PPMO and Plant Leadership.
Vendor, Safety & Compliance Management:
- Select, manage, and oversee OEMs, engineering firms, and contractors, ensuring compliance with scope, safety, food safety, quality, and technical requirements.
- Coordinate plant‑floor construction and installation activities to minimize production disruption and maintain OH&S/OSHA, CFIA/FDA, environmental, and site‑specific standards.
- Review engineering packages, drawings, commissioning documentation, and validate progress claims and invoices.
Quality, Risk & Financial Control:
- Lead quality assurance, commissioning, and start‑up activities (FAT, SAT, validation, go‑live readiness).
- Maintain active risk and issue registers; conduct root‑cause analysis and escalate risks as required.
- Manage project financials, including cost tracking, forecasting, change control, and capital closeout, in collaboration with Finance and Procurement.
- Support annual capital planning through business cases, cost estimates, and portfolio inputs.
Governance & Continuous Improvement:
- Lead projects through all Stage‑Gate phases, preparing and presenting gate reviews with required deliverables and recommendations.
- Ensure complete, accurate project documentation and data within capital and portfolio management systems.
- Participate in post‑implementation reviews to capture lessons learned and strengthen capital execution practices.
Desired Qualifications and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical field; equivalent experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment will be considered.
- 5–10 years of experience managing capital projects within food, beverage, fresh produce, or CPG manufacturing environments.
- PMP (or equivalent project management certification) preferred.
- Demonstrated success managing a capital project portfolio in the $1MM–$10MM+ range.
- Strong technical understanding of manufacturing equipment, utilities, automation, and facility/plant infrastructure systems.
- Proven experience managing contractors, OEMs, and engineering firms within active, high‑uptime production environments.
- Strong financial acumen, including capital budgeting, forecasting, cost control, and variance analysis.
- Familiarity with Stage‑Gate, FEL, or other phase‑gated project delivery methodologies.
- Experience supporting multi‑site manufacturing operations.
- Experience using project management software (e.g., MS Project, Asana, Smartsheet).
Key Competencies:
- Capital Project Execution: Proven ability to plan and deliver capital projects from concept through commissioning while managing scope, schedule, budget, and risk.
- Manufacturing & Technical Knowledge: Solid understanding of manufacturing equipment, utilities, automation systems, and facility infrastructure in a production environment.
- Vendor & Contractor Management: Experience managing OEMs, contractors, and engineering partners during equipment installations and facility upgrades.
- Financial & Budget Management: Ability to manage capital budgets, forecasts, cost tracking, and variance analysis while identifying cost-efficiency opportunities.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Strong ability to build relationships and work cross-functionally with operations, maintenance, and leadership teams.
- Communication: Clear and effective communicator capable of facilitating project meetings, providing status updates, and aligning diverse stakeholders.
- Organization & Prioritization: Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to identifying risks, resolving issues, and improving project execution.
Work Environment
Office Setting: This role will primarily be working in an office environment, utilizing a computer and various software and tools to track progress, managing schedules, and communicating with team members.
On-Site Visits: Regular visits to project sites may be required to monitor progress, address issues, and ensure compliance with safety and quality standards.
External Visits: This position may require travel within Canada or the US. Valid driver’s license and passport are required.
Travel: Depending on the project’s location, travel may be required, including overnight stays.
Work Hours
Standard Hours: Typically, this role will work standard business hours (e.g., 8 AM to 5:00 PM), but flexibility is required.
Extended Hours: During critical phases, extended hours, including evenings and weekends, may be necessary.
LPC offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package & 401k matching program. We encourage a healthy work life balance with Family Time Off & vacation days.
We thank all applicants but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: Hybrid remote in DeForest, WI 53532
