Co-Manufacturing Manager

Operations LiaisonThis role serves as the strategic operations liaison between Good Culture and its Contract Manufacturing (Co-Man) partners, with primary accountability for manufacturing Safety, Quality, and Performance. The position ensures operational excellence through strong collaboration with internal Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and Commercialization teams while driving continuous improvement, cost reduction, and mission-aligned manufacturing practices.Essential Job Responsibilities:Act as the primary point of contact between Good Culture and Contract Manufacturing partners, ensuring best-in-class safety, quality, service, and cost performance.Build and maintain strong working relationships with Co-Man leadership teams to drive accountability and continuous improvement.Review demand forecasts and align with Co-Man production plans to ensure optimal inventory levels of raw materials, packaging, and finished goods.Partner with Supply Chain to mitigate risks related to capacity, materials, and service levels.Ensure strict adherence to product specifications, food safety standards, and regulatory requirements (FDA).Collaborate closely with Quality Assurance to investigate deviations, lead root cause analysis, and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).Develop, maintain, and continuously improve Co-Man performance scorecards including KPIs for safety, quality, service, cost, and efficiency.Drive manufacturing performance improvements focused on waste reduction, COGS reduction, throughput, and labor efficiency.Partner with the Commercialization team to ensure smooth onboarding and execution of new products, processes, and packaging changes at Co-Man facilities.Integrate Good Culture's mission, values, and B Corp principles into manufacturing and partner selection decisions.Job Qualifications:BS degree in Dairy Science/Food Science/Engineering or equivalent.Minimum seven (7) years of food manufacturing experience required, preferably in dairy manufacturing/supply chain. Cottage cheese manufacturing a plus.Understanding of dairy manufacturing / processing equipment and technology (pasteurization, separation, homogenization, blending, fillers, CIP, sanitation, etc.).Experience in leading, managing and developing direct reports.Manufacturing Leadership experience in positions of increasing responsibility demonstrating excellence in results delivery.Experience with manufacturing in an FDA environment; Preferred food and / or liquid processing manufacturing; high speed dairy and aseptic processing a plus.Experience working in corporate and plant level Continuous Improvement (CI) organization- preferred.Knowledge, Experience, Skills, and Abilities:Experience in the dairy (or food) industry with deep process knowledge in quality and manufacturing.Data driven approach to delivering innovative continuous improvement (CI) solutions to improve product quality, reduce manufacturing costs, produce product more efficiently, and improve relationships with our Co-Mans.Strong written and verbal communication skillsAdvanced troubleshooting skills in a dairy manufacturing environmentIntermediate level in Excel and data analysis (higher level preferred)Ability to build positive relationships with Co-Man leadership teams and Good Culture leadership teams.Proven ability to improve results & increase efficiencyA continuous improvement (CI) and/or Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) background- preferredAbout Good Culture:We believe that if you eat good things, and surround yourself with good, you'll feel good. Simple as that. That's why we decided to create a food company that offers real organic ingredients from trusted sources, promotes good health and tastes great. Our mission is to reinvent the food system, from the ground up. We are a cultured dairy company that currently makes pasture-raised cottage cheese, rich probiotic sour cream, cream cheese and probiotic milk. We're looking for some cultured healers!Good Culture is an equal opportunity employer. At Good Culture we also believe a great culture fosters and values a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. We seek individuals of all backgrounds and experiences to apply for this position. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Good Culture is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.