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Sr. Manager, Product Change Management

Kalsec, Inc.

Kalamazoo, MI

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JOB DETAILS
JOB TYPE
Part-time
SKILLS
Analysis Skills, Business Processes, Change Control, Change Management, Chemistry, Communication Skills, Consumer Protection, Continuous Improvement, Cost Control, Cross-Functional, Document Management, Documentation, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), Establish Priorities, FDA Requirements, Financial Regulations, Food Safety, Food Science, Food and Beverage Industry, Functional Analysis, Leadership, Maintain Compliance, Manufacturing, Matrix Management, Operational Audit, Performance Metrics, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Product Lifecycle Management, Product Management, Product Safety, Product/Service Launch, Regulations, Regulatory Compliance, Reporting Skills, Research & Development (R&D), Risk Analysis, Risk Management, Safety/Work Safety, Sales, Strategic Planning, Supply Chain, Team Lead/Manager, Technical Analysis, Time Management, Traceability, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Validation Testing, Willing to Travel
LOCATION
Kalamazoo, MI
POSTED
30+ days ago
Job Summary:
The Product Change Management Leader leads end‑to‑end governance, evaluation, and execution of product‑related changes across Kalsec’s global product portfolio and all manufacturing locations, ensuring that every modification—whether driven by innovation, supply continuity, cost optimization, or regulatory shifts—is thoroughly evaluated, assessed for global risk, and supported by clear, timely decision‑making and disciplined implementation. This role blends technical expertise with strong cross‑functional leadership to ensure that ingredient and product changes protect consumer and food safety, product quality, regulatory compliance, and brand trust, while delivering key business outcomes including zero disruption to product quality or compliance during ingredient transitions, high cross‑functional alignment and confidence in the change management process, and improved speed‑to‑implementation without compromising safety, quality, or regulatory standards.
 
Essential Job Responsibilities:
Process
  • Lead the global ingredient and product change management process, ensuring all changes follow established governance, risk assessment, and documentation protocols
  • Ensure compliance with global food regulations, including labeling, claims, and allergen disclosure requirements
  • Oversee supplier‑driven ingredient changes, ensuring proper validation, testing, and communication across internal teams
  • Develop and maintain change control workflows that ensure transparency, traceability, and timely decision‑making
  • Serve as global process owner for product and raw‑material‑related changes, including:
    • New Product Introductions
    • Product transfers between manufacturing locations in Europe, Pacific, and North America
    • Raw material approvals, replacements, and alternates
    • Changes to finished‑good formulas, tests, and attributes of existing codes
Strategy
  • Develop strategies, plans, and cross‑functional coordination to continuously improve Change Management processes and the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) database
  • Lead improvement initiatives and report on process outcomes and performance metrics
  • Align prioritization of business‑critical and urgent changes to drive agility, speed‑to‑market, and customer responsiveness
  • Evaluate technologies and system capabilities to enhance business processes and PLM functionality
  • Oversee PLM software enhancements to ensure product changes are fully documented and visible across systems
Structure and Implementation
  • Schedule and lead Change Management meetings, including agenda preparation, material development, action tracking, and follow‑up on delays
  • Lead specific high‑priority and high‑visibility projects emerging from Change Management governance forums
  • Lead cross‑functional impact assessments to evaluate technical, operational, financial, regulatory, and customer‑facing implications of product changes
  • Manage communication and documentation for all formulation changes, including approvals, timelines, and downstream impacts
  • Coordinate with Sales, Business Unit leaders, and Regulatory teams on customer notification strategies
 
Qualifications:
Required
  • Bachelor’s degree with 5+ years related experience as an individual contributor and 3+ years of people/process managerial experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience in manufacturing, R&D, quality, regulatory, or supply chain roles
  • Education in Food Science, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related field
  • Working understanding of global food regulations
  • Experience with change control processes and systems (PLM, ERP, or similar)
  • Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional teams and influence through matrixed organizations
  • Exceptional analytical and problem‑solving skills with a structured approach to risk assessment and management
  • Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to translate technical details into business impacts
Desired
  • Advanced degree
  • Strong food industry experience
  • Experience working with regulatory agencies (FDA, USDA, EU, Codex, etc.)
 
Working Conditions:
  • Up to 10% travel, including some international travel

About the Company

K

Kalsec, Inc.