Associate Project Manager R&D

About the role

At Good Foods, we’re all about bringing more good to more moments – from special parties to everyday snacking, our guacamole, salsas, dips, and spreads are thoughtfully made with ingredients you can see AND taste. We are a family owned and operated business since 2007 with our headquarters located in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Our chef-created recipes with real ingredients, free from preservatives or artificial flavors. Our products come to life with vibrant textures and flavors thanks to innovative technology via High-Pressure Processing (HPP). We’re dedicated to bringing more goodness, joy and shared moments to every table through our commitment to quality, making meaningful connections and a curiosity that fuels innovation.

The Associate Project Manager is responsible for managing and coordinating assigned new product development, commercialization, current product management, and related business initiatives. This role develops and maintains project timelines, tracks milestones and deliverables, coordinates cross-functional activities, and identifies and escalates risks to support successful project execution. The position works closely with the Senior Project Commercialization Manager and cross-functional teams to support Stage Gate readiness and timely commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain project schedules, timelines, and milestones to support timely completion of project deliverables.
• Coordinate day-to-day activities for assigned new product development, commercialization, current product, and other business initiatives.
• Organize and facilitate project meetings to review progress, timelines, key milestones, and action items.
• Track project deliverables and follow up with cross-functional teams to support timely execution.
• Coordinate with R&D, Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing, and other departments to support project activities.
• Maintain project documentation, status reports, and updates within established project management systems.
• Support Stage Gate processes by coordinating required documentation, deliverables, and cross-functional input.
• Identify potential project delays, risks, and resource constraints, escalating concerns as appropriate.
• Communicate project updates and changes to stakeholders to maintain alignment on timelines and expectations.
• Assist with commercialization activities, including launch readiness and cross-functional handoffs.
• Identify opportunities to improve project management processes and support implementation of improvements.
• Support the Senior Project Commercialization Manager with additional projects and initiatives as needed.

Requirements

• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate with cross-functional teams without direct reporting authority.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through on project commitments.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify risks and recommend solutions.
• Working knowledge of project management principles, tools, and methodologies.
• Familiarity with product development, commercialization, or Stage Gate processes preferred.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Project Management, Business, Engineering, Science, Operations, or a related field.
• 1 to 3 years of experience in project management, product development, commercialization, manufacturing, operations, or a related environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project-management platforms; Monday.com, Microsoft Project, or comparable applications preferred.