Director, Contract Manufacturing

About the Role

The Director, Co-Manufacturing leads Hain Celestial's North American co-manufacturing network and is accountable for reliable, cost-effective, and compliant production through external manufacturing partners. This role owns co-manufacturer performance, capacity planning, operating governance, supplier accountability, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement across the network. The role partners closely with Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, R&D, Commercial, and Finance to ensure external manufacturing capabilities support business growth, product availability, service levels, margin improvement, and customer commitments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the North American co-manufacturing strategy aligned with business growth, service, quality, and cost objectives.
• Lead the management and governance of third-party manufacturing partners across relevant product categories and manufacturing platforms.
• Own co-manufacturer performance management, including service, quality, cost, safety, compliance, capacity, and business continuity metrics.
• Establish and maintain strong operating relationships with key co-manufacturing partners, including routine business reviews and executive-level escalation as needed.
• Ensure sufficient external manufacturing capacity to support current demand, innovation plans, seasonal requirements, and future growth.
• Partner with Procurement on supplier selection, contract negotiations, commercial terms, pricing actions, and supplier accountability.
• Collaborate with R&D, Quality, and Operations on commercialization, technology transfers, product launches, reformulations, and network optimization projects.
• Identify and execute productivity, cost savings, waste reduction, and continuous improvement opportunities across the co-manufacturing network.
• Lead risk assessment and mitigation planning for supply continuity, capacity constraints, quality events, cost pressure, and operational disruptions.
• Support long-range network planning, make-versus-buy analyses, footprint optimization, and external manufacturing capability assessments.
• Manage escalation and resolution of significant operational, quality, service, or customer-impacting issues.
• Partner with Finance to build budgets, forecasts, business cases, productivity tracking, and cost-to-serve visibility.
• Create and maintain clear operating standards, KPIs, reporting routines, and decision-making processes for co-manufacturing performance.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, food safety, customer, quality, and company requirements.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing co-manufacturing team with a culture of accountability, collaboration, urgency, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Operations Management, Manufacturing, Business, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in supply chain, manufacturing, operations, external manufacturing, or co-manufacturing, preferably in consumer packaged goods.
• Experience managing third-party manufacturing partners, supplier relationships, and cross-functional operational initiatives.
• Proven experience managing operational metrics, budgets, productivity initiatives, and performance improvement plans.
• Demonstrated ability to influence across Procurement, Quality, R&D, Commercial, Finance, and Operations.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree.
• Experience in food, beverage, natural products, or broader CPG manufacturing environments.
• Experience with network optimization, strategic sourcing, contract manufacturing negotiations, or productivity programs.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence certification.

Skills

• Strong external manufacturing and supplier relationship management capability.
• Strategic thinking with practical operational execution and strong follow-through.
• Commercial and financial acumen, including cost modeling, budgeting, and business case development.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to make sound decisions in fast-moving, ambiguous situations.
• Executive presence and ability to influence senior stakeholders internally and externally.
• Strong project management, prioritization, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Clear, direct communication style with strong escalation discipline.
• High accountability, ownership, and comfort driving performance with external partners.
• Commitment to quality, food safety, compliance, and continuous improvement.

Scope

Accountable for co-manufacturing operational spend, productivity delivery, supplier performance, and cost improvement opportunities across the assigned external manufacturing network.

Direct and/or indirect responsibility for co-manufacturing and external manufacturing professionals; final reporting structure to be confirmed.

Conditions of Role

• Travel Requirements: Approximately 25-40% travel to co-manufacturing sites, suppliers, and Hain locations as business needs require.
• Physical Conditions: Primarily remote-based work with periodic manufacturing site visits. Site visits may require walking production floors and following facility safety requirements.
• Work Environment: Fast-paced, cross-functional supply chain environment requiring regular collaboration with internal teams and external manufacturing partners.

Pay

$150,000 - $190,000 (commensurate with experience and location)

Benefits

• Medical, Prescription, Dental, Vision Coverage
• Flexible spending accounts
• Disability coverage
• Life insurance
• Critical illness and accident insurance
• Legal and identity protection insurance
• Pet insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Commuter benefits
• Tuition assistance
• Adoption assistance
• 401(k)
• PTO
• Parental Leave