External Manufacturing Leader
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Job Description
External Manufacturing Leader- Polymer Products
Location: Plymouth, MN or Blair, NE (on site)
Travel: ~10-20% (primarily within North America)
Do you enjoy taking the lead to make complex projects run smoothly and efficiently? NatureWorks is seeking a driven, results-oriented External Manufacturing Leader to manage third-party production of commercial and experimental polymer materials that support our Growth team's product pipeline.
In this role, you'll take full ownership of external manufacturing-selecting toll partners, managing end-to-end logistics, driving production campaigns, and ensuring quality and delivery standards are met. You'll collaborate closely with internal R&D, operations, and supply chain functions to help bring innovative materials from concept to scale.
Key Responsibilities:
- Identify, qualify, and manage external manufacturing partners for experimental and commercial polymer products.
- Lead technology transfer processes and coordinate manufacturing campaigns.
- Negotiate pricing and production schedules with tollers.
- Oversee raw material shipments and final product logistics to and from North America and Europe.
- Ensure production activities are accurately tracked in SAP and meet quality and regulatory requirements.
- Support onsite audits and production campaigns at external manufacturers.
- Collaborate with Asia Pacific external manufacturing where needed.
- Align production plans with Sales & Operations Planning and the Growth Organization.
Required Qualifications:
- B.S. in Chemistry, Engineering, or related field
- Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in twin-screw extrusion, including reactive extrusion
- 5+ years in manufacturing or supply chain operations
- 3+ years managing external manufacturing for polymer products
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with PLA or other biopolymers
- Experience with polymer properties, processing, and analytical QA/QC techniques
- SAP proficiency
Compensation and Benefits:
- Annual salary: $130,000-$150,000
- 13% target annual bonus
- Comprehensive benefits package including:
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Paid sick leave, family sick time, holidays, and 160 hours of vacation
- Parental leave and Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Retirement savings with 5.5% automatic company contribution plus 50% match on the first 6% of employee contributions
Automate your job search with Sonara.
Submit 10x as many applications with less effort than one manual application.