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Project Manager – Product Development & Commercialization | Onsite Position in Lakewood, NJ

Company Overview

Astor Chocolate is a 4th generation privately held, family-owned company and has been a leading purveyor of chocolate for over 90 years with our core strengths being innovation, creativity, and dedication to creating premium products. The company services multiple industries ranging from Hospitality, Travel Retail, Food Service, ASI, and Gourmet specialty retailers. Astor, with our energetic team atmosphere, believes the success of our growth is our strong commitment to developing our employees' potential. We are committed to building the company with talented and motivated individuals who will uphold our mission of being a market leader by innovating and servicing our customers with 

Position Summary

The Project Manager – Product Development & Commercialization manages and coordinates cross-functional projects related to new product development, commercialization, customer launches, and ongoing product maintenance. This role serves as a key liaison between Sales, Account Management, Product Development, Design, Purchasing, Regulatory, Quality, Operations, Packaging Suppliers, and Customers to ensure projects are completed accurately, efficiently, and on schedule.

This position works alongside another Project Manager and closely with the Department Head to prioritize projects, manage timelines, and ensure successful execution of customer and company initiatives. The ideal candidate is organized, detail-oriented, proactive, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Essential Functions

Project Management & Commercialization

• Manage new and existing product projects from concept through production launch.
• Coordinate timelines, deliverables, and communication across internal teams and external partners.
• Track project progress, identify challenges, and drive resolution.
• Maintain project documentation and ensure customer requirements are met.
• Support customer meetings, commercialization reviews, and internal project discussions.

Product Design & Packaging Management

• Manage artwork projects, approvals, revisions, and production readiness.
• Coordinate with Design teams, customers, printers, and suppliers on artwork and packaging requirements.
• Manage customer portals, proofing processes, and print specifications.
• Support packaging development, including packaging components, SKU creation, BOM coordination, and sustainability documentation.
• Review packaging specifications to ensure compliance with customer and manufacturing requirements.

New Item Setup & Product Development Support

• Manage new item setup, customer documentation, and product records.
• Complete New Item Forms (NIFs), specifications, and required customer documentation.
• Support Product Development through PDRFs, product specifications, sample approvals, and first production runs.
• Coordinate BOM creation, revisions, and maintenance.

Regulatory, Quality & Compliance

• Coordinate regulatory documentation and customer compliance requirements.
• Maintain regulatory trackers, quality records, and customer documentation.
• Review ingredient requirements and customer specifications to ensure compliance.
• Partner with Regulatory, Quality, and Product Development teams to resolve issues.

Pricing, Documentation & Process Support

• Maintain pricing updates within SAP and Minted systems.
• Support customer costing updates and product changes.
• Maintain organized records including product specifications, packaging files, regulatory documentation, and commercialization files.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives to improve project execution and communication.

Reporting Structure & Collaboration

• Works closely with the Department Head to align priorities and support departmental objectives.
• Partners with another Project Manager to coordinate workload, project coverage, and execution.
• Collaborates cross-functionally with internal teams, customers, and suppliers.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Food Science, Packaging, Marketing, Supply Chain, Industrial Engineering, or a related field required.
• 3–7 years of project management, commercialization, product development, packaging, account management, or related experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Food, beverage, confectionery, consumer packaged goods (CPG), or regulated manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously from concept through commercial launch.
• Experience working directly with customers, suppliers, and cross-functional teams preferred.

Compensation & Benefits

We offer a competitive compensation package including:

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off (PTO) & Paid Holidays
• Life and Disability Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional Development Opportunities