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For more than 115 years, Ferrara has created sugar confections that enable moments of sweetness, celebration, and connection for candy lovers of all generations. Today, the company is the #1 sugar confectioner in the United States. Ferrara boasts a passionate team of nearly 9,000 employees creating and delivering hundreds of products sold under 20 popular brands like Brach’s®, NERDS®, SweeTARTS®, Laffy Taffy®, and Trolli® to more than 66 million U.S. households annually and popular Dori snacking products under brands such as Dori, Gomets, Pettiz, and Yogurte 100 in Brazil. Additionally, Jelly Belly, known world-wide for its confections, was acquired in November of 2023.

IT Senior Manager- PLM

Job Location: Chicago

Want to make an impact?

The IT Senior Manager- PLM will play a pivotal role in delivering transformational projects in the Procure to pay domain. This position is crucial and ensures alignment across the organization ensuring the team understands the direction of business goals and have clear plans to execute on delivering the solutions .

Ways you will make a difference

Thought leadership: -Strong PLM Techno-Functional Expert in the areas of Development of New Products, Integrated Specification Management, New Product Concept, Portfolio and Project Management and Product Structure Management and ability to partner and influence leadership across business and IT Teams
Drive Strategic Initiatives: - Lead and deliver on high visible strategic and transformational initiatives across PLM value chain aligning with business values and objectives of Ferrara candy. Ensure the intended outcomes and benefits are achieved.
Ensure Operational Excellence: - Identifies continuous improvement opportunities and drives on-going reliability and stability of systems and processes, ensuring minimal-to-no business disruptions.
Team Leadership: - Attract, manage and mentor team members both internal and extended teams
Cross functional alignment: - Align multiple cross-functional teams to achieve business objectives by leveraging relationships, resolving conflicts, and eliminating obstacles to ensure timely

Skills that will make you successful

Strong track record of delivering complex transformation programs involving SAP PLM and PPM Solution
Align multiple cross functional teams to achieve business objectives leveraging relationships, resolving conflicts and eliminating obstacles to ensure timely deliverables.
Vendor management and negotiation skills
Demonstrated ability to build and manage successful teams. Effective communicator, who expresses him/herself clearly to a variety of audiences; an active listener.
A strategic manager who is able to assimilate large amounts of complex and diverse information and focus on the core ideas and issues. Ability to adjust behavior to new information and changing circumstances.
Understanding of project management methodology both Agile and waterfall as well as SDLC process and ability to work with internal as well as 3rd party global team members.

Experiences that will support your success

Bachelor’s degree required.
10+ years of experience as a technology leader with NPD (New Product Development) and portfolio management
Experience with SAP PLM, SAP PPM, SAP S/4 HANA and SAP technologies is highly desirable.
Proven experience working on large scale technology programs and digital transformation initiatives in the CPG, Food and beverage or retail industries
Experience in leading projects focusing on PLM and PPM
Experience in PMO and driving change management initiatives
Multiple life cycle implementation of SAP PLM, SAP PPM and SAP S/4

Ferrara’s success in industry-leading innovation has been driven by deep consumer insights, strong retailer co-creation and partnerships, and a dedication to diversity of thought, experience, and people. A privately held company, Ferrara has its global headquarters in Chicago and an operational network of more than 27 locations in North America, Brazil, and China that includes manufacturing, distribution, sales, and R&D facilities. Ferrara is a privately held Ferrero related company. Learn more at www.ferrara.com or www.linkedin.com/company/ferrara-.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. In order to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, employment decisions and opportunities at Ferrara will be based on merit, qualifications, and abilities, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital or civil union status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, military or veteran status, disability, handicap, genetic information, pregnancy (childbirth or related medical condition), or on any other basis prohibited by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including selection, job assignment, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.