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At Ferrara, Ferrero, Fox’s Burton’s, and The Fine Biscuits Company, we’re loved by people of all generations for the joy we bring—and that joy is crafted by our people. Join us and explore a whole world to discover, where your passion will find its place.

Today, Ferrara is the #1 sugar confectioner in the U.S, with global sales in more than 40 countries. Ferrara boasts a passionate team of over 9,000 employees around the world who deliver and create hundreds of iconic and beloved products.

In the U.S., more than 67 million households annually enjoy our popular brands like NERDS®, Brach’s®, Jelly Belly®, SweeTARTS®, Laffy Taffy®, and Trolli®.  In Brazil, Dori has become a household name with snacking products that include brands such as Dori, Gomets, Pettiz, and Yogurte 100. And, in France, Carambar & Co have earned generations of loyal customers through the timeless appeal of iconic candy and chocolate brands such as Carambar, Lutti, Krema, Poulain, Vichy and Terry’s. A privately held company, Ferrara Group is headquartered in Chicago. Ferrara boasts a network of over 30 locations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia Pacific that includes manufacturing, distribution, sales, and R&D facilities.

Learn more at www.ferrara.com or www.linkedin.com/company/ferrara-.

Principal, IT Build Manufacturing

Work Location: ​Chicago​

Due to the highly interactive and team-based nature of this role, in-person attendance for most of the workweek (i.e., 3 days or more) is essential for: effective communication including during in-person meetings, strong supervision, real-time problem-solving, and participation in cross-functional initiatives.

Want to make an impact?

The Principal IT Product Manager, Manufacturing plays a strategic role in designing and governing SAP platforms and solutions across a large-scale, complex enterprise environment. This role ensures Ferrara’s Manufacturing Platform are secure, scalable, standardized, and aligned with strategic business and technology roadmaps.

This manager will work directly with Business leaders, IT Leaders and external Service Providers leading enterprise-wide SAP, non-SAP technology platforms facilitating the delivery of scalable, easy-to-sustain standardized solutions.  A keen understanding of the goals and objectives of the Manufacturing function is required.

Ways you will make a difference

Product Management Strategy & Delivery

  • Design and maintain enterprise-level Manufacturing architecture (spread across Production Planning, Production Execution, Manufacturing Quality Management, Plant Maintenance) and ancillary applications e.g. RedZone, Waites, Trace Gains etc.
  • Create scalable architectures for mission-critical SAP applications, processes, data platforms, and integration layers that span across multiple platforms and end-to-end business process
  • A good understanding of MES(preferably RedZone, Condition Monitoring solution e.g. Waites, Engineering Systems and End-to-End processes
  • Oversee the design of highly available, geo-distributed architectures optimized for performance and resilience.
  • Enable best-in-class platform and products in Food Manufacturing Domain
  • Develop technology roadmap aligned with business recommendations, solution concepts and business cases for new investments.
  • Develop governance models, security guardrails, and architectural policies to ensure consistent delivery of projects.

Product Management- Delivery

  • Provide technical and leadership guidance to the manufacturing team.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop, standardize, and optimize manufacturing processes.
  • Manage multiple projects concurrently, ensuring alignment with production priorities and business objectives.
  • Drive initiatives to improve quality, reduce costs, and implement advanced manufacturing technologies such as automation and mechanization.
  • Oversee timely release of engineering documentation and technical processes.
  • Partner with operations leadership to meet design, build, and test milestones for complex programs.
  • Ensure robust engineering fundamentals and processes are applied consistently to maintain product integrity and process capability.
  • Develop team goals, foster professional growth, and manage roles and accountability across the department.
  • Allocate resources to support new and advanced manufacturing processes.
  • Lead root cause analyses for new and sustaining products.
  • Manage departmental budgets, staffing, and capital equipment planning.
  • Maintain a strong focus on safety across all functional areas.

Security, Compliance & Risk Management

  • Embed enterprise-grade security and compliance controls into all cloud applications.
  • Ensure solutions adhere to corporate policies, regulatory standards, and industry frameworks
  • Lead risk assessments for new cloud solutions and vendors to ensure operational continuity through robust disaster recovery and resilience patterns.

Technology Advisory Leadership

  • Lead architectural efforts for large-scale transformation programs partnering with Enterprise Architect
  • Work across multiple business lines, IT domains, and project teams to guide architecture decisions and resolve technical challenges.
  • Experience in enterprise integration platform, integration with ancillary systems for Transportation Management System, Warehouse Management System, Waites, RedZone, TraceGains etc
  • Managing budget for projects in Manufacturing Area
  • Review solution designs and implementation approaches to ensure alignment with enterprise architecture principles.
Automation, Standardization & Optimization
  • Define and support the development of enterprise platforms, standardization across global manufacturing sites, automate processes and drive Continuous Improvement/Continuous Deployment Model across all the sub-streams of Manufacturing
  • Process Improvement: Continuous enhancement of production operations to improve productivity and efficiency.
  • Drive practical cost optimization with proven deployment models, established budgeting models

Stakeholder Alignment & Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Engage with senior leaders, enterprise architects, and business SMEs to translate enterprise needs into scalable solutions and architectures.
  • Present architecture recommendations, trade-offs, and risk assessments to executive, functional and technical audiences.
  • Collaborate with Business Stakeholders, Business Relationship Manager, vendor partners, system integrators, SaaS providers, internal teams, and third-party integrators to ensure alignment with enterprise standards.

Skills that will make you successful

  • Strategic thinker who can simplify complexity and drive clarity in large organizations.
  • Strong communicator capable of influencing decision-making across business units and technical teams.
  • Highly collaborative, with the ability to lead discussions with architects, engineers, and executives.
  • Proactive, structured, and detail-oriented with a focus on delivering enterprise value.
  • Proficient in Agile Delivery and Vendor Collaboration ensuring quality and ability to meet timelines of project lifecycles.
  • Good understanding of AI, Cloud Platforms
  • Managing TCO, reduction of technical debt and process inefficiencies

Experiences that will support your success

  • Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience. Master’s degree preferred
  • 10+ years of IT experience, with at least 3–5 years in a Director/Lead role in Manufacturing Domain
  • Enterprise Certifications such as:
    • SAP Certification (S/4 HANA, SAP Activate), Agile/Scrum Product Owner,
    • Project Management Certification(Agile/Scrum Product Master), PMP( Optional)

What We Offer

At Ferrara, we’re proud to support our employees by providing comprehensive benefits such as health insurance, dental insurance, a 401(k), and paid time off (PTO).  Eligible employees may also receive an annual bonus based on company performance. Learn more about our benefits at https://flimp.live/Ferrara-Candy-2025-OE-QR

 

Compensation

The salary range for this role is $141,216 - $197,700 annually.

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.

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