Junior Project Manager, Innovation

ABOUT ALBERT USTER IMPORTS

Albert Uster Imports, Inc. (“AUI”) is a privately held gourmet food company headquartered in the Washington, DC area (Gaithersburg, MD) with warehouse locations in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Gurnee and Gaithersburg. AUI falls under the Vestar Capital Partners portfolio with affiliate organization, Roland Foods, LLC.

Founded in 1968, the company offers over 1,400 products from around the world. We serve leading hotels, restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, airlines, and manufacturers with innovative, high quality products and solutions to their most demanding culinary challenges. We operate a network of distribution centers across the U.S. and serve select international markets as well. AUI has a national direct selling organization of over 60 sales professionals and a staff of culinary experts (chefs and food scientists) adept at custom product solutions.

 

ABOUT THE ROLE 

AUI is committed to leading thru Innovation, and we are seeking a Junior Project Manager, Innovation, to support the successful development and execution of new product and services launches.In this role, you will be a part of a cross-functional team with experts in culinary arts, product marketing, and sourcing. You will complete project milestones from conceptualization to commercialization of specific product categories in the current portfolio of AUI Fine Foods. Additionally, you will actively maintain and enhance supplier relationships with effective communication and managing partnership strategies at all stages of project management.

As a response to the pandemic, Albert Uster Imports Inc. office employees have transitioned to a hybrid working schedule, requiring employees to report in-person Monday through Wednesday, with the option to telework on Thursday and Friday each week. Due to the collaborative, cross-functional nature of the organization, employees at the Gaithersburg office are required to work in-person for the abovementioned days, outside of any People & Culture-approved disability accommodation request.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own and drive assigned product and service launch projects from concept to execution, including conducting competitive research, evaluating commercial viability, and ensuring clear alignment and communication with all stakeholders

• Proactively identify opportunities and processes gaps; recommends solutions to improve processes within the development of projects to ensure timely delivery of project milestones
• Coordinate in cross-functional efforts with the Culinary, Quality Assurance, Marketing, and Purchasing teams for product and services evaluation, commercialization & approval, and supply chain continuity
• Manage product sourcing projects and overall deliverables through customer requests including customization, SOS, and large customer product development with suppliers

 

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Required

• Minimum 3-5 years’ experience in project management, category management, product development and commercialization of products in the food industry. Food Service experience preferred
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suit (MS Excel, Word, Power Point, Outlook)
• Highly organized: must be able to manage multiple cross-functional projects simultaneously with attention to detail

Preferred

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Biology, Business Administration/ Management, Sourcing and Procurement, or related field
• Effective collaborator across departments and organizational levels
• Flexibility and adaptability to prioritization of projects
• Approaches challenges with a calm, solution-oriented mindset demonstrating sound judgement and objectivity
• Strong interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills

 

SALARY RANGE

Albert Uster Imports hires exceptional people to perform a wide variety of important functions that contribute to the success of the Company. One of the ways AUI does that is through a competitive compensation package. The base salary for this role will be $65,000 - $75,000.

This role will be bonus eligible.

Based on your qualifications, previous experience, and transferrable skills, the Company will determine at its sole discretion, the salary off