Manager, Custom Products

ABOUT ROLAND FOODS

Roland Foods, LLC, based in New York City, is an importer and distributor of high-quality specialty food products from more than 40 countries. Founded in Paris in 1934 and established in the U.S. in 1939, the Company provides customers with exceptional specialty foods, primarily offered under the Roland brand. The company sells its quality foods across the foodservice, retail, and industrial channels as well as internationally. Foodservice is the heart of the business, with the Roland® brand being one of the esteemed back-of-house brands in the industry. Roland Foods’ is the original purveyor of the world’s finest flavors and its assortment is unrivalled, with products spanning global cuisine segments: from French Dijon mustard, to Israeli couscous, to Thai fish sauce, to Mexican salsa macha, Roland Foods procures ingredients from the places that make them best. And for this the Roland® brand is synonymous with quality, authenticity and creativity for the consumer and chef alike.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Manager, Custom Products at Roland Foods will have end-to-end ownership of project execution specific to customer-driven product commercialization for the Roland portfolio. This will include supporting overall business growth objectives across all customer channels (i.e. food service, retail, industrial, international) through custom production formulations and packaging requests. It is an exciting time for the Manager to join, as Roland continues to invest in custom product sourcing with the newly expanded function of the Custom Products & Innovation team to drive the value of the Roland brand. The Manager will have the opportunity to ‘think big’ and partner with sales to pitch new product commercialization ideas to drive the legacy of Roland as an industry leader in sourcing global ingredients.

This role is ideal for a person with an interest in the food industry or CPG/Grocery, who is looking to develop their project management experience and lead with significant autonomy. The Manager will operate at multiple levels, from project oversight to supplier management and product formulation development alongside our team. To be successful in the role, the person must be willing to do the day-to-day tactical work alongside the strategic planning. The day-to-day work will be the execution of supplier communication, coordinating product formulation cuttings, and partnering closely with Sales/Sales Operations, Food Safety and Quality Assurance, Revenue Management, International Logistics, Supply Chain, and Creative/Marketing to ensure seamless integration of products within the Roland portfolio. This position will sit in Roland’s Custom Products & Innovation team, reporting to the Senior Manager, Custom Products.

Roland Foods office employees have transitioned to a hybrid working schedule, requiring employees to report in-person Tuesday through Thursday, with the option to telework on Monday and Friday each week. Due to the collaborative, cross-functional nature of the organization, employees at the NY and NJ offices are required to work in-person for the abovementioned days, outside of any People & Culture-approved disability accommodation request.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Manage the Roland Foods innovation pipeline project flow

• Lead communication with existing and new suppliers to source new products in addition to supporting supplier onboarding alongside the cross-functional team
• Partner with the cross-functional team to define target product specifications and manage cuttings to determine the optimal specification/product formulation
• Own on-time commercialization of custom items, including training content for bonus item Sales training meetings
• Partner with the Sales team to identify new product commercialization opportunities (e.g. retail private label projects)

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Required

• 1-3 years of experience in a Project Management, Consulting, Commercialization, or Product Strategy capacity

Preferred

• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably with a focus in Business/ Business Administration or related field
• Experience in CPG/FMCG or Retail strongly preferred
• Strong verbal & written communication abilities
• Exceptional time management skills
• Prior experience operating within strict deadlines

SALARY RANGE

Roland Foods hires exceptional people to perform a wide variety of important functions that contribute to the success of the Company. One of the ways Roland Foods does that is through a competitive compensation package. The base salary for this role will be $100,000 - $105,000.

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 offered.

Founded by immigrants, Roland Foods knows that diversity is the spice of life. We believe in the power of food to open minds, spark adventure, and bring diverse people together. All are welcome at our table! We know the transformative value of food in individual lives and communities. Because of this, we insist on obtaining the highest-quality ingredients and talent!

Roland Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Roland Foods considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Roland Foods is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [email protected].

Please read Roland Foods, LLC’s California Job Applicant Privacy Policy here.

Authenticity in the Hiring Process: Use of AI and Assistive Technology

At Roland Foods, people review every application, resume, and assessment. We value authentic, accurate representations of each candidate's experience and qualifications.

Candidates may use AI tools for support purposes (such as grammar, formatting, or accessibility needs), but application materials, assessment responses, and interview discussions should reflect the candidate's own work, knowledge, and abilities. Excessive reliance on AI or the use of AI to misrepresent qualifications or complete assessments on a candidate's behalf may result in removal from consideration.

If you require AI or other assistive technology as a reasonable accommodation, please contact our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected]. We are committed to providing an accessible and equitable hiring experience for all candidates.