Director of Commercialization

Overview

At Maev, we believe dogs deserve a seat at the table. Or at the very least, nutrient-dense food that’s human-grade. 

That’s why we’re relentless in our pursuit of better, faster, and smarter. As the first and only Human-Grade Raw Food for Dogs, Maev has been rooted in innovation since day one. We’re a brand built on the belief that “good” is never enough. That “normal” or “traditional” doesn’t always mean “optimal.” And that it’s better to live in possibility. For us, “impossible” is just a limiting belief. 

We’re obsessed with radically improving the lives of dogs and dog parents everywhere. 

With over 90 million dogs in the US, strong industry CAGR, an increased focus on nutrition, and traditional kibble losing market share due to lack of brand loyalty and poor quality, Maev is incredibly well-positioned to combine these strong industry tailwinds with a brand anchored in quality, transparency, and emotional connection. 

As of 2023, Maev is the #1 fastest-growing, most disruptive brand in the hyper-competitive category of Pet — and the 38th fastest-growing private company in America.

Our team is made up of thought leaders, risk-takers, tastemakers, disruptors, creatives, critical thinkers, and, occasionally, dog people. We attract top-tier talent from the most successful, differentiated, fastest-growing, and most innovative brands and organizations in the world. We win awards, we’re ambitious, and we’re on the map. We built this thing from scratch. (And we’re just getting started.) 

Join us.

Role

The Director of Commercialization will build and lead Maev’s commercialization and cross-functional project management function. This role will create the processes, governance, and accountability needed to move new products, product changes, and strategic initiatives from concept through execution and launch.

This is a strategic and highly execution-oriented role. The Director will own the commercialization operating model while also serving as the central project leader for high-priority initiatives. You will establish clear project plans, timelines, milestones, owners, dependencies, and escalation paths, ensuring cross-functional teams remain aligned and projects move forward with urgency and accountability.

A key focus of the role will be building scalable processes for new product commercialization, product changes, and artwork approval, balancing speed with the quality, regulatory, supply chain, and financial requirements needed to bring products to market successfully.

The ideal candidate is a highly experienced commercialization and project leader who can operate comfortably between strategy and execution. You are equally comfortable building a new process from scratch, leading an executive-level project, and getting into the details to solve a problem. You are an exceptional cross-functional leader who can influence without authority, create clarity in ambiguous environments, and hold teams accountable to commitments.

This position will report to the VP of Supply Chain.

Responsibilities

Commercialization Strategy & Leadership

• Build and own Maev’s commercialization operating model and processes

• Establish a standardized approach for moving new products and major product initiatives from concept through launch

• Develop commercialization governance, decision rights, timelines, and cross-functional responsibilities

• Establish clear criteria for project readiness, launch readiness, and go/no-go decisions

• Partner with leadership to prioritize the commercialization portfolio based on business impact, resources, timing, and risk

• Identify opportunities to improve the speed, predictability, cost, and quality of Maev’s commercialization process

• Develop scalable processes that support Maev’s growth across DTC, and Omni channels

• Evaluate and implement project management tools and systems as the organization scales

New Product Commercialization

• Own end-to-end cross-functional project management for new product launches

• Develop detailed project plans, critical paths, milestones, dependencies, and launch timelines

• Coordinate across Product, Marketing, Procurement, FSQA, Finance, Planning, Contract Manufacturing, Fulfillment, and other stakeholders

• Ensure raw materials, packaging, specifications, manufacturing capabilities, quality requirements, inventory, and operational readiness are aligned to launch timelines

• Identify and proactively manage risks, dependencies, resource constraints, and decisions required to keep projects on track

• Establish launch readiness assessments and drive cross-functional go/no-go decisions

• Lead post-launch reviews and incorporate learnings into future commercialization processes

Product Change Management

• Develop and implement a standardized product change management process for formula, packaging, supplier, specification, compliance, and other product changes

• Establish clear ownership, review requirements, approval workflows, timelines, documentation, and implementation requirements

• Own cross-functional coordination of product changes from initial request through implementation

• Ensure downstream impacts to inventory, procurement, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, fulfillment, and customers are identified and addressed

• Establish appropriate controls for change timing, inventory depletion, transition planning, and implementation

• Maintain visibility to all active product changes and escalate risks that could impact cost, supply, quality, compliance, or customer experience

Artwork Routing & Approval

• Develop and implement a standardized artwork routing and approval process for packaging

• Establish clear ownership, review requirements, approval workflows, timelines, version control, and documentation requirements

• Coordinate cross-functional artwork reviews and approvals across Product, Marketing, FSQA, Regulatory, Procurement, and other relevant stakeholders

• Ensure final artwork is approved and production-ready within established timelines

• Establish clear controls to prevent outdated or unapproved artwork from entering production

• Maintain visibility to artwork status and proactively escalate approval delays or risks

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Build strong partnerships across Product, Marketing, Planning, Procurement, FSQA, Finance, Manufacturing, Fulfillment, and other functions

• Influence stakeholders and drive accountability without direct authority

• Create clarity around roles, responsibilities, decisions, and timelines

• Facilitate effective decision-making when teams have competing priorities or perspectives

• Serve as a trusted thought partner to functional leaders on project planning, prioritization, and execution

• Escalate material risks and decisions to leadership with clear recommendations

Experience

• 8+ years of progressive experience in commercialization, project management, supply chain, operations, product development, or a related field

• Significant experience leading complex, cross-functional new product launches and/or product changes

• Demonstrated experience building and implementing commercialization or project management processes

• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects and complex project portfolios

• Proven ability to establish structure, processes, and accountability in ambiguous or fast-growing environments

• Strong understanding of product development, manufacturing, packaging, supply chain, and quality/regulatory dependencies

• Demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and drive accountability without direct authority

• Strong project planning, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills

• Experience working in CPG, food, beverage, pet food, or another complex consumer products environment preferred

• Experience with contract manufacturing and manufacturing transitions preferred

• Experience with project management tools and systems

About You

• You are analytical and a creative problem solver by nature.

• You embody ownership and execution at all levels.

• You are energized by difficult and ambiguous problem spaces.

• You take on obstacles with determination and excitement.

• You pride yourself on personally making an impact on a business’ trajectory.

• Your past employers and teammates will say, “[insert your name] will be the most impactful hire you ever make.”

• You can manage up and self-identify 

• Lastly, and most importantly, you are insatiably curious, kind, and empathic. Your worldview is not insular, but expansive. You are ready to do something meaningful and impactful. And above all, you love to learn and get things done.