Mezzetta is seeking a Senior Project Manager, Innovation to serve as the operational backbone of our pre-launch innovation project portfolio. This role will bring structure, clarity, and decision discipline to a fast-paced, cross-functional environment-particularly within our innovation pipeline and stage gate process. Reporting to the VP of Strategy & Execution, this leader will standardize and elevate project management practices while also acting as a critical thought partner to functional leaders-ensuring teams understand status, risks, tradeoffs, and implications of key decisions. This role is not just about tracking projects-it is about driving alignment, enabling better decisions, and improving the success rate of innovation at Mezzetta. Responsibilities Innovation & Stage Gate Leadership Own and continuously improve Mezzetta's innovation stage gate process Ensure clear entry/exit criteria, decision frameworks, and accountability at each gate Drive decision clarity and durability-minimizing rework and scope churn Partner with Innovation, Marketing, R&D, and Operations to ensure feasibility, alignment, and execution readiness Surface tradeoffs (cost, timing, complexity) to enable strong decision-making Portfolio Visibility & Decision Support Provide a clear, consolidated view of innovation project portfolio health Translate complex project data into clear executive-level insights Identify risks, dependencies, and capacity constraints early Enable leadership to make inform Innovation Project Management Capability Building Establish and enforce best practices, tools, and methodologies Drive consistency in project scoping, planning, and execution Train cross-functional teams on effective project management and stage gate discipline Execution Excellence Improve predictability, speed, and quality of project delivery Drive accountability across teams for timelines, deliverables, and outcomes Lead retrospectives and continuous improvement efforts Optimize tools (e.g., Smartsheet) to support scalable executioned prioritization and resource decisions Requirements Bachelor's Degree. MBA Preferred PMP Certified Preferred 10+ years of project management experience, with significant experience in CPG or food manufacturing preferred Demonstrated success leading innovation pipelines and stage gate processes Experience operating in ambiguous, fast-changing environments with shifting priorities Proven ability to drive cross-functional alignment and decision-making without direct authority Strong ability to translate complexity into clear, actionable insights for leadership Expertise in project management tools (Smartsheet preferred) Lean / Continuous Improvement experience (preferred) Pay Range $170,000-$180,000 USD