Retail Launch Project Manager

Who Are We?

We are the producers of the #1 Mānuka honey in the USA, delivering the best honey on the planet to over 500,000 customers per year across the USA and around the world.

Established in 2015, we're a high-growth, family-owned business driving the next stage of development in the Mānuka industry. We're a proud B Corp with a growing team across Auckland, Waikato, the USA, and other global locations.

At Manukora, we craft more than premium Mānuka honey - we craft wellness straight from the hive. We're proudly New Zealand-grown and globally loved, with a loyal customer base and a strong online presence. We believe every jar we deliver should be matched by an experience that feels just as premium - human, thoughtful, and exceptional.

About the Role

We're looking for a Retail Launch Project Manager who is a high-agency operator and natural systems builder to drive Manukora's national retail expansion.

This is the person who sits at the intersection of our US Sales team and our New Zealand Operations hub in Te Aroha - translating retailer requirements into production reality and making sure our launches into US retailers land on time, on spec, and without a hitch. It's part project management, part supply chain coordination, part AI-powered ops builder. Not a coordinator role - a Driver role.

1. Own the Critical Path for National Retail Launches

You'll be the air traffic controller for Manukora's expansion into US Retailers - owning launch timelines end-to-end, translating US retailer requirements into actionable tasks for our NZ production team, and keeping our broker relationships tight. You'll make sure SKUs are cleared, shipments land on time, and no launch slips because of a communication gap between Auckland and America.

2. Build and Own the Operating System

Notion is how we run - and you'll be the architect. You'll build the "Source of Truth" dashboards that replace fragmented Slack threads and email chains, and actively implement AI automations that reduce reporting overhead and keep all stakeholders across both time zones genuinely in the loop. If a tool exists that makes the team more efficient, you'll find it and use it.

3. Keep Supply Chain and Sales Aligned

You'll establish the S&OP rhythm between NZ supply chain and the US sales calendar, manage packaging and artwork approvals, and make sure the NZ team is never caught off-guard by US promotional commitments. Eight weeks of lead time, zero compliance failures, no surprises.

What a Typical Day Could Look Like

• Checking the critical path tracker in Notion and flagging any risks before they become fires

• Actioning broker requests from Brokers - samples, spec sheets, DC delivery windows

• Reviewing packaging and artwork approval status and chasing any open items

• Coordinating with the Te Aroha ops team on production timelines and PO confirmations

• Implementing or iterating on an AI automation to reduce status-chasing overhead

• Preparing for the weekly S&OP sync with NZ supply chain

• Writing tight Notion updates so US and NZ stakeholders stay aligned without needing to be pinged

Who You Are

• You're a high-agency operator - you spot problems before they become fires and make decisions where others would escalate

• You're AI-curious and actively implement automations that make the whole team more efficient

• You're a systems builder - Notion isn't a to-do list, it's an operating system, and you build dashboards people actually use

• You're fluent in both commercial and operational language - you can sit in a retailer requirements meeting and immediately translate it into production constraints for NZ

• You're async-first and a strong written communicator - your updates eliminate the follow-up

• You're proactive about supply chain risk - always thinking two moves ahead and flagging issues before deadlines sneak up

• You have solid retail operations knowledge - vendor compliance, EDI, DC deliveries, and routing guides aren't new concepts to you

• You thrive across time zones and in a fast-moving, high-growth environment

• You're aligned with Manukora's values - you care about doing things right, being real, and building something that lasts

Why Manukora?

• Be part of a high-growth, purpose-driven brand that truly cares about its people and its product

• Join a tight-knit, passionate team that works hard and has fun doing it

• Remote-friendly — we trust you to get the job done

• Work for a B Corp that puts sustainability and ethics at the heart of everything

• Represent a product you can genuinely be proud of and a purpose that matters 🍯