Program Manager, Commercial Operations

Essential Duties: 

The Commercial Operations Manager leads the day-to-day activities of the Commercial Operations team, ensuring operational excellence across supplier onboarding, logistics coordination, purchasing, compliance, and reporting. This role combines people management with hands-on operational work, serving as a key liaison between commercial, finance, logistics, and technology teams to deliver seamless recycling and materials operations. 

The ideal candidate is a strong people leader who thrives in fast-paced, evolving environments and enjoys building efficient systems that scale with the business. 

Responsibilities Will Include: 

Team Leadership & Management 

• Manage, coach, and develop a team of five Commercial Operations Specialists, fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. 
• Oversee workload allocation, priorities, and performance metrics to ensure timely execution of daily operational tasks. 
• Establish team processes, SOPs, and training materials to drive consistency and efficiency across operations. 
• Partner with cross-functional leaders in Sales, Supply Chain, IT, and Finance to resolve bottlenecks and improve workflows. 

Operational Execution 

• Serve as an escalation point and subject matter expert for supplier onboarding, purchase order creation, logistics coordination, and payment resolution. 
• Support customer and supplier relationships by ensuring exceptional responsiveness, compliance, and service levels. 
• Maintain accurate and organized records across CRM, ERP, and internal systems, ensuring data integrity and traceability. 
• Collaborate with Accounts Payable to ensure supplier purchase orders and invoices are processed accurately and on time. 
• Develop and maintain reports, dashboards, and analytics to monitor operational KPIs and provide insights to leadership. 

Process & Continuous Improvement 

• Identify and implement process automation and system improvements that enhance accuracy, speed, and scalability. 
• Partner with product and data teams to define requirements for new tools and reporting capabilities. 
• Contribute to strategic planning by providing data-driven insights and recommendations. 
• Champion best practices for safety, compliance, and operational excellence across all programs. 

Desired Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, or related field. 
• 5–7 years of relevant experience in commercial operations, sales operations, business planning, or logistics, including at least 2 years of people management. 
• Experience in the battery materials, metals, commodities, or recycling industries preferred. 
• Proven ability to manage and mentor teams in a dynamic, fast-changing environment. 
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills. 
• Hands-on experience with ERP and CRM systems; familiarity with Oracle, Hubspot, or equivalent platforms a plus. 
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills. 
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a bias for action and continuous improvement. 
• Passion for sustainability and advancing the circular economy. 

Physical Requirements:  

• Ability to perform essential job functions in compliance with ADA, FMLA, and other relevant federal, state, and local regulations, including meeting both qualitative and quantitative productivity standards 
• Ability to maintain regular and punctual attendance in line with ADA, FMLA, and applicable standards 
• Ability to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including safety gloves, helmets, and eyewear, or additional PPE when required 
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively on the telephone, including listening and speaking 

Working Conditions:  

• Office setting