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