Stage-Gate & Claims Coordinator

Sun Gro Horticulture

Sun Gro Horticulture is one of the most prominent North American horticultural companies, employing over 800 staff and serving customers worldwide. Since its humble beginnings in 1929, it has become the leading supplier of soilless growing mixes to North America's top 100 greenhouse and nursery growers, shipping over 70,000 truckloads of product annually. Sun Gro products are made to exacting standards and conform to high product quality and performance criteria.

Sun Gro Horticulture recognizes that its success is due to the strength of its employees. The primary goal of Sun Gro is to promote individual employees' sense of accomplishment and contribution so that employees enjoy their association with Sun Gro Horticulture. The Company invests in its employees so that they are the most knowledgeable in the industry, and undertakes great efforts to nurture loyalty to, and teamwork at, Sun Gro.

Role: Stage-Gate & Claims Coordinator Compensation: $55,000-$75,000

This is a fully onsite role in Agawam, Massachusetts. Job Summary

The Portfolio & Claims Coordinator is a hybrid role responsible for supporting portfolio management processes and overseeing claims administration across professional growing media and retail product lines (IGC and big box channels).

Reporting to the Portfolio Manager Stage-Gate Governance, this role ensures the smooth execution of stage-gate processes while also driving disciplined claims management, reporting, and resolution. The position plays a critical role in maintaining data accuracy, coordinating cross-functional activities, and supporting both product development and operational performance.

Responsibilities

Stage-Gate Coordination

• Support administration of the stage-gate process for product development, reformulations, and packaging initiatives
• Schedule and coordinate gate reviews, ensuring all required deliverables are complete and accurate
• Track project timelines, milestones, and action items across R&D, operations, and commercial teams
• Maintain portfolio dashboards, tracking tools, and documentation
• Assist in the preparation of executive portfolio reviews and pipeline updates

Claims Administration Coordination

• Serve as the primary point of contact for claims system inquiries and support audits/internal stakeholders
• Monitor and manage open claims, ensuring timely progression and resolution
• Review claims in the Administration stage to ensure:
  • Accuracy of credit memos (pricing, quantities, ship-to/bill-to details)
  • Completion of required documentation and system fields
• Complete final administrative approvals and close claims when appropriate
• Track and follow up on key actions including:
  • Requests for additional information during discovery
  • Approval/rejection decisions from PMs, DMs, and RSMs

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Act as a liaison between teams, including:
  • R&D, Operations / Supply Chain, Finance, Sales (RSMs, DMs), Regulatory, Marketing, Technical Services (TS), Grower Specialist (GS)
• Facilitate alignment between technical product development and commercial execution
• Coordinate and lead recurring cross-functional meetings (e.g., claims review, project updates)

Reporting & Analytics

Claims & Operational Reporting

• Generate and distribute bi-weekly reports (e.g., SharePoint-based) detailing open claims and status
• Lead bi-weekly Teams meetings to review claims, focusing on overdue items and escalation needs
• Track claims KPIs including cycle time, aging, and resolution rates

Monthly & Quarterly Reporting

• Prepare monthly Claims Integrated Business Planning (IBP) reporting and distribute to stakeholders
  • Compile and analyze quarterly data, including:
  • Operational Claims Investigation (OCI) metrics and master OCI
  • Finished goods (FG) and output trends
  • QC Data Entry Compliance by Site Finished goods and raw materials at receipt
  • Cost impacts by site (e.g., MMCF dollars)
  • Financial summaries and claims trends

Develop executive-level reporting, including:

• Board of Directors (BOD) presentations
• Supporting analysis, graphs, and insights
• Support portfolio reporting (pipeline health, launch readiness, KPI tracking)

Process & Data Management

• Maintain accurate records across claims and stage-gate systems
• Ensure data consistency across Planner, SharePoint, reporting tools, and tracking systems
• Support continuous improvement of stage-gate and claims processes
• Identify opportunities to streamline reporting, workflows, and communication

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Horticulture, Agriculture, Operations, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 25+ years of experience in project coordination, claims administration, operations, or a product support role
• Experience in horticulture, agriculture, or consumer/retail products preferred
• Exposure to stage-gate processes and/or claims management systems is a strong plus
• Familiarity with project management or workflow tools
• Continuous improvement mindset with strong process orientation
• Ability to translate operational and technical data into actionable insight