Full-Time
Manager – Franchise Operations
Updated on 7/23/2026
Fairlife
201-500 employees
Lactose-free dairy and protein drinks
Compensation Overview
$115k - $130k/yr
Chicago, IL, USA
In Person
On-site in Chicago; travel up to 40%
 Business & Strategy (2) |
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- Minimum of 5 years CPG sales, analytics or commercial experience required, with a focus on food or beverage products preferred
- DSD beverage and/or dairy experience preferred
- Ability to leverage data and insights to tell a compelling story and drive business plan/achieve objectives
- Strong business acumen ability with general management and fiscal responsibility mindset
- Proactive attitude with entrepreneurial skill set; thrives in a multi-faceted environment
- Demonstrated ability to deliver creative solutions that meet business objectives in response to market challenges
- Effective communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills
- Ability to handle ambiguity and work in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment
- Leads and maintains the suite of data resources and reporting tools for access and distribution to the franchise operations team
- Support key bottler and system meetings, including Monthly / Quarterly Business Reviews, Joint Business Planning sessions, Top to Tops and other strategic meetings by providing analytical and operational support
- Lead bottler performance management and reporting routines:Own the end-to-end cadence for Bottler Business Review RE/PlanCheck facilitating internal communication of bottler plan status with internal stakeholders and identify performance gaps and quantify the impact of under‑ or over‑performance across bottlers to leverage in MBR meetings
- Provide analytics content for Bottler MBRs, T2Ts and JBPs delivering clear, actionable visibility into bottler performance, execution against AMPS priorities, and identification of key risks and opportunities.
- Serve as the primary analytics partner for the franchise team, translating data into actionable insight, leveraging dashboards and reporting provided by the commercial function to create deep dive standardized reporting tools that allow bottlers to benchmark themselves against system averages and peer groups.
- Translate complex syndicated and internal data (Nielsen, Numerator, Power BI, etc.) into actionable insights for each franchise team, developing standardized reporting tools and benchmarking frameworks that enable bottlers to assess performance against system averages and peer groups.
- Synthesize enterprise strategies, local market dynamics, customer activity, and unconstrained demand signals into tailored, bottler-ready recommendations that drive volume, distribution, and execution improvements.
- Drive cross-functional alignment and data integrity: Partner closely with Retail Sales, Master Data, Commercial, Supply Chain, and RGM teams to ensure data accuracy, demand visibility, and coordinated decision-making across the system.
- Enable strategic planning and execution routines: support franchise VP in annual business planning, trimester planning, and ongoing performance readouts, ensuring alignment of priorities and consistent communication of execution expectations across franchise leadership and bottler partners.
- Build and maintain bottler‑level scorecards that track performance against volume, revenue, distribution, and execution KPIs.
- Work with customer lead to get updated breakdown of customer activity by banner to inform bottler teams about planned in market activity and volume implications by bottler territory
- Translate enterprise‑level strategies from commercial organization into bottler‑ready actions to drive performance in the market
- Leads Trimester Planning calls for the Franchise Operations Organization facilitating the cascade of brand execution priorities to bottlers, and bottler priorities to internal stakeholders
- Lead general Franchise Operations Organization holistic processes and routines
- DSD beverage and/or dairy experience preferred
Fairlife, a Coca-Cola subsidiary based in Chicago, makes lactose-free, real dairy beverages. Its products include fairlife ultra-filtered milk, Core Power High Protein Shakes, and fairlife nutrition plan shakes. A proprietary filtration process concentrates protein and reduces lactose to create protein-forward, lower-lactose drinks, distributed at scale. Its goal is to nourish consumers while caring for people, animals, and the planet, with commitments to animal welfare and responsible packaging.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
Founded
2012
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Consumer demand for high-protein, low-sugar dairy remains strong, driving growth past $1B sales post-2020 acquisition.
- Canadian operations remain fully active, providing immediate supply buffer for North American markets during US halt.
- State-backed $275K MDARD grant supports $650M Coopersville expansion, signaling strong regional growth momentum.
What critics are saying
- US production halted indefinitely after July 16, 2026 ransomware attack, risking $100M+ lost revenue within 3–6 months.
- Retailers may permanently replace Fairlife with Horizon Organic or Horizon due to persistent shelf emptiness over 6–12 months.
- Litigation over misleading eco-conscious marketing claims citing animal abuse and environmental violations could accelerate during crisis.
What makes Fairlife unique
- Fairlife uses patented ultrafiltration for lactose-free, high-protein, low-sugar milk exceeding traditional dairy nutrition.
- As a wholly owned Coca-Cola subsidiary since 2020, Fairlife leverages global distribution and $4B annual sales scale.
- Fairlife targets health-conscious consumers with Core Power protein shakes and Nutrition Plan products beyond standard milk.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
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Vision Insurance
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Hybrid Work Options
Company News
Anubis ransomware gang claims attack on Coca-Cola's Fairlife, threatens to leak stolen data. by Nikolaus Dreher Security News Published: 2026 July 22, 08:32 The Anubis ransomware gang has claimed responsibility for the cyberattack that recently disrupted operations at Fairlife, the dairy company owned by Coca-Cola. The group alleges it stole approximately one terabyte of corporate data and has threatened to publish the information unless an undisclosed ransom demand is met. At the time of writing, Coca-Cola has not confirmed whether data was exfiltrated or commented on Anubis' claims. The claim appeared on Anubis' dark web leak site several days after Coca-Cola disclosed that Fairlife had suffered a ransomware incident affecting production systems. In its earlier disclosure, the company said an unauthorized third party had accessed portions of Fairlife's infrastructure, including systems used in manufacturing. As a precaution, Fairlife temporarily suspended production at all of its U.S. facilities while recovery efforts began. Canadian production sites were not affected, and Coca-Cola said product quality and safety had not been compromised. According to the ransomware group's post, the attackers obtained roughly one terabyte of internal company data during the intrusion. However, Anubis has not released evidence verifying the full extent of the alleged theft, and Coca-Cola has not confirmed whether sensitive corporate information or customer data was accessed. Like many ransomware operations, the group is using the threat of publishing stolen files to pressure the victim into paying a ransom. Fairlife, headquartered in Chicago, produces ultra-filtered milk, protein shakes, and other dairy products that are distributed throughout the United States. The company has grown into one of Coca-Cola's fastest-expanding businesses, generating billions of dollars in annual retail sales. The temporary shutdown of U.S. production highlighted the operational impact the cyberattack had on the company's manufacturing systems, although Coca-Cola has not disclosed how long recovery is expected to take. After detecting the incident, Coca-Cola activated its incident response and business continuity procedures and retained external cybersecurity specialists to assist with the investigation. The company also notified law enforcement authorities and said it is continuing to assess the scope and business impact of the attack. Coca-Cola has not indicated whether it has been in contact with the attackers or whether any ransom demand has been received directly. Anubis is a relatively recent ransomware operation that combines data theft with extortion. According to security researchers, the group has also employed destructive tactics, including file-wiping capabilities, to increase pressure on victims during negotiations. Whether those techniques were used during the Fairlife incident has not been confirmed.
Coca-Cola ransomware attack halts Fairlife dairy production. technology TrendPulse AI Analysis This article covers technology trends, sourced from TechCrunch. Its AI system has analyzed the key points and extracted the most relevant insights for decision-makers. Below is the structured breakdown of the original content. Quick summary. * Coca-Cola has officially suspended production at its Fairlife dairy subsidiary following a disruptive ransomware attack that compromised critical operational systems. * While U.S. operations remain offline indefinitely, the company confirmed that Canadian facilities are currently unaffected by the security breach. * This incident highlights the growing vulnerability of large-scale food and beverage supply chains to sophisticated cyber-extortion tactics. Key details. In a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the beverage giant disclosed that its Fairlife division fell victim to a ransomware incident that forced an immediate shutdown of production lines across the United States. The company has not provided a specific timeline for system restoration, leaving the duration of the operational halt uncertain. Fairlife represents a significant revenue stream for the parent company, with annual sales reaching an estimated $4 billion as of 2024. By targeting such a high-volume subsidiary, attackers have successfully created a bottleneck that threatens to disrupt the distribution of dairy products to retailers nationwide. The company said that its Fairlife production operations across the United States are "temporarily suspended." Why this matters. This attack serves as a stark reminder that the food and beverage sector is increasingly becoming a primary target for cybercriminals. Unlike digital-only services, manufacturing entities face the dual threat of data theft and physical production downtime, which can lead to immediate supply chain shortages and significant revenue loss. Previous industry incidents, such as those involving Arizona Beverages and UNFI, demonstrate that these disruptions can last for weeks, often resulting in empty grocery shelves and long-term logistical headaches. For executives and investors, this event underscores the urgent need for robust cybersecurity resilience and incident response planning within industrial operations. As companies integrate more IoT and automated systems into their production lines, the attack surface expands, making it essential to prioritize network segmentation and offline backup protocols to mitigate the impact of future ransomware threats. The bottom line. The Fairlife production shutdown highlights the critical need for beverage manufacturers to harden their operational technology against ransomware to prevent cascading supply chain failures. This article has been processed and analyzed by TrendPulse AI for informational purposes. Content may have been summarized or restructured for clarity.
Coca-Cola spends $650M to expand Fairlife production. The beverage giant is adding to a Michigan manufacturing plant as the dairy brand sees "significant growth." Published March 25, 2026 Dive brief: * Coca-Cola is investing up to $650 million to update and expand production at its Fairlife facility in Michigan, according to a Tuesday news release. * The investment at its Cooperstown manufacturing plant will add 245,000 square feet of production space and create 150 additional jobs, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation said in a statement. * Fairlife, which produces ultra-filtered, lactose-free milk, protein and nutrition shakes, has been located at the Cooperstown facility since 2012. It employs more than 400 people. Facility updates will help production keep up with consumer demand as the brand sees "significant growth," the press release said. Dive insight: Since it was acquired in 2020, Fairlife has been a point of growth for Coca-Cola, surpassing the $1 billion sales threshold four years ago. The brand, which touts higher protein and less sugar than traditional milk, has benefited from more consumers seeking out healthier options. At Citi's Global Consumer and Retail Conference earlier this month, Coca-Cola President and CFO John Murphy said the beverage giant plans to invest in other Fairlife facilities during the next three to five years to increase production capacity by 30%. The investment in Michigan adds two additional production lines that are expected to be operational in 2028, according to a Coca-Cola press release. Construction will begin later this year. The Michigan expansion is in addition to a separate $650 million Fairlife facility in upstate New York, which is scheduled to open this year. Murphy cited Fairlife as an example of how Coca-Cola uses innovation to get closer to a broad consumer set. The brand also has a nutrition portfolio in addition to its protein shakes and milk. "You cannot... sit on the laurels of what you've accomplished to date, but it's a pretty darn good place to start from," Murphy said of Fairlife. "And as we go forward, I would see the innovation opportunity in this category to be quite strong."
Fairlife, acquired in full by Coca-Cola in 2020, depicts itself as an eco-conscious milk brand dedicated to working with local farms, conserving water, supporting renewable energy, and investing in animal welfare.
Upscale milk brand Fairlife accused of animal abuse, environmental wrongs.