Agile Innovation Manager � Commercialization

Stefanini Group•Chicago, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Stefanini Group is hiring an Agile Innovation Manager – Commercialization in Chicago, IL (Hybrid). This role is within the Disruptive Innovation team, focused on driving innovation and growth. The manager will enable fit-for-purpose agile ways of working, remove barriers, build timelines, and ensure continuous delivery of high-impact solutions for a global innovation team. The role involves working closely with a cross-functional team including R&D, Packaging, Supply Chain, Marketing, Finance, and Strategy leads to accelerate the innovation process. This position is ideal for a project leader experienced in physical product innovation, commercialization, manufacturing readiness, packaging changes, and cross-functional program management within the Food & Beverage industry.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or related.
5+ years of project management, agile leadership, or scrum master experience within the Food / Beverage industry.
Experience with physical product innovation in Food & Beverage with packaging projects, aligned with operations & manufacturing side: engineering, changing of machines, alignment with supply chain, etc.
Strong knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodologies or proven experience in product development and commercialization.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
Strong experience in building timelines for projects with uncertainty, that demands a lot of changes multiple times throughout the project.
Excellent communication, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills.
Experience supporting test-and-learn innovation cycles or commercialization processes.
Passion for team empowerment, iterative learning, and removing barriers to execution.
Open to work flexible hours since part of the team is located in AMS – start 7am Chicago time when needed.
Food industry experience (non-negotiable) – non-digital position, physical product commercialization.
Physical Product Development focused innovation project management background.
Experience in supply chain development, factory engineering, or packaging related innovation delivery.
Physical Product Commercialization process knowledge.
Understand packaging changes, formula changes, feasibility constraints, machinery timelines.
Agile project management experience (emphasis).
2-3+ years of experience leading agile ceremonies and managing projects through sprint-based delivery models.
Comfortable facilitating sprint events and creating review materials.
Self-driven, proactive working style.
Able to identify stakeholders, processes, and solutions independently.
Strong communication & relationship building skills.
Must navigate between technical and non-technical teams, translating needs in both directions.

Responsibilities

Lead sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, sprint reviews, and other agile rituals to keep the team focused, aligned, and on track.
Partner with Project Owner and Marketing Lead to manage the end-to-end innovation & commercialization process, from initial concept to successful market launch.
Build and manage the timeline of the project and product development; Align POD members on their commitments with the timelines to ensure on-time delivery.
Coach the pod on agile principles, flex when needed, and help the team balance speed and structure while adapting quickly to feedback and new insights.
Identify and resolve impediments that hinder progress—whether operational, organizational, or resource-related—to keep the initiatives moving forward.
Track key agile metrics such as CSat, Maturity, Capacity of the team, reporting progress, and making adjustments as needed to ensure project success.
Maintain clear documentation of sprint goals, backlog items, decisions, and velocity.
Ensure the team and stakeholders have visibility into progress, risks, and timelines.
Guide the team in retrospectives to continuously improve delivery and collaboration.
Ensure alignment across all pod members, including R&D, Supply Chain, Finance, and Marketing, while fostering an environment of shared ownership and rapid iteration.
Tailor agile workflows to reflect the unique physical product innovation characteristics —helping the team move quickly from insight to execution while navigating pack simplification, retail constraints, and test-and-learn launches.
Help the team align on the highest-impact initiatives by working closely with the Pod Lead and cross-functional partners to manage and refine the product backlog.