Associate Director, Supply Chain Development - Network

Kraft Heinz • Chicago, IL

6d • Onsite

About The Position

This role leads the commercialization effort for large-scale projects, platform innovation programs, or significant capital-related initiatives within the supply chain. The Associate Director will ensure effective team engagement with manufacturing, R&D, supply planning, and engineering, and will be responsible for developing and recommending alternatives to meet business needs. They will provide regular updates to project sponsors and stakeholders, escalate concerns, and lead feasibility assessments and business cases. This position also involves driving the development of preliminary Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), supporting productivity initiatives, and partnering with external manufacturing managers. Additionally, the role supports business and manufacturing systems initiatives, continuous improvement of the commercialization process, and the execution of major manufacturing cost improvement initiatives. A key aspect of this role is developing a strategic capacity plan in collaboration with various business units and leading technical and supply chain readiness for successful commercialization start-ups.

Requirements

• 10+ years of related combined experience in manufacturing, business development or HQ business team experience
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Operations Management, Food Science, Chemistry, or other related fields
• Possess experience working in a consumer food company; startup experience preferred.
• Minimum 2 years in Plant Manufacturing preferred
• Experience with basic Marketing/Finance principles
• Proven problem solving skills with a proactive mentality.
• Strong negotiation, presentation, communication (written/verbal) and relationship building skills.
• Ability to translate business expectations into supply chain solutions.
• Possess strong planning, project management, and execution skills.
• Experience working cross functionally in a matrixed environment, both regionally and globally.
• Be agile, adaptable, flexible and thrive in a multifaceted and changing culture environment.
• Possess strong digital literacy including a high level of proficiency in MS Office, specifically Excel, amongst others.
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time.

Nice To Haves

• startup experience preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead commercialization effort for large scale projects, platform innovation programs or significant capital related initiatives.
• Review project timelines and cost regularly with the project team, facilitate creation of mitigation/contingency plans and manage communication.
• Ensure effective team engagement with the manufacturing location, R&D, supply planning, and engineering.
• Ensure appropriate capacity for new business initiatives and growth plans across product life cycle.
• Develop and recommend alternatives as needed.
• Provide updates to project sponsors and stakeholders as needed on key initiatives, including progress against deliverables, cost management, next steps and needs from sponsors to alleviate hurdles.
• Escalate concerns and issues, define options/trade-offs, and provide team recommendation.
• Lead internal feasibility assessment and business case to support business team’s scoping requests; Identify impact across the supply chain with regard to cost of goods sold e.g. route to market, capacity utilization, manufacturing efficiency, quality, safety.
• Help develop and assess assigned financial targets, to include the delivery of capital requirements, trial activity and start-up expenses.
• Drive development of preliminary COGS, ensure alignment between category team and operations.
• Engage and support productivity related scoping projects to deliver cost reduction targets.
• Partner with External Manufacturing managers and EM procurement to deliver against scoping activities outside of current Kraft Heinz capabilities.
• Support Business and Manufacturing Systems initiatives as required, and support the continuous improvement of the commercialization process through collaboration with key stakeholders and best practice sharing.
• Execute major manufacturing cost improvement initiatives through cross functional collaboration and provide timely updates to senior leaders.
• Manage and deliver assigned financial targets, to include the delivery of capital projects, trial activity and start-up expenses while leading resource & funding prioritization.
• Drive development of COGS, ensure alignment between category team and operations.
• Engage and support productivity agenda to deliver cost reduction targets.
• Support Business and Manufacturing Systems initiatives as required, and support the continuous improvement of the commercialization process through collaboration with key stakeholders and best practice sharing.
• Lead and/or participation in various stakeholder governance forums (i.e. Stage gate/Leadership teams)
• Partner with the Business Units/ Manufacturing/ Supply Chain/ Engineering to develop a strategic capacity plan.
• Lead technical and supply chain readiness to support commercialization activity by applying tools that prepare the supply chain and manufacturing facilities for successful start- ups.

Benefits

• Coverage for benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.
• Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision, Screenings/Assessments
• Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training
• Employee Assistance Program , Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs
• 401k, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director