Director, R&D – Digital Transformation

Kraft Heinz • Glenview, IL

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, R&D - Digital Transformation is a senior leader responsible for defining the digital transformation strategy for the NA R&D organization and building the capabilities required to deliver it. This is a greenfield role, as the Director will establish the vision, design the operating model, and develop the target-state organizational structure and multi-year resourcing plan needed to scale a high-performing, multidisciplinary Digital R&D function. The role will have three to four direct reports to support our digital transformation agenda, with organizational design and hiring owned directly by this leader. In practice, the Director leads a centralized Digital NA R&D Hub, partnering with the NAZ Platforms, R&D and IT teams to deploy predictive models, AI-enabled tools, advanced data architectures, and digital twin capabilities that accelerate innovation, reduce physical iteration, and shorten time-to-market. This individual will drive the definition, development and adoption of the new digital workflows and ways of working for the R&D Organization. This leader sits at the intersection of food and materials science, process and packing engineering, data science, and manufacturing and will closely collaborate across functions and disciplines to bring the transformation agenda to reality.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, data science, computer science, food science, or a related technical field with 17 years of relevant experience OR Master’s degree with 16 years of relevant experience OR PhD with 15 years of relevant experience
• 12+ years leading digital, analytics, or advanced technology initiatives within R&D, manufacturing, or product development, with demonstrated growth in scope and organizational impact
• Proven track record defining, not just executing, digital transformation strategy in a complex, matrixed CPG or food & beverage environment
• Demonstrated experience in organizational design and workforce planning: building team structures, hiring roadmaps, and scaling functions from early stage to operational maturity
• Experience managing and interacting in multidisciplinary teams
• Deep technical fluency in one or more of the following: food science, product development, chemical /mechanical engineering, and/or packaging development
• Strong foundational knowledge of machine learning, generative AI, computational modeling, and modern data architecture (data lakes, data mesh, MLOps)
• Familiarity with R&D enterprise systems (PLM, ELN, LIMS) and associated data interoperability challenges
• Ability to define a compelling transformation vision and connect R&D capability directly to enterprise value
• Skilled at navigating legacy corporate cultures, aligning cross-functional stakeholders, and establishing clear decision rights over data governance and digital protocols
• Entrepreneurial orientation: comfortable with ambiguity, building from scratch, and making sound decisions with incomplete information
• Executive presence sufficient to influence at the senior executive level and represent the digital R&D agenda with external partners and industry peers

Responsibilities

• Own the R&D digital transformation agenda. Translate organizational ambition into a phased, prioritized strategic roadmap, defining required capabilities, sequencing investments, and securing senior leadership alignment and resources.
• Connect the roadmap directly to enterprise value: top-line growth, productivity, sustainability commitments, and time-to-market competitiveness.
• Own organizational design for the NA Digital R&D team. Define the target-state team structure, capability architecture, and workforce plan to operate at scale. Determine the optimal mix of internal talent, external hires, and strategic partners.
• Establish hiring profiles and development pathways for a multidisciplinary team spanning data science, ML engineering, and R&D domain expertise, including but not limited to Product Development, Consumer Science, Process and Package Development.
• Lead integration of legacy PLM, ELN, and LIMS systems into a cohesive data platform in partnership with R&D Transformation. Define governance protocols ensuring ingredient specifications, packaging tolerances, sensory data, and process parameters share a universal taxonomy.
• Establish the data quality standards and ingestion pipelines to power reliable AI and predictive analytics at scale.
• Lead development and deployment of physics /engineering /chem -based simulation, machine learning, and generative AI models that predict consumer acceptance/behaviors, formulation performance, process behavior, shelf-life, and packaging integrity prior to physical trials.
• Define MLOps infrastructure and model governance practices to move from proof-of-concept to production-grade tools.
• Guide build-vs-buy decisions for digital R&D platforms in partnership with IT.
• Design and operationalize a scalable Hub-and-Spoke engagement model enabling rapid, repeatable adoption of digital tools across Central and Platform R&D teams.
• Establish workflows, decision rights, and governance mechanisms to support effective collaboration across geographies and disciplines.
• Recruit, develop, and retain professionals who can translate between scientific problem statements and digital solutions.
• Champion digital fluency across the broader R&D organization through training, embedded Spoke partnerships, and storytelling that connects digital tools to commercial outcomes.
• Serve as the senior advocate for digital R&D transformation. Build cross-functional coalitions with R&D, Operations, IT, Marketing, and Quality.
• Drive adoption through proof-of-concept delivery, measurable value creation, and consistent executive engagement.

Benefits

• Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare, protection, and saving for the future, we offer plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs.
• Events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, and financial well-being lifestyle for our employees and their families.
• 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: Senior