Manager, Innovation EMI - AFH

The Kraft Heinz Company•Chicago, IL

1d•$104,200 - $130,200•Hybrid

About The Position

This role is responsible for leading project-level procurement support for assigned innovation initiatives across the business unit portfolio. The Manager, Innovation EMI will partner with brand and cross-functional teams to understand pipeline priorities, product requirements, timing, and supplier capability needs. They will serve as the primary procurement point of contact for assigned innovation initiatives, ensuring strong coordination across stakeholders and timely execution of procurement deliverables. The role involves leading the end-to-end sourcing process for innovation projects commercialized through external manufacturers, identifying and assessing external manufacturing partners, managing sourcing execution, and acting as the key procurement interface between the business unit, cross-functional team, and external manufacturing partner. Additionally, the role requires conducting supplier and market landscape analysis, bringing forward innovation concepts and emerging technologies, supporting innovation supplier sourcing strategy, establishing effective supplier ways of working, and driving commercialization excellence for externally manufactured innovation. For internal Kraft Heinz Plant Innovation, the role involves embedding within business unit routines, acting as the procurement integration lead, and coordinating engagement with relevant procurement teams. The role also requires surfacing supplier-enabled innovation opportunities, anticipating and escalating project risks, using structured problem-solving, contributing to continuous improvement in innovation procurement tools, maintaining clear visibility to project status, partnering with the broader procurement organization, and driving continuous improvement across innovation sourcing, supplier collaboration, and commercialization processes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, business, finance, operations, engineering, or a related field
Procurement experience in innovation sourcing, external manufacturing, commercialization, ingredients, packaging, CAPEX, or related categories
Strong experience working in cross-functional environments supporting new product development, commercialization, or launch execution
Strong negotiation and influence skills, with the ability to shape decisions and build alignment across internal and external stakeholders
Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively across matrixed teams, functions, and supplier networks
Digital savviness and basic knowledge of business intelligence tools such as Tableau and Power BI
Literacy in and curiosity about AI solutions, with interest in how they can improve insight generation, decision making, and ways of working
Strong sourcing, supplier management, negotiation, and contracting foundation
Strong systems thinking, with the ability to connect project requirements, supplier capability, commercialization readiness, and cross-functional dependencies
Curiosity about AI and digital tools, with interest in how they can improve visibility, efficiency, decision making, and execution
Strong solution-oriented mindset, with the ability to work through ambiguity, remove obstacles, and drive practical outcomes
Strong project management, prioritization, and execution skills across multiple concurrent initiatives
Strong communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess tradeoffs and escalate issues with sound judgment
Intellectual curiosity and a growth mindset, with a willingness to challenge assumptions and embrace the art of the possible
Adaptability and resilience in fast-moving, changing environments
Continuous improvement mindset and willingness to strengthen innovation sourcing routines and ways of working
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with source-to-pay tools such as SAP, Ariba, Workday, and related systems

Nice To Haves

MBA and/or advanced procurement qualifications preferred

Responsibilities

Lead project-level procurement support for assigned innovation initiatives across the business unit portfolio
Partner with brand and cross-functional teams to understand pipeline priorities, product requirements, timing, and supplier capability needs
Serve as the primary procurement point of contact for assigned innovation initiatives, ensuring strong coordination across stakeholders and timely execution of procurement deliverables
Lead the end-to-end sourcing process for innovation projects that will be commercialized through an external manufacturer
Identify and assess external manufacturing partners with the capabilities required to enable innovation strategy, commercialization goals, and long-term growth opportunities
Manage sourcing execution for externally manufactured innovation, including supplier identification, RFP development and execution, supplier evaluation, CAPEX and IP considerations, commercial negotiations, contracting coordination, onboarding, launch preparation and early innovation lifecycle support
Act as the key procurement interface between the business unit, cross-functional team, and external manufacturing partner through development, commercialization, launch, and early lifecycle support
Conduct supplier and market landscape analysis to identify new partners, innovation opportunities, and competitive advantages
Bring forward innovation concepts, supplier capabilities, and emerging technologies by building strong external partnerships and staying connected to market developments
Support innovation supplier sourcing strategy with the base business procurement lead to enable pipeline and enable broader category strategy
Establish effective supplier ways of working, governance routines, and readiness plans to support successful commercialization and launch execution
Drive commercialization excellence for externally manufactured innovation by managing supplier readiness, risk mitigation, issue resolution, escalation, launch support, and steady-state stabilization
Transition supplier relationship ownership, portfolio management, and ongoing supplier lifecycle management to the base external manufacturing procurement team once the innovation is stabilized in steady state
Embed within business unit routines and strategy discussions to ensure procurement is engaged early and effectively in internal innovation planning
Act as the procurement integration lead for internal innovation initiatives, ensuring the right procurement resources are engaged at the right time to support business unit priorities
Coordinate engagement with Ingredients, Packaging, and other relevant procurement teams where needed to support internal innovation execution
Serve as a point of connection and escalation between the business unit and the relevant procurement category teams to help resolve issues related to timing, lead times, supplier readiness, and execution dependencies
Surface supplier-enabled innovation opportunities by identifying capabilities, technologies, and partnership ideas relevant to business and brand needs
Anticipate and escalate project risks, capacity constraints, timing issues, and supplier readiness concerns early
Use structured problem solving and scenario thinking to work through sourcing, commercialization, and supplier challenges
Contribute to continuous improvement in innovation procurement tools, routines, and ways of working to improve speed, visibility, and execution quality
Maintain clear visibility to project status, open issues, risks, and next steps across assigned initiatives
Partner with broader procurement organization to ensure alignment to portfolio priorities and innovation strategy and other responsibilities as assigned
Drive continuous improvement, process efficiency, and best practices across innovation sourcing, supplier collaboration, and commercialization processes