Sr. Brand Manager, Marketing Innovation & Growth - AFH

Kraft Heinz • Chicago, IL

16h • Hybrid

About The Position

As the Senior Brand Manager, AFH Innovation – Meal Solutions, you will lead the innovation strategy and commercialization transformation for the AFH (Away From Home) Meal Solutions platform (Philadelphia, Velveeta, Kraft M&C) at Kraft Heinz. This role will manage a team to drive the creation, validation, and execution of a multi-year innovation pipeline that addresses consumer pain points and brings new products to market efficiently. This role will also serve as point for Non-Commercial and Distribution vertical innovation strategies. The position will also foster cross-functional collaboration, manage agency relationships for packaging design, and support ESG initiatives, all while ensuring that consumer insights and brand integrity remain at the forefront of decision-making. The role is responsible for building a streamlined, agile commercialization process and leveraging data to drive impactful business results.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field is required.
• An MBA with a focus on marketing is preferred, though candidates with equivalent experience will be considered.
• 6-8 years of experience, with at least 5 years in marketing, product innovation, or brand management.
• Strong preference for experience in developing, launching, and managing products from concept to market within the consumer goods sector.
• Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams by setting clear direction, providing coaching and guidance, empowering team members, and driving accountability.
• Demonstrated experience in setting strategic direction and effectively inspiring and mobilizing cross-functional teams to achieve common goals.
• Results-oriented, with the ability to navigate complex challenges and ambiguity.
• Proactive in identifying and resolving obstacles within teams and organizations.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with a track record of fostering effective business relationships.
• Strategic thinker who considers multiple perspectives and future impacts when addressing issues.
• Advanced experience in product and brand management, including P&L responsibility.
• Passion for consumer marketing, culture, new product trends, and innovation.
• Skilled at managing multiple projects simultaneously, delivering on time and within scope.
• Ability to distill data into actionable insights and present a compelling narrative.
• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to communicate and share vision with the executive team.
• Strong organizational agility, getting things done through formal and informal channels while effectively delegating tasks.
• Ability to prioritize tasks for self and team, removing roadblocks and focusing on what matters most.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).

Responsibilities

• Lead the creation and validation of a multi-year innovation strategy for Meal Solutions platform that addresses key consumer and customer pain points, leverage market trends, guiding the process from ideation to product launch.
• Develop a strategic approach to identifying, curating, and managing the innovation pipeline, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Oversee the execution of the innovation strategy by collaborating with cross-functional teams, including culinary, R&D, consumer insights, quality, legal, engineering, operations, sales, and finance, to bring concepts to reality.
• Develop and lead strategy for innovation / process for innovation to win in Non-Commercial and Distribution verticals, developing strategy in partnership with key stakeholders and leading customer innovation sessions and implementation
• Manage agency relationships for the packaging design of new products and lead consumer validation efforts in partnership with the consumer insights team.
• Own the innovation process and associated deliverables for AFH, ensuring smooth execution of stage gate deliverables, prioritization, resource allocation, and progress tracking.
• Lead the transformation of AFH commercialization processes to improve speed and agility, creating fit-for-purpose systems.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with Platform, GDI, CA (Platform & AFH), and Global R&D teams to ensure cohesive innovation plans and seamless execution across Kraft Heinz.
• Utilize syndicated data sources to analyze internal and competitor innovation performance, providing actionable insights and recommendations to drive impactful business decisions.
• Maintain a consumer-first mindset, ensuring day-to-day decisions protect the brand’s integrity while effectively balancing financial and operational considerations.
• Manage AFH commercialization routines including Prioritization & Resourcing; budget management.
• Team (salaried): 2 directs.

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.
• Physical - Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision, Screenings/Assessments
• Social - Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training
• Emotional – Employee Assistance Program , Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs
• Financial – 401k, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability

What This Job Offers

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