Sr. Manager, R&D – Culinary Innovation Lab

The Kraft Heinz Company • Glenview, IL

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic, consumer-obsessed culinary leader to drive culinary-led innovation and unlock new growth opportunities for Kraft Heinz. In this role, you will lead a team of culinary professionals within the Culinary Innovation Lab to build and scale a culinary innovation capability translating emerging consumer trends and insights into actionable ideas and innovation pipelines that support brand and business priorities. Working cross-functionally with Marketing, Insights, R&D, and external partners, you will lead end-to-end innovation - from identifying opportunity spaces to developing and testing concepts through rapid prototyping and consumer validation. Using agile methodologies, you will guide teams through iterative development, delivering Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) and accelerating speed-to-insight and speed-to-market. You will also lead the North America culinary trends program and help elevate culinary expertise as a strategic driver of innovation across the organization. The role plays a critical part in shaping future innovation pipeline and accelerating growth across Kraft Heinz’s North America portfolio.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, or a related field.
• 8+ years of culinary experience with demonstrated technical expertise
• 3+ years of experience in a corporate, R&D, or food manufacturing environment preferred
• Prior experience leading and developing teams preferred, with a track record of coaching, mentoring, and driving high performance
• Proven experience operating in agile innovation environments with rapid test-and-learn cycles
• Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity with a strong strategic mindset and business acumen
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to influence across functions and levels
• Experience translating consumer insights and emerging trends into actionable innovation opportunities preferred
• Growth mindset with a passion for continuous learning and curiosity
• Exceptional collaboration skills across internal teams and external partners, with a high degree of ownership and accountability
• Ability to define, communicate, and execute a clear vision and strategy
• Excellent communication, project management, and stakeholder management skills

Nice To Haves

• 3+ years of experience in a corporate, R&D, or food manufacturing environment preferred
• Prior experience leading and developing teams preferred, with a track record of coaching, mentoring, and driving high performance
• Experience translating consumer insights and emerging trends into actionable innovation opportunities preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of culinary professionals, fostering a high-performance collaborative culture while building technical capability and leadership skills.
• Lead the development and evolution of culinary-led innovation tools, methodologies, and processes to meet dynamic business needs
• Translate North America business priorities and consumer insights into clear innovation opportunities and “dig spaces”
• Facilitate cross-functional teams through ideation, concept development, and whitespace exploration
• Guide culinary teams in rapid prototyping and iterative product development, integrating consumer testing and learning plans
• Champion agile ways of working to accelerate speed-to-insight and speed-to-market
• Identify and build strategic partnerships (internal and external) to enhance innovation capabilities
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, including oversight of budgets, resources, and timelines
• Lead the North America culinary trends program, identifying and translating trends into actionable ideas for brands and innovation pipelines
• Partner with cross-functional teams to develop compelling culinary storytelling, inspiration, and communications

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.
• Wellbeing: We offer 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