Vice President, Foraging

Sprouts Farmers Market•Phoenix, AZ

35d

About The Position

At Sprouts Farmers Market, one of our greatest points of differentiation is our ability to bring customers products they cannot find anywhere else. The VP of Foraging plays a critical role in advancing this mission by leading Sprouts’ efforts to discover, cultivate, and scale emerging brands, innovative products, and future-forward food trends. This leader serves as the architect of Sprouts’ innovation pipeline, identifying what’s next in food, wellness, and culinary culture and translating those insights into differentiated assortment opportunities that reinforce Sprouts’ position as a destination for discovery. As Sprouts’ VP of Foraging, this role builds deep relationships across the emerging brand ecosystem, from early-stage founders to innovative food producers, continuously identifying products that embody our value of “Love Being Different.” The VP of Foraging fosters a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and bold thinking, helping ensure Sprouts remains ahead of the market while delivering products that delight our customers. The ideal candidate has a deep passion for food, a refined instinct for quality, and a relentless curiosity about emerging trends. They thrive in dynamic environments, possess strong business acumen, and are equally comfortable evaluating a startup product in a founder’s kitchen as they are influencing senior leadership on the future of the Sprouts assortment. This leader will combine sharp product intuition with strategic thinking, building partnerships, insights, and internal collaboration needed to continuously fuel innovation and differentiation across the Sprouts business.

Requirements

15+ years’ experience in the grocery and food innovation landscape, with extensive knowledge of consumer behavior, generational shifts, and emerging retail and product trends that shape the future of the industry.
Proven ability to identify emerging trends and translate insights into strategy, turning market signals, consumer data, and cultural shifts into actionable opportunities for differentiated assortment and commercial growth.
Strong innovation leadership capabilities, including experience with innovation frameworks such as design thinking, lean startup methodologies, rapid prototyping, and testing new concepts in dynamic retail environments.
Demonstrated success developing and executing strategies that create new commercial opportunities, driving measurable business results through product innovation, vendor partnerships, and differentiated offerings.
Exceptional communication, influence, and collaboration skills, with the ability to synthesize complex insights and effectively engage stakeholders from cross-functional teams through executive leadership.

Responsibilities

Lead Sprouts’ innovation and foraging strategy, identifying emerging food, wellness, and consumer trends that will shape the future of the grocery industry and translating them into differentiated assortment opportunities.
Forecast the impact of social, technological, economic, environmental, and cultural shifts on consumer behavior and food innovation, ensuring Sprouts stays ahead of market trends.
Leverage emerging technologies, including AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics to strengthen Sprouts’ innovation pipeline and enhance trend detection.
Build and cultivate a pipeline of emerging brands, innovative products, and early-stage vendors, strengthening Sprouts’ position as a destination for product discovery.
Develop and maintain deep relationships across the food innovation ecosystem, including founders, startups, incubators, venture-backed brands, and industry innovators.
Lead cross-functional collaboration with merchandising, marketing, supply chain, and operations teams to translate innovation insights into scalable product opportunities.
Design and execute pilot programs with emerging brands and vendor partners, testing innovative products and concepts with the potential to create meaningful customer impact and business growth.
Develop go-to-market strategies to scale successful innovations across Sprouts’ assortment and vendor partnerships.
Serve as the internal expert on emerging food and product innovation, providing strategic insights and guidance to senior leaders and category teams.
Produce and deliver compelling research, insights, and presentations that translate market trends into actionable strategies for the business.
Monitor and synthesize consumer and industry trends, turning external insights into internal action through impactful reporting and strategic recommendations
Partner with internal teams to evaluate innovation opportunities and product-market fit, ensuring new offerings align with Sprouts’ brand, customer expectations, and growth strategy.
Lead and develop a team focused on innovation scouting, insights, and vendor partnerships, building the capabilities needed to sustain Sprouts’ innovation pipeline.
Act as a trusted advisor to vendors and partners, fostering collaborative innovation and identifying opportunities to create shared value.
Champion Sprouts’ commitment to diversity, sustainability, and emerging supplier development, ensuring innovation efforts reflect our values and support a diverse vendor ecosystem.
Represent Sprouts within the broader food innovation community, hosting and participating in industry events, founder engagements, and innovation forums to strengthen Sprouts’ position as a leader in food discovery.

Benefits

Competitive pay
Sick time plan that you can use to support you or your immediate families health
Vacation accrual plan
Opportunities for career growth
15% discount for you and one other family member in your household on all purchases made at Sprouts
Flexible schedules
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
401(K) Retirement savings plan with a generous company match
Company paid life insurance
Contests and appreciation events throughout the year full of prizes, food and fun!
Bonus based on company and/or individual performance
Affordable benefit coverage, including medical, dental and vision
Health Savings Account with company match
Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts for healthcare and dependent care
Company paid short-term disability coverage
Paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers
Paid holidays