Head Of R&D - Away From Home

Job Description

Kraft Heinz is currently hiring a highly motivated and experienced Associate Director, R&D to lead Away from Home (Food Service) across the North American zone.

You will be responsible for defining, establishing, and aligning R&D programs and resources across the North American Zone to implement new products and technologies. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure successful product launches and ongoing product support for the Away from Home Channel. You will be responsible for managing the R&D budget and ensuring that all projects are completed on time and within budget. You will provide technical leadership to the business team and technical platform teams in all phases of commercialization ensuring readiness for market launch. This is an individual contributor role with significant leadership opportunities through organizational influence and partnership with internal and external functional partners.

What's on the menu?

• You will be a thought leader that tracks both consumer trends and technical innovations to push forward new ways of bringing products to market via process optimizations, new ingredient or equipment technologies, or creative extensions of current portfolio.

• You will be responsible for developing accelerated ways to get new products to market for test launches and LTOs.

• You will be a strong leader, and cross-functional collaborator with business teams across the North American Zone and stakeholders in the product development process, including category management, culinary, packaging, marketing, sales, and global business partners.

• You will manage multiple assignments/development projects concurrently to meet R&D timelines.

• You will engage with internal and external groups to build relationships with internal teams, suppliers, key customer contacts, operators, and distributors.

• You will collaborate within R&D technical teams to establish technology strategy to unlock innovation and sustainability commitments.

Recipe for Success: Apply now if this sounds like you!

• I have a wide depth of R&D and technical service experience in the food and beverage industry or business-related experience in Food Service.
• I have a strong background in product or package development and a proven track record of leading (either directly or indirectly) successful R&D teams.
• I excel at building new capabilities and driving new ways of working across a diverse set of stakeholders.
• I have strong commercialization skills; with the ability to prioritize, simplify, problem solve and execute with excellence.
• I have a strong understanding of ingredient functionality and the interrelationship of ingredients, processing, and packaging.
• I excel working and collaborating with a diverse array of personnel, from product developers to global leadership.
• I am willing and able to travel approximately 40% of the time for site visits, and meetings with vendors, customers, or operators.
• I ensure consistency and am accountability for my results.
• I am able to traverse my work environment, sustained up to 1/3 of my working hours.
• I am able to perform sedentary work: occasionally exerting 0-10 lbs. of force, limited movement from my workstation for brief periods of time

#LI-Hybrid

Location(s)

Glenview R&D Center, Heinz Innovation Center

Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer that prohibits discrimination or harassment of any type. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants who require an accommodation to participate in the job application or hiring process should contact HRcompliance@kraftheinz.com.