Brand Manager, AFH Innovation

Brand Manager AFH Innovation- Entertainment

As aBrand Manager for AFH Innovation your purpose is to help lead the strategic development and execution of the innovation pipeline for the Away from Home (AFH)for theentertainmentpartnershipat Kraft Heinz.You will help drive the ideation curation and lead commercialization of innovative products that align with global trends and contribute to the companys growth translating consumer operator andentertainmentpartner needs into launches that land cleanly in-market. By collaborating with cross-functional teams and external partners you will ensure that Away from Home serves as a key engine of innovation within the broader Kraft Heinz portfolio while also strengthening a repeatable operating rhythm forentertainmentpartnerAFH innovation across brands categories and zones (US/CA/MX).

EssentialFunctions &Responsibilities

• Support development of a strategic approach to innovation ensuring the pipeline is aligned with market trends consumer insights operator needs and AFHs growthobjectives including the multi-yearentertainmentinnovation pipeline.

• Lead Commercialization of key pipeline initiatives. This includesidentifyingopportunities prioritizing projects and managing the commercialization of new products in line with Kraft Heinzs broader businessobjectivesandentertainmentpartnership requirements.

• Collaborate with key stakeholders across multiple functions including R&D culinary consumer insights quality legal operations sales and finance to ensure seamless execution of innovative initiatives; drive clear scope timelines decisions and launch readiness across internal teams and external partners.

• Lead day-to-day partnership execution withentertainmentteams to progress concepts through development and commercialization.

• Foster a culture of innovation within the AFH division by championing creative thinking and new product development that reflects global trends and cultural shifts. Inspire teams to take calculated risks and challenge the status quo to drive transformational growth while protecting brand integrity and operator practicality.

• Support the innovation stage gate process including all key deliverables timelines and approvals. Ensure that all projects are resourced appropriately and prioritized effectively to meet business goals and external partner timelines.

• Manage agency relationships for the packaging design of new products and lead consumer validation efforts in partnership with the consumer insights team; coordinate agency partners across packaging research and trends as needed to support theentertainmentpipeline.

• Utilize syndicated data sources to analyze internal and competitor innovation performance providing actionable insights and recommendations to drive impactful business decisions and improve pipeline health.

• Maintain a consumer-first mindset and strong operator understanding ensuring day-to-day decisions protect the brand/operators integrity while effectively balancing financial and operational considerations; ensureentertainmentpartnership launches meet operational and financial constraints and land cleanly in-market.

Expected Experience& Required Skills

• Bachelors degree in business marketing ora relatedfield; MBA with a marketing focus preferred. Equivalentexperiencewill be considered.

• 5to7 years in marketing product innovation or brand management with at least 3 years leadinginnovation/product development from concept to market in the consumer goods sector.

• Proven success in developing and executing strategic marketing plans including situation assessments and tactical initiatives.

• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing multiple projects simultaneously focusing on delivering results within agreed timelines.

• Strong project management organizational and analytical skills with the ability to make data-driven business decisions and develop sound business cases.

• Ability to simplify complex challenges make quick decisions and continuously drive progress even in fast-paced and ambiguous environments.

• A growth mindset focusing on continuous learninganticipatingconsumer needs andleveraginginsights to fuel innovation.

• Results-oriented problem solver witha track recordof managing ambiguity and overcoming obstacles to succeed.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to build relationships influence stakeholders and lead throughcollaboration.

• Strategic thinker who can assess issues from multiple perspectives andanticipatefuture impacts.

• Strong organizational agility navigating formal and informal channels to get things done effectively while delegating andeliminatingroadblocks for the team.

• Advancedproficiencyin Microsoft Office Suite (Word Excel PowerPoint and Outlook)