Lead, R&D – Design & Innovation, Central Packaging

Job Purpose

As theDesign & Innovation Leaderyouwilllead a team ofpackaging innovationexpertsresponsible foridentifying driving and leading innovative and disruptive packaging designinitiativesthat will be instrumental in delivering novel competitively advantagedsolutions across the Kraft Heinz North America portfolio.Theteams objective is to deliverpackagingdesign strategiestranslating brand strategiesandconsumer Jobs-To-Be-Done (JTBD)intoviable design solutions to meet growth innovation and sustainabilityobjectives.In this role youwillbe responsible forestablishing capabilities todevelopprototype consumer test and pilot novel pkg design solutions.This individual will lead the team to buildplatformablepkg innovation solutions identifying modularplatformabledesigns across brands and categories to fuel sustainable BU innovation pipelines.You will partnerwith the Innovation Process and Platform packaging teams as well as cross functional stakeholders to translateconsumer insightsand sustainabilityrequirements intocommerciallyviablemanufacturable solutions.The role includes identifyingpackaging designsolutions leveraging external design partners and internal consumer experience teams to translate insights into viable designs that resonate with consumers.The ideal candidate combines deep technical packagingcommercializationexpertise with strongdesign and innovationknowledge and proven experience managing complexdesignprojects and technical teams

EssentialFunctions &Responsibilities

• Leadand prioritize a portfolio of packagingdesignstrategies andinitiativesto deliver againstshort and long termbusiness objectives in the retail andfoodservicebusinesses. Gain alignment across key functions and prioritize initiatives and resources appropriatelyby balancing external partnerships with designthinking leveraging DVF (Desirability Viability Feasibility)

• Build coordinate and managecomplex partnerships across the value chaintodemonstratevalue and business case address technicaland designhurdles drive speed to market andenable competitive advantage.

• Represent Kraft Heinzexternallyon critical industrycommitteesand forumsservingas oneexternalvoiceto advancepackaging design and innovation making Kraft Heinz become recognized for packaging design and innovation leadership in the industry

• Develop strategic packaging design requirements(playbook)across NA categories

• Work directly interface and influence cross-functional team (Marketing Procurement Operations and Supply Chain) and vendors.

• Work across enterprise (mentor and/or teacher) to expand capabilities of developers in area(s) of expertise Design and Innovation

• Lead efforts to prioritize external design agencies managing relationships with suppliers design and innovation partners to drive pkg disruptive innovation solutions

• Lead/direct team to leadpkg design/technology award submissions with external sponsors working with R&D platform teams and suppliers to build submissions for leadership/comms/marketing alignment

• Manage multiple/large initiatives with complex scopes and/or cross enterprise platforms concurrently

• Partnerwithlegal to build robust IP strategies conduct explorationand helpbuild IP portfolio todrive competitive advantage

• Own project andportfolio-level budgets resourcing strategies and capacity planningtoensuredelivery within approved financial guardrails.Developand maintain detailed project plans schedules budgets and resource allocationstomonitor progress assess risk escalate tradeoffsand drive corrective actions.

• Serve as an accountable owner for governance escalation and go/no-go decisions. Representpackaginginsteering forums and influencestakeholders.Provide technical leadership and oversighton packagingreviewstoensuredesign decisions align with enterprise standards manufacturability sustainability and long-term platform strategy

• Serve as Subject Matter Expert by leading and driving functional training and process improvements for the pkg organization.

• Mentor coach and trainjunior team members

People Management Responsibilities

• Team (salaried):targeting 3direct reports

Key Outputs & Deliverables

• Deliverdesign training and process improvements for the pkg organization

• Deliverdesignstrategyand pipeline for North America portfolio leading and directing team to deliver againstdesigninitiatives to addressinnovation sustainabilityand value engineering.

• Lead and directa team of packaginginnovationexperts tosuccessfully deliver5to10concurrent complex packagingdesignprojects annually acrossflexible rigid and thermoform materials and formatsmeeting committed timelines budgets and technical performance targets from concept throughproof of conceptand handover.

• Ensure compliance with evolving sustainability and regulatory requirements for portfolio projects including:

• Minimizing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees

• Designing packaging solutions that avoid material bans and regulatory risks

• Advancing recyclable reusable and compliant packaging formats aligned with enterprise sustainability goalsand legislative requirements

• Deliver packaging designs to Performance-Based Specifications (PBS) ensuring solutions meet definedfunctional quality shelf-life consumer experience and manufacturing performance outcomes(rather than prescriptive designs).

• Build and sustain a high-performing packaging technical team with clear capability deployment across the portfolio improved bench strength and consistent application of enterprise packaging standards.Manage coach mentor and retain employees includinggoal-settingperformance management salary planning and hiring.

• Build succession andupskilling plans for junior talent maximizing apprenticeship with more senior/experienced team members

Expected Experience& Required Skills

• BS/MS/PhDdegree inDesignEngineeringPackagingEngineeringpreferredor related discipline.

• Minimum 11years ofR&Dpackagingdevelopment andcommercialization experience with significant innovation and packaging design experienceand project leadership experience (consumer goods food & beverage pharma or similar preferred).

• Demonstrated experience managingend-to-enddevelopment/innovationprojectsidentifying and drivingpackaginginnovationinitiativesleading strongexternal partnershiprelationshipsand coordinating cross-functional teams.

• Demonstrated experiencein peoplemanagement(up to2to3highly skilledinnovation/designindividuals)

• Strongpackaging designknowledge of materials(flexibles rigids fiberetc)formatsconverting processes (e.g.cartoningfillingweb handling labeling molding) printingbottle closureand dispensingsystems and manufacturing constraints.

• Proven project management/PMO skills; experience with project governance risk management budget managementand stakeholder reporting.

• Expertknowledge ofpackagingdesignand innovation DVF (Desirability Viability Feasibility) experience a plus

• Excellent communication negotiation and interpersonal skills; ability to influence at all levels.

• Previous experience leading complex packaginglaunches.

• Industrial design experience for packaging materials shapes formats with proven examples of commercialized innovations across multiple packaging formats

• Skilled at leading or directing consumer insights for packaging

• Skilled at translating consumer insights consumer Jobs-to-be-done and market trends into packaging design strategies

• Experience with pilot line setups and scaleup to industrial production.

• Willingness and ability to travelup to 25% of the time

Work Environment & Schedule

This positionoperatesprimarily in a hybrid work environment and is based at the Kraft Heinz R&D Innovation Center in Glenview IL. Our hybrid model provides flexibility based on business needs allowing employees to work virtually up to two days per week with an expectation to work on-site at least three days per week at the Glenview Innovation Center(GlenviewIL).

Physicaldemandsinclude but not limited to

• Regular officework

• Physical presence atlabs andmanufacturing sites(internal and external)to performexperimental and validation testing