Manager, Procurement - Innovation; HDM

The Procurement Manager for Innovation connects Kraft Heinz business strategy, brand ambition, and supplier capability to bring new products to life. This role sits at the center of innovation, partnering across the business and with external suppliers to identify new concepts, unlock emerging technologies, and enable strong commercialization outcomes. This innovation procurement role is designed to embed procurement early in the innovation process, anticipate future supplier capabilities, and translate business and brand strategy into scalable supplier solutions.

The role also connects business unit innovation with core procurement teams — including Ingredients, Packaging, and External Manufacturing — to ensure preferred supplier alignment, supplier readiness, contracting, and seamless launch execution. For externally manufactured innovation, this role leads end‑to‑end sourcing and commercialization support, from supplier selection and contracting through onboarding, development, launch, and early lifecycle management. After launch, the role ensures a smooth transition to the appropriate base business procurement team.

The ideal candidate is strategic, collaborative, digitally savvy, and energized by the opportunity to shape what’s next. They are curious by nature, strong in influence and storytelling, comfortable navigating ambiguity, and passionate about building supplier partnerships that accelerate innovation and drive growth.

• Partner with brand, business, and cross‑functional teams to understand innovation strategy, pipeline priorities, and future capability requirements
• Identify and develop supplier partners that can enable innovation strategy, conduct continuous landscape assessments for the category, elevate commercialization, and unlock new growth opportunities through proactively shaping supplier partnerships to meet business needs
• Bring forward innovation concepts, supplier capabilities, and emerging technologies by building strong external partnerships and staying connected to market developments
• Serve as a key connector between business unit innovation and core procurement teams, including Ingredients, Packaging, and External Manufacturing, to align preferred suppliers, supplier readiness, contracting, and launch support for internally manufactured innovation
• Support internal innovation commercialization by ensuring procurement readiness and strong coordination across the relevant procurement categories and stakeholders
• Lead external manufacturing sourcing and commercialization activities for applicable innovation projects, including supplier identification, strategic sourcing, commercial negotiation, IP and CAPEX considerations, contracting, onboarding, and supplier ways‑of‑working setup
• Act as the primary point of contact for external manufacturing innovation partners through development, commercialization, launch, and early lifecycle support
• Drive supplier relationship management for innovation partners, including performance management, collaboration routines, issue resolution, and launch readiness
• Lead problem solving during commercialization and launch to ensure speed, continuity, and strong cross‑functional execution
• Transition launched products, supplier relationships, and contract ownership to the appropriate business procurement team after stabilization
• Conduct supplier and market landscape analysis to identify new partners, innovation opportunities, and competitive advantages
• Drive continuous improvement, process efficiency, and best practices across innovation sourcing, supplier collaboration, and commercialization processes
• Facilitate cross‑functional forums (working with finance, operations, marketing, sales, legal, quality, R&D) and lead working sessions that strengthen alignment, simplify complexity, and improve procurement’s impact on innovation delivery
• Execute supplier segmentation and supplier relationship management routines in line with Kraft Heinz principles, including business reviews and continuous improvement across quality, service, sustainability, cost, and performance
• Execute supplier‑led innovation through supplier relationships and…