Lead, R&D - Margin Enhancement, Product

R&D Margin Enhancement Product Group Lead

As the R&D Margin Enhancement Product Group Lead, you will lead the Central Product Productivity team. This role partners closely with Platform and Central R&D, Procurement, Operations, and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver against total productivity targets for the North American Region and the Business Units. The ideal candidate combines strong product development expertise with disciplined project leadership and has a proven track record of navigating technical risk, development challenges, and cross-functional execution.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

• Own the cross-BU ingredient and formulation value engineering pipeline and delivery, in partnership with the Platform R&D teams.
• Collaborate within R&D, including Platforms, NGIAN, Central Packaging, Consumer Experience, Culinary, and Commercialization, as well as Quality, Regulatory, Procurement, Operations, and external partners to define requirements, milestones, timelines, and success criteria, enabling consumer-validated, right-first-time launches.
• Partner with Procurement and Operations to identify opportunities across the North American Region through the Champions process, pipeline workshops, and supplier sessions.
• Maintain a close working relationship with the Europe and Pacific Developed Markets (EPDM) Region productivity team, sharing best practices and developing enterprise-wide processes.
• Lead a team of managers and scientists, guiding scoping exercises, pilot plant runs, plant trials, and commercialization of value engineering projects, serving as the central point of contact for cross-functional partners.
• Build and maintain integrated project plans, including technical deliverables, decision gates, budgets, and resource needs.
• Lead project reviews, provide clear status reporting, and proactively escalate risks, trade-offs, and decisions.
• Ensure compliance with quality, regulatory, food safety (as applicable), and shelf-life requirements.
• Mentor and coach junior scientists and strengthen project execution capability.
• Accountable for the overall Product Productivity ZBB budget.

People Management Responsibilities:

• Team (salaried): 3 direct reports, total team of 11.

Expected Experience &

Required Skills:

• Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, or related field, with 11+ years of progress experience in R&D product development within consumer goods, food and beverage, or similar industries (10 years with a Master's, or 9 years with a PhD), demonstrating increasing scope of responsibility.
• Proven experience building and leading high-performing teams, including direct management of people managers, with a track record of developing talent.
• Demonstrated experience leading product development programs, from concept through commercialization.
• Demonstrate experience leading product development teams.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, scale-up, and industrialization, including hands-on experience with pilot plants and commercial production runs.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional technical teams and influence without authority.
• Solid project leadership skills, including planning, risk management, and stakeholder communication.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading complex product launches.
• Hands-on experience with pilot plants and commercial production runs.
• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time to support on-site reviews and supplier sessions.

Work Environment &

Schedule:

• This position operates primarily 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.

Our Total Rewards philosophy is to provide a meaningful and flexible spectrum of programs that equitably support our diverse workforce and their families and complement Kraft Heinz' strategy and values.

New Hire Base Salary Range:

$ - $

Bonus…