Kraft Heinz

Brand Manager, AFH Innovation

Kraft Heinz  •  $121k - $151k/yr  •  Chicago, IL (Onsite)  •  1 month ago
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Job Description

Brand Manager, AFH Innovation- Entertainment

As a Brand 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 the entertainmentpartnershipat Kraft HeinzYou will help drive the ideation, curation, and lead commercialization of innovative products that align with global trends and contribute to the company’s 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 AFH’s 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 Heinz’s 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/operator’s integrity while effectively balancing financial and operational considerations; ensureentertainmentpartnership launches meet operational and financial constraints and land cleanly in-market.

Expected Experience& Required Skills

  • Bachelor’s 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 learning,anticipatingconsumer 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)

Work Environment & Schedule

This position is considered a normal office environment with moderate travel to customer locations, stores, manufacturing facilities, etc.; offices are open workspaces. To create a more agile and modern workplace, we allow office-based employees to workvirtually forup to two days each week and expect them to work in person during the defined core days at their assigned work location at least three days per workweek

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:

$120,800.00 - $151,000.00

Bonus: This position is eligible for a performance-based bonus as provided by the plan terms and governing documents.

The compensation offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors

Benefits: Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare, protection, and saving for the future, we offer plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs. Coverage for benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.

Wellbeing: We offer events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, and financial well-being lifestyle for our employees and their families.

You’ll be able to participate in a variety of benefits and wellbeing programs that may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors, for example:

  • Physical - Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision, Screenings/Assessments

  • Social - Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training

  • Emotional – Employee Assistance Program , Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs

  • Financial – 401k, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability

Location(s)

Chicago/Aon Center

Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for protected individuals, applicants that require accommodation in the job application process may contact NAZTAOps@kraftheinz.com for assistance.

Kraft Heinz

About Kraft Heinz

The Kraft Heinz Company is one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world, with eight $1 billion+ brands and global sales of approximately $25 billion. We’re a globally trusted producer of high-quality, great-tasting, and nutritious foods for over 150 years. While Kraft Heinz is co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh, our brands are truly global, with products produced and marketed in over 40 countries. These beloved products include condiments and sauces, cheese and dairy, meals, meats, refreshment beverages, coffee, infant and nutrition products, and numerous other grocery products in a portfolio of more than 200 legacy and emerging brands.

We spark joy around mealtime with our iconic brands, including Kraft, Oscar Mayer, Heinz, Philadelphia, Lunchables, Velveeta, Maxwell House, Capri Sun, Ore-Ida, Kool-Aid, Jell-O, Primal Kitchen, and Classico, among others.

No matter the brand, we’re united under one vision: To sustainably grow by delighting more consumers globally. Bringing this vision to life is our team of 37,000+ food lovers, creative thinkers, and high performers worldwide. Together, we help provide meals to those in need through our global partnership with Rise Against Hunger. We also stand committed to responsible, sustainable practices that extend to every facet of our business, our consumers, and our communities. Every day, we’re transforming the food industry with bold thinking and unprecedented results. If you share our passion – and are ready to create the future, build a legacy, and lead as a global citizen – there’s only one thing to do: join our table and let’s make life delicious!

Industry
Food & Beverage
Company Size
10,000+ employees
Headquarters
Chicago, IL
Year Founded
2015
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