Manager, Procurement - Innovation (HDM)

Job Title

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 internal stakeholder management aligning capabilities and technology with the needs of the business. Foster collaboration between Kraft Heinz and external partners to unlock growth and value and manage additional responsibilities as assigned

Expected Experience & Required Skills

Bachelor's degree in supply chain, operations, finance, business, engineering, or a related field; MBA and/or advanced procurement qualifications preferred

Experience in Procurement, including areas such as Ingredients, Packaging, CAPEX, External Manufacturing, or related categories; Finance or process engineering experience is also valued

Knowledge of food or beverage manufacturing processes and commercialization environments

Strong negotiation and influence skills, with the ability to shape decisions and build alignment across internal and external stakeholders

Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work effectively across matrixed teams, functions, and supplier networks

Adaptability and resilience through change, with the ability to stay effective in fast-moving and evolving environments

Digital savviness and basic knowledge of business intelligence tools such as Tableau and Power BI

Literacy in and curiosity about AI solutions, with interest in how they can improve insight generation, decision making, and ways of working

Strong strategic thinking and business acumen, with the ability to connect procurement decisions to brand, category, and business strategy

Passion for developing new products and partnering with suppliers on new technologies and innovation opportunities

Ability to prioritize effectively, balance competing priorities, assess trade-offs, and focus time and resources on the highest-value work to deliver innovation with speed and rigor

Intellectual curiosity and a growth mindset, with a willingness to challenge assumptions and embrace the art of the possible

Advanced storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to turn complex ideas into clear, compelling messages for different audiences. Strong written, verbal, and analytical skills, as well as interpersonal and presentation skills.

Change leadership capability, including the ability to influence adoption, align stakeholders, and move work from concept to execution

Risk sensing and scenario planning capability, with the ability to anticipate issues, evaluate alternatives, and build practical paths forward

Strong process orientation and continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to drive efficiencies, simplify complexity, and establish scalable best practices

Strong analytical, planning, and execution skills, with attention to detail across multiple priorities and projects

Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) and have an understanding for source-to-pay tools (SAP, Ariba, etc.)

Ability to quickly develop a level of organizational agility, i.e., know how to get things done both through formal and informal channels

Work Environment & Schedule

This position is considered a Normal office environment with limited travel or visits to external locations; offices are open workspaces To create a more agile and modern workplace, we allow Chicago/Aon Center based employees to work virtually for up 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.

Total Rewards

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: $104,200.00 - $130,200.00

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 View email address on click.appcast.io for assistance.