Kraft Heinz · 23 hours ago
Associate Director, Innovation
Chicago, IL
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$159K/yr - $199K/yr
10+ years expKraft Heinz is a leading company in the snacking industry, seeking an Associate Director of Innovation to shape and drive the long-term innovation strategy for their snacking business. The role involves leading cross-functional teams to deliver consumer-focused innovation and fostering a culture of creativity and accountability within the organization.
Food and BeverageFood ProcessingMeat and PoultryTobacco
Responsibilities
Set and champion the multi-year innovation vision and strategy, ensuring all initiatives address meaningful consumer and customer needs
Set and deliver the vision for consumer and customer demand creation across the business, championing a long-term innovation strategy that transforms category growth and positions Kraft Heinz as a market leader
Inspire and lead cross-functional teams to deliver breakthrough innovation, fostering a culture of creativity, agility, and accountability across the organization
Shape and champion a culture of innovation by fostering psychological safety, encouraging experimentation, and celebrating learning from both successes and failures – empowering the team to challenge the status quo and drive breakthrough results
Serve as an enterprise thought leader for innovation, influencing senior leadership and external partners to align on priorities and resource allocation
Lead, develop, and coach a team of three direct reports – empowering each individual to achieve their full potential through clear accountability, ongoing feedback, and tailored growth opportunities
Build and nurture a high-performing team, empowering direct reports with clear accountability, development opportunities, and a shared sense of purpose
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, or related field; MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred
10+ years of progressive experience in brand management, innovation, or related fields, with a track record of leading large-scale initiatives and delivering business results
Demonstrated success in setting vision, building and executing long-term strategies, and influencing at the enterprise level
Proven ability to lead, develop, and inspire high-performing teams, including direct management of people leaders
Exceptional cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management skills, with experience navigating complex, matrixed organizations
Strong business acumen, including full P&L accountability and commercial decision making
Advanced communication, storytelling, and executive presence – able to influence senior leadership and external partners
Experience fostering a culture of innovation, learning, and continuous improvement
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.
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.
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
Company
Kraft Heinz
Kraft Heinz is a multinational food and beverage company offering a diverse range of condiments, sauces, snacks, cheese, and frozen foods.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Kraft Heinz has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (21)
2024 (22)
2023 (14)
2022 (20)
2021 (24)
2020 (30)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$20M2019-06-10Post Ipo Equity· $20M
2015-07-06IPO
2015-03-25Acquired
Leadership Team
Carlos Abrams-Rivera
Chief Executive Officer
Andre Maciel
Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
2026-01-07
Morningstar.com
2026-01-05
Company data provided by crunchbase