Sr. Principal Scientist, R&D – Margin Enhancement Strategy & Pipeline

Job Description

Job Purpose

As the Senior Principal Scientist, R&D – Margin Enhancement Strategy & Pipeline, you will serve as a leading technical expert in formulation, ingredient, and product value engineering. This role is responsible for identifying, developing, and advancing transformational value engineering opportunities that strengthen the multi-year R&D productivity pipeline across North America. Partnering closely with Platform R&D, Procurement, Operations, Consumer Experience, Commercialization, and external suppliers, you will leverage deep technical expertise, market insights, and emerging technologies to uncover scalable opportunities that drive cost optimization while maintaining consumer preference, product quality, and brand equity. As an individual contributor, you will influence strategy and decision-making across business units through technical leadership, scientific rigor, and thought partnership.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Serve as a recognized technical authority and thought leader in value engineering, providing consultation on the most complex product, ingredient, and formula challenges across the NA Region.

• Build and maintain a multi-year pipeline of high-value productivity opportunities that span categories, platforms, and business units.

• Shape the long-term North American productivity strategy by identifying emerging technical capabilities, white-space opportunities, and future cost optimization pathways.

• Identify breakthrough ingredient and formulation technologies that enable step-change cost savings while preserving or improving consumer outcomes.

• Conduct technical assessments of emerging technologies, supplier capabilities, ingredient systems, and manufacturing innovations to identify future value engineering opportunities.

• Develop and maintain external networks across suppliers, universities, startups, and industry organizations to proactively identify emerging value engineering opportunities.

• Partner with Platform R&D teams to translate technical concepts into scalable productivity initiatives and innovation roadmaps.

• Provide technical leadership during opportunity ideation, feasibility assessments, and early-stage development activities.

• Lead cross-functional workshops focused on value engineering pipeline generation, opportunity prioritization, and technical risk evaluation.

• Collaborate closely with Procurement, Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Packaging, and Commercialization teams to assess NA Regional value engineering opportunities.

• Establish and maintain technical frameworks, best practices, and methodologies for identifying and evaluating value engineering opportunities.

• Influence senior leadership through data-driven recommendations, competitive insights, technical evaluations, and long-term productivity strategies.

• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, academic research, and supplier innovations to continuously refresh the value engineering opportunity pipeline.

• Support critical productivity initiatives as a technical advisor and consultant, helping teams navigate complex formulation and scale-up challenges.

• Represent Kraft Heinz externally through engagement with suppliers, industry organizations, universities, and strategic innovation partners.

Expected Experience & Required Skills

• Master's degree or PhD in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, or a related field is strongly preferred. Candidates should possess 7+ years of relevant experience with a Master's degree, 6+ years with a PhD, or 8+ years with a Bachelor's degree, demonstrating progressive technical leadership, recognized subject matter expertise, and a track record of identifying and delivering high-impact value engineering opportunities.

• Possess deep knowledge of ingredient functionality, formulation design, food processing technologies, and cost optimization strategies.

• Demonstrated success identifying and advancing high-impact value engineering opportunities that deliver measurable business results.

• Demonstrated ability to evaluate technical opportunities through both scientific merit and business value, including cost savings potential, investment requirements, and implementation feasibility.

• Proven ability to develop technical strategies and influence organizational priorities across multiple business units.

• Strong understanding of manufacturing, scale-up, commercialization, and supply chain considerations.

• Experience evaluating emerging technologies, supplier innovations, and external trends to identify future business opportunities.

• Ability to simplify complex technical concepts and effectively communicate recommendations to senior leadership.

• Exceptional problem-solving, systems-thinking, and strategic planning capabilities.

• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and build alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.

• Experience working across large global matrixed organizations preferred.

• Ability to travel up to 15% of the time to support supplier reviews, plant visits, innovation scouting, and technical workshops.

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.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain all duties or responsibilities that are required of the role. Duties or responsibilities may change or be added with or without notice.

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) Glenview R&D 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.