Senior Brand Manager, Marketing Innovation & Growth - Away From Home

Job Description

Job Purpose

As the Senior Brand Manager , AFH Innovation – Meal Solutions you will lead the innovation strategy and commercialization transformation for the AFH (Away From Home) Meal Solutions platform (Philadelphia, Velveeta, Kraft M&C) at Kraft Heinz. This role will manage a team to drive the creation, validation, and execution of a multi-year innovation pipeline that addresses consumer pain points and brings new products to market efficiently. This role will also serve as point for Non-Commercial and Distribution vertical innovation strategies. The position will also foster cross-functional collaboration, manage agency relationships for packaging design, and support ESG initiatives, all while ensuring that consumer insights and brand integrity remain at the forefront of decision-making. The role is responsible for building a streamlined, agile commercialization process and leveraging data to drive impactful business results.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

· Lead the creation and validation of a multi-year innovation strategy for Meal Solutions platform that addresses key consumer and customer pain points, leverage market trends, guiding the process from ideation to product launch.

· Develop a strategic approach to identifying, curating, and managing the innovation pipeline, ensuring alignment with business objectives.

· Oversee the execution of the innovation strategy by collaborating with cross-functional teams, including culinary, R&D, consumer insights, quality, legal, engineering, operations, sales, and finance, to bring concepts to reality.

· Develop and lead strategy for innovation / process for innovation to win in Non-Commercial and Distribution verticals, developing strategy in partnership with key stakeholders and leading customer innovation sessions and implementation

· Manage agency relationships for the packaging design of new products and lead consumer validation efforts in partnership with the consumer insights team.

· Own the innovation process and associated deliverables for AFH, ensuring smooth execution of stage gate deliverables, prioritization, resource allocation, and progress tracking.

· Lead the transformation of AFH commercialization processes to improve speed and agility, creating fit-for-purpose systems.

· Build and maintain strong partnerships with Platform, GDI, CA (Platform & AFH), and Global R&D teams to ensure cohesive innovation plans and seamless execution across Kraft Heinz.

· Utilize syndicated data sources to analyze internal and competitor innovation performance, providing actionable insights and recommendations to drive impactful business decisions.

· Maintain a consumer-first mindset, ensuring day-to-day decisions protect the brand’s integrity while effectively balancing financial and operational considerations.

· Manage AFH commercialization routines including Prioritization & Resourcing; budget management.

People Management Responsibilities

· Team (salaried): 2 directs.

Expected Experience & Required Skills

· Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field is required. An MBA with a focus on marketing is preferred, though candidates with equivalent experience will be considered.

· 6-8 years of experience, with at least 5 years in marketing, product innovation, or brand management. Strong preference for experience in developing, launching, and managing products from concept to market within the consumer goods sector.

· Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams by setting clear direction, providing coaching and guidance, empowering team members, and driving accountability.

· Demonstrated experience in setting strategic direction and effectively inspiring and mobilizing cross-functional teams to achieve common goals.

· Results-oriented, with the ability to navigate complex challenges and ambiguity. Proactive in identifying and resolving obstacles within teams and organizations.

· Strong verbal and written communication skills with a track record of fostering effective business relationships.

· Strategic thinker who considers multiple perspectives and future impacts when addressing issues.

· Advanced experience in product and brand management, including P&L responsibility.

· Passion for consumer marketing, culture, new product trends, and innovation.

· Skilled at managing multiple projects simultaneously, delivering on time and within scope.

· Ability to distill data into actionable insights and present a compelling narrative.

· Proven leadership skills, with the ability to communicate and share vision with the executive team.

· Strong organizational agility, getting things done through formal and informal channels while effectively delegating tasks.

· Ability to prioriti