Manager, R&D - Culinary Innovation Lab

​​As a Culinary Innovation Lab Manager, you will help transform the future of R&D innovation and accelerate Kraft Heinz’s growth ambitions. Our Culinary team shapes and influences food-facing innovations by combining a creative approach with deep technical expertise to drive consumer and product opportunities. We pride ourselves on being the expert culinary connection to food and cooking within the marketplace, and we are looking for a “consumer-obsessed” culinary professional — someone who is creative, strategic, independent, collaborative, and who executes with high attention to detail and effective communication. This is a hands-on R&D innovation role supporting our Culinary Innovation Lab, where we identify strategic opportunities for KHC. This individual will partner closely with internal Marketing, Insights, and R&D Innovation and Functional teams, as well as external partners, to explore, develop, and test new product, ingredient, flavor, and consumer usage opportunities. Using Design Thinking and Agile methodologies, this individual will actively drive opportunity identification, dig site prioritization, minimal viable prototype (MVP) development, and consumer product-fit learning.​  

Essential Functions & Responsibilities  

• ​​Apply advanced mastery of culinary fundamentals, including cooking techniques, ingredient functionality, safe food handling, and culinary nutrition, to identify consumer insights, articulate sensory attributes, and translate those insights directly into product development.  

• ​Leverage knowledge of functional ingredients and formulation principles to develop minimal viable prototypes (MVPs) for consumer testing, learning, and validation; apply sensory evaluation best practices to assess and communicate product performance.   

• ​Lead culinary research to turn food trends, consumer insights, and competitive intelligence into innovation opportunities and strategic concepts aligned to business priorities. 

• ​Plan, develop, and execute culinary projects including competitive landscape reviews, immersions, trend presentations, concept ideation sessions, and product cuttings in partnership with the Innovation Lab Lead. 

• ​Serve as a creative and collaborative cross-functional partner, connecting culinary expertise to R&D, Marketing, Insights, and external partners throughout the innovation process. 

• ​Drive strategic thinking, clear communication, and proactive ownership across all assigned work; demonstrate consistent attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities.  

• ​Leads end-to-end culinary workstreams within innovation initiatives, with accountability for delivering against defined objectives, timelines, and business outcomes. 

• ​Influences cross-functional decision-making related to innovation strategy, concept prioritization, and product direction. 

• ​Manages multiple concurrent innovation initiatives across brands, platforms, or categories, ensuring alignment to commercial viability and business priorities. 

• ​Translates culinary concepts into scalable product opportunities, incorporating consumer insights, technical feasibility, and business considerations.​ 

Expected Experience & Required Skills 

• ​​Bachelor’s degree in culinary arts, food science, nutrition, or a closely related field with a minimum of 6 years of progressive culinary experience with demonstrable expertise in product development, cooking techniques, and flavor application. 

• ​Minimum 3 years of experience in a corporate CPG or food manufacturing R&D environment. 

• ​Proven ability to develop and evaluate MVPs using structured sensory and consumer research methods (e.g., descriptive/scoring, discrimination testing) in partnership with sensory and insights teams. 

• ​Working knowledge of food safety principles (HACCP, GMP, allergen management) and safe culinary lab practices. 

• ​Demonstrated ability to apply Agile and Design Thinking frameworks within an innovation or product development process. 

• ​Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong project management and cross-functional influencing capabilities. 

• ​Experience with recipe management systems, PLM platforms, or SAP in a product development workflow. 

• ​RCA Certified Research Chef (CRC®) or equivalent culinary R&D / product development certification, preferred. 

• ​Familiarity with consumer research methods including CLTs, HUTs, or focus group facilitation. 

• ​Exposure to upstream innovation processes including trend scouting, dig site methodology, or white space identification. 

• ​Ability to travel up to 15% of the time ​ 

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 R&D Innovation Center.  
 

Physical demands include but not limited to 

• ​​Constant standing and walking in a kitchen/lab/plant environment for extended periods. 

• ​Frequent use of hands and arms for food preparation, weighing/measuring, knife work, stirring, mixing, and operating small equipment; repetitive motions are common. 

• ​Occasional lifting/carrying ingredients and equipment (e.g., up to 25–50 lbs, with or without reasonable accommodation).​