Sensory and Consumer Experience Team Lead

Job Description

About Us  

Kraft Heinz is a global food company with a delicious heritage. With iconic and emerging food and beverage brands around the world, we deliver the best taste, fun and quality to every meal table we touch.   We’re   on a mission to disrupt not only our own business, but the global food industry. A consumer obsession and unexpected partnerships fuel our progress as we drive innovation across every part of our company.  

What's   on the Menu:  

We have a fantastic opportunity available for a Dynamic Sensory and Consumer experience Team   Lead   to make a difference at Kraft Heinz. Heading our Core Product Platforms (Sauces and Meals) ,   y ou will cover   EPDM (Europe Pacific Developed Markets) , collaborating with the zone   RD leadership team . Reporting to the Emerging and Developed Market Consumer & Culinary Experience Director, you will be   managing   the Consumer Experience Core Platforms team.  

This role is pivotal in ensuring our products resonate with market opportunities and consumer needs. Your primary responsibility will be to drive the organization in transforming insights into actionable products and packaging design principles to   elevate   market success.  

Key Ingredients:  

Leadership & Management:  

• Lead and mentor a multi-cultural team of Consumer Experience researchers and sensory analysts.

• Manage resources to ensure impactful results, including outstanding strategic & technical mastery of the team.  

• Ensure the right project pipeline prioritization and associated budget   needs   to deliver high impact on strategic projects.  

• Foster a high-performance culture within the team, ensuring continuous professional development.  

Strategy & Collaboration:  

• Lead the Platforms Consumer   experience   strategy to step change our consumer obsession agenda, connecting the dots across multiple functions.  

• Be the   voice of the consumer through   Sensory and Consumer   experience   insights, connecting   mul t i -source of information to   anticipate   future consumer needs.  

• Collaborate with R&D, Marketing, and leadership teams to align product development   routes   and market strategies.  

• Supervise the development and execution of the team’s strategic learning plans to enhance our portfolio penetration and develop new innovations to attract new consumers.  

Stakeholder Management:  

• Build and   maintain   strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.  

• Manage external partnerships to ensure consistency, quality, and agility.  

• Engage with senior leadership, steering committees, and key company leaders to   represent   and reflect the voice of the team, ensuring team perspectives are considered in strategic discussions and decision-making.  

Learnings, Methodologies and Best Practices:  

• Work in close collaboration with the Global Consumer Experience   Acceleration   Lead   to   identify   capability needs, define and   develop new methodologies , and implement   standard processes   that enable the team to be successful, agile, and future-ready .  

• Ensure synergies are created within the EMDM zone with other CX researchers, aligning on best practices, supporting specific needs with guidelines and cascading key insights as well as collecting the ones generated at the local levels.

• Enrich and manage the agency roster, regularly reporting back on partner performance to ensure reliability, consistency, and quality in data collection across studies.  

Activity Responsibilities:  

• Lead the development of   proactive insights,   continuous learning plans ,   and   strategic   programs   that influence category   growth   and strengthen consumer-led decision-making .  

• Guide the   team   in translating   market opportunities and consumer needs into   clear   product and packaging design principles ,   leveraging   design tools ,   methodologies ,   consumer research ,   and sensory capabilities.   Ensure category   “where to play”   choices are converted   into actionable insights that   define   “how to win ”.  

• Provide leadership oversight   on product development   follow-up, ensuring   key design principles are   embedded   and   risks are assessed to support informed decisions on   product viability.  

• Champion   design   sprint   projects in   partnership   with   our   innovation coach , enabling the team   to   shape   next-generation product development through   strong design   challenges.  

• Own and steer   the implementation of product and pack superiority programs , ensuring the right level of focus, discipline, and business impact.  

Recipe for Success: Apply if it sounds like you!  

• BSc in Food Science, Engineering or Sensory / Consumer Science or in Marketing or Innovation Studies with 13+ years of experience  

• Proven experience in the field of Consumer Technical Insights, Consumer   eXperince , Cognitive science, Economical Science and Sensory Science, with an established   track record   within consumer / FMCG / retail industries on the client side – ideally with food categories experience  

• International experience within a matrix organization.  

• Strong background in quantitative and qualitative research and experience in workshop facilitations. Display a broad & diverse range of knowledge/application skills across the full range of sensory and consumer research disciplines.  

• Knowledge of Design thinking, lean start up and Design Principals methodologies applied to consumer products testing.  

What we offer you / You deserve  

• A fast career track like only few other companies can match;  

• A competitive salary and excellent bonus structure (above market);  

• Reimbursement travel expenses;  

• Always room for   new ideas ; if you have   a good idea , please let us know, and we can set it in action  

Why Us?  

We grow our people to grow our business. We champion great people who bring ambition, curiosity, and high performance to the table as the guardians of our beloved and nostalgic brands. Good   isn't   good enough. We choose greatness every day by challenging the ordinary and making bold decisions. All while celebrating our wins – and our failures – as we work together to lead the future of food.  

Challenging the status quo takes talent. We invest in your purpose and potential by developing skills and nurturing strengths that leave a legacy on our business and a lasting impact on your career. Because great people make great companies, and   we’re   growing something great here at Kraft Heinz.  

We hope you find a seat at our table!  

Location(s)

Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes.