Job Purpose
As theSustainability & Materials Center of Excellence(CoE)Packaging Leader,youwilllead a team of technical expertsresponsible fordeveloping packagingsolutions to serve theNorth American portfolio. Theteam’sobjectiveisto develop materialand formatsolutionsin flexibles, thermoforms and rigid packaging that meet sustainability requirements,while supportinginnovation, compliance andvalue engineeringinitiatives. In this role, youwillbe responsible for the team todevelop andleadtechnical strategiestodelivernovel, functionalandcost competitive solutions.You willpartner with theInnovation, Process andPlatformpackaging teamsas well ascrossfunctional stakeholders to translatetechnicaland sustainabilityrequirements intocommerciallyviable,manufacturable solutions. The role includes identifying material/polymer/packaging technology solutions and research pathways, leading proof of conceptandtechnology scale up, andenablingseamless transition oftechnologies to the business units.The ideal candidate combines deep technical packaging expertise with strongsustainability knowledge andproven experiencemanagingcomplex projects and technical teams.
EssentialFunctions &Responsibilities
Leadand prioritizea portfolio of complex packagingtechnologystrategies andinitiativesbybalancingtechnology exploration withproof of concept of novel technologies. Managecomplex partnerships across the value chaintodemonstratevalue and business case, address technical hurdles, drive speed to market andenable competitive advantage.
Build,coordinateand managerelationshipsand partnershipswith suppliers and technology providers(includingresin, coating, material, film manufacturers) andwithuniversities,institutes,start-ups,openinnovationnetworks,andscouting partnersto define research and develop materials to meet specific platform and application needs
Represent Kraft Heinzon critical industrycommitteesand forums,servingas oneexternalvoiceto advancesustainability and technology.
Directtheteam tobuild andexecute research plans,includingtechnicaldocumentation, prototyping, lab testing, qualification on pilot and/or production equipment at vendor or at Kraft Heinz
Support theteamin translatingresearch findings into meaningful recommendations, communicating results and driving decisions and technology adoption
Serveas Subject Matter Expertbyleading and driving functional training and process improvements for the pkg organization.
Act as technical expert for junior developers anddirect team toflex onto projects requiringproblem solving
Partnerwithlegal to build robustIP strategies,conduct explorationand helpbuild IP portfolio todrive competitive advantage
Ownproject andportfolio-level budgets, resourcing strategies and capacity planningtoensuredelivery within approved financial guardrails.Developand maintain detailed project plans, schedules, budgets and resource allocationstomonitor progress, assess risk, escalate tradeoffs,and drive corrective actions.
Serve as an accountable owner for governance, escalation and go/no-go decisions. Representpackaginginsteering forums and influencestakeholders.Provide technical leadership and oversighton packagingreviewstoensuredesign decisions align with enterprise standards, manufacturability, sustainability, and long-term platform strategy
Mentor, coach and trainjunior project team members and contribute to PMO best practices and templates.
People Management Responsibilities
Team (salaried):targeting 3direct reports,11total teamresponsibility.