Director, R&D – Digital Transformation

The Kraft Heinz Company

Director, R&D - Digital Transformation at Kraft Heinz defining digital transformation strategy for North America's R&D organization and leading multidisciplinary teams. Aiming to enhance innovation and efficiency in product development meeting market demands.

Posted 6/26/2026full-timeGlenview • Illinois • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $190,300 - $237,900 per yearWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own the R&D digital transformation agenda
Translate organizational ambition into a phased, prioritized strategic roadmap
Connect the roadmap directly to enterprise value: top-line growth, productivity, sustainability commitments, and time-to-market competitiveness
Own organizational design for the NA Digital R&D team
Define the target-state team structure, capability architecture, and workforce plan required to operate at scale
Determine the optimal mix of internal talent, external hires, and strategic partners
Establish hiring profiles and development pathways for a multidisciplinary team
Lead integration of legacy PLM, ELN, and LIMS systems into a cohesive data platform
Define governance protocols ensuring ingredient specifications, packaging tolerances, sensory data, and process parameters share a universal taxonomy
Establish the data quality standards and ingestion pipelines required to power reliable AI and predictive analytics at scale
Lead development and deployment of physics/engineering/chem-based simulation, machine learning, and generative AI models
Guide build-vs-buy decisions for digital R&D platforms in partnership with IT
Design and operationalize a scalable Hub-and-Spoke engagement model enabling rapid, repeatable adoption of digital tools
Recruit, develop, and retain professionals who can translate between scientific problem statements and digital solutions
Serve as the senior advocate for digital R&D transformation
Build cross-functional coalitions with R&D, Operations, IT, Marketing, and Quality
Drive adoption through proof-of-concept delivery, measurable value creation, and consistent executive engagement

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, data science, computer science, food science, or a related technical field with 17 years of relevant experience OR Master’s degree with 16 years of relevant experience OR PhD with 15 years of relevant experience
12+ years leading digital, analytics, or advanced technology initiatives within R&D, manufacturing, or product development
Proven track record defining, not just executing, digital transformation strategy in a complex, matrixed CPG or food & beverage environment
Demonstrated experience in organizational design and workforce planning: building team structures, hiring roadmaps, and scaling functions from early stage to operational maturity
Experience managing and interacting in multidisciplinary teams
Deep technical fluency in one or more of the following: food science, product development, chemical/mechanical engineering, and/or packaging development
Strong foundational knowledge of machine learning, generative AI, computational modeling, and modern data architecture
Familiarity with R&D enterprise systems (PLM, ELN, LIMS) and associated data interoperability challenges
Ability to define a compelling transformation vision and connect R&D capability directly to enterprise value
Skilled at navigating legacy corporate cultures, aligning cross-functional stakeholders, and establishing clear decision rights over data governance and digital protocols
Entrepreneurial orientation: comfortable with ambiguity, building from scratch, and making sound decisions with incomplete information
Executive presence sufficient to influence at the senior executive level and represent the digital R&D agenda with external partners and industry peers.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare
Protection and saving for the future
Wellbeing events, resources, and learning opportunities

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

digital transformationorganizational designworkforce planningmachine learninggenerative AIcomputational modelingdata architecturefood scienceproduct developmentpackaging development

Soft Skills

leadershipcross-functional collaborationstrategic thinkinginfluenceproblem-solvingcommunicationentrepreneurial orientationdecision-makingadaptabilitystakeholder alignment