Consumer Experience Global Innovation Manager

The Kraft Heinz Company; Nijmegen; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Kraft Heinz Company in Nijmegen is seeking a Consumer Experience (CX) Global Innovation Manager to drive consumer-desirable innovations across Heinz recipe platforms and connect global ambitions with regional needs.

You will define learning strategies, oversee consumer and sensory research programs, and translate insights into clear, actionable recommendations that advance innovation and growth for global brands.

Qualifications

• University degree (Master’s or PhD) in Consumer Science, Sensory Science, Psychology, Behavioral Science, Marketing Research or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in Consumer Experience, Consumer Insights, Sensory Science, Innovation Research or related discipline.
• Strong expertise in sensory and consumer quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Proven experience leading learning plans supporting innovation and product development.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize multiple sources of information into strategic business recommendations.
• Experience influencing cross-functional stakeholders within global matrix organizations.
• Strong communication, storytelling and stakeholder management capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Own the CX learning strategy for assigned Heinz recipe platforms, shaping innovation direction through consumer behavior and preference understanding, market opportunities and product desirability.
• Ensure innovation recommendations are globally scalable while remaining locally relevant by leveraging global and regional learning across platforms.
• Deliver research programs with excellence, rigor and business relevance, ensuring optimal allocation of research budgets and resources.
• Influence business decisions through integrated consumer and sensory recommendations with cross-functional alignment.
• Contribute to successful commercialization and growth of Heinz innovation platforms achieving recipe superiority for key consumer targets.
• Strengthen the Consumer Experience capability by shaping research best practices, frameworks, tools and ways of working that increase impact and scalability.

Skills

CX leadership

Stakeholder management

Consumer insights

Sensory research

Learning strategy

Project management

English proficiency

Education

Master’s or PhD in Consumer Science / Sensory Science

Job description

Job Description

We are looking for a Consumer Experience (CX) Global Innovation Manager to join our Consumer & Culinary Experience (CCX) team at Kraft Heinz International.

Consumer Experience (CX) Global Innovation Manager at a glance …

In this role, you will serve as the primary CX partner to Global Innovation for Heinz iconic recipe platforms, shaping the consumer desirability strategy behind future product pipelines. You will connect global innovation ambitions with regional business needs across Emerging Markets, Europe and Pacific Developed Markets, ensuring decisions are anchored in meaningful consumer understanding.

You will define and lead learning strategies, oversee consumer and sensory research programs, consolidate global and regional insights, and translate learning into compelling recommendations that drive innovation progress and business growth.

Reporting to the CX Platform Lead, this role sits at the intersection of Innovation, R&D, Consumer Insights and regional business teams, ensuring innovations are both consumer-desirable and regionally relevant.

Key Ingredients:

• Serve as the Emerging & Developed Markets CX lead for Global Innovation Pods focused on Heinz recipe innovation platforms.




• Define and lead the end-to-end learning plan in partnership with CIS and Regional CX teams, considering global and regional learning to ensure innovation relevance and scalability.




• Design and deliver consumer and sensory research aligned to key business decisions and development milestones in partnership with external agencies.




• Drive meta-analysis considering global and regional learning to ensure innovation relevance and scalability and connecting different sources of data (consumer, technical, sensory etc).




• Translate complex sensory and consumer learnings into clear and recommendations and compelling decision narratives.




• Partner with R&D to unlock growth thorough technical platform identifying consumer-centric growth opportunities.

Key Accountabilities

• Own the CX learning strategy for assigned Heinz recipe innovation platforms, shaping innovation direction through consumer behavior and preference understanding, market opportunities and product desirability.




• Ensure innovation recommendations are globally scalable while remaining locally relevant by effectively levering of global and regional learning across innovation platforms




• Deliver research programs with excellence, rigor and business relevance, ensuring optimal allocation of research budgets and resources.




• Influence business decisions through integrated consumer and sensory recommendations, aligned with cross-functional and regional stakeholders.




• Contribute to the successful commercialization and growth of Heinz innovation platforms achieving recipe superiority for our key consumer targets.




• Actively strengthen the Consumer Experience capability by shaping research best practices, frameworks, tools and ways of working that increase the impact and scalability of CX across the organization

Recipe for Success: Apply if this sounds like you!

• University degree (Master’s or PhD) in Consumer Science, Sensory Science, Psychology, Behavioral Science, Marketing Research or related field.




• 8+ years of experience in Consumer Experience, Consumer Insights, Sensory Science, Innovation Research or a related discipline.




• Strong expertise in sensory and consumer quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.




• Proven experience leading learning plans supporting innovation and product development.




• Demonstrated ability to synthesize multiple sources of information into strategic business recommendations.




• Experience influencing cross-functional stakeholders within global matrix organizations.




• Strong communication, storytelling and stakeholder management capabilities.

Soft Skills:

• Strategic thinker who connects consumer understanding to innovation and growth.




• Influential partner who helps teams make confident, consumer-centric decisions.




• Skilled at translating complexity into clear recommendations and business stories.




• Able to navigate global and regional stakeholder networks effectively.




• Curious, proactive and energized by shaping the future of iconic Heinz products.




• Comfortable operating in fast-paced innovation environments with multiple priorities.




• Passion for food, consumer behavior and innovation.




• Fluent in English, written and spoken.

Location(s)

Nijmegen

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