Principal Scientist, R&D – CX Product Insights, Away From Home

The Kraft Heinz Company; Glenview (IL); Hybrid; USD 104,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) plan

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

The Kraft Heinz Company seeks a Principal Scientist for CX Product Insights to drive consumer experience research from early exploration to launch readiness. You will lead cross-functional teams, define learning strategies, and translate insights into concrete product and packaging requirements.

The role requires strong methodological depth across qualitative and quantitative CX methods, with a track record of influencing product and packaging decisions in a fast-paced food & beverage

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years in consumer/product research or applied insights.
• Experience with CX research methods across qualitative and quantitative domains.
• Strong ability to influence cross-functional product/pack decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead CX learning plans aligned to business milestones.
• Translate insights into actionable product/pack requirements.
• Coach teams on CX rigor, playbooks, and best practices.
• Oversee vendor selection, QA, and timelines.

Skills

CX research leadership

Qual/Quant methods

Cross-functional leadership

Vendor management

Statistical analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Survey platforms

SPSS/R/SAS

BI dashboards

Job description

Job Description

Job Purpose

The Principal Scientist for CX Product Insights is the technical authority and methodologist for consumer experience research for Away From Home initiatives. You architect fit-for-purpose CX learning strategies across the end-to-end product lifecycle, from front-end exploration and ideation through launch readiness, ensuring methodological rigor, evidence quality, and decision-ready synthesis that accelerates innovation. You translate consumer needs into clear product and packaging experience requirements, influence cross-functional teams toward consumer- and customer-centric decisions, and balance speed vs. rigor based on decision risk. You elevate functional capability through coaching, playbooks/toolkits, and ways of working, and guide internal teams and suppliers to the right level of rigor for the decision at hand. You’ll partner closely with R&D (Product & Process Development, Packaging, Sensory), Marketing/Brand, Insights, Analytics, Culinary, and external suppliers to ensure consumer learning is converted into practical product, packaging, and technical decisions.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Provide CX technical leadership for the Away From Home team, defining key learning needs tied to business and technical decisions at each development milestone.

• Serve as subject matter expert (SME) for product and packaging design consumer research, bringing deep methodological expertise across qualitative and quantitative approaches.

• Architect end-to-end CX learning plans from upstream exploration to downstream validation, with clear decision framing, success criteria, and evidence standards aligned to risk and timelines.

• Translate complex consumer experience insights into actionable experience requirements that inform product and packaging design, managing tradeoffs and defining what success looks like.

• Lead high-stakes stakeholder readouts with compelling decision narratives, synthesizing insights and tailoring technical depth to both executive and technical audience.

• Serve as technical consultant on away from home product and pack methods and research design, best fit to the learning objectives that align with specific operators and venue types.

• Evaluate, pilot, and standardize emerging CX methods and analytics (including vendor capabilities), documenting best practices, limitations, and evidence thresholds before scaling.

• Coach and upskill scientists and partners through playbooks, training, and consultative support that embed CX rigor, curiosity, and storytelling excellence across functions.

• Oversee vendor strategy and performance: capability alignment, quality assurance, data integrity, and delivery expectations.

• Manage multiple simultaneous workstreams with disciplined prioritization, documentation, and strong stakeholder communication in a fast paced innovation environment.

• Provide continuity and backup coverage for the CX leadership team as needed.

• Ensure compliance with data integrity, privacy, and internal research governance requirements.

Expected Experience & Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree minimum (Consumer Behavior, Psychology, Marketing Research, Engineering, Food Sciences, Human Factors, Industrial Design, or related STEM field), advanced degree preferred

• Minimum of 8+ years (BS), 7+ years (MS) or 6+ years (PhD) in consumer/product research, consumer experience, or applied insights supporting innovation, product development and commercialization.

• CPG or food & beverage experience strongly preferred, with demonstrated progression in technical expertise, including independent research strategy development, methodological leadership, and influencing cross-functional product and packaging innovation decisions.

• Experience in product consumer research to support away from home product R&D initiatives

• Recognized expertise across CX research methods (qualitative and quantitative), including end-to-end study design, instrument development, analysis planning, synthesis, and storytelling; ability to select methods based on decision risk and learning objectives.

• Proven ability to influence product and packaging innovation/renovation decisions by translating consumer needs into clear experience requirements and decision criteria

• Direct experience in consumer research methodology focused on packaging technical design

• Strong technical oversight: expert scoping, critical review of study quality, and ability to QA vendor work (methods, analysis, and interpretation).

• Clear, succinct communication across audiences, including leadership-level implications, tradeoffs, and uncertainty/limitations.

• Demonstrated capability building: coaching, technical training, and establishing best practices/standards in a matrixed organization.

• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management; sound escalation judgment and ability to correct misinterpretations of evidence.

• Strong prioritization and independent execution across a complex portfolio with multiple concurrent projects.

• Working proficiency with quantitative/statistical interpretation used in CX and product testing; comfort using and overseeing common research platforms and analysis tools (survey/testing platforms, analysis packages, dashboards/BI), consistent with internal standards.

• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time.

Work Environment & Schedule

We believe the office is a critical driver of innovation, connection, and development, but also realize providing flexibility to our employees is critical. To create a more agile and modern workplace, this position will be able to work virtually for up to two days each week and will be expected to work in-person at the assigned work location at least three days per work week.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain all duties or responsibilities that are required of the role. Duties or responsibilities may change or be added with or without notice.

Our Total Rewards philosophy is to provide a meaningful and flexible spectrum of programs that equitably support our diverse workforce and their families and complement Kraft Heinz' strategy and values.

New Hire Base Salary Range:

$104,200.00 - $130,200.00

Bonus: This position is eligible for a performance-based bonus as provided by the plan terms and governing documents.

The compensation offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors

Benefits: Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare, protection, and savingfor the future, we offer plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs. Coveragefor benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.

Wellbeing: We offer events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire aphysical, social, emotional, and financial well-being lifestyle for our employees and their families.

You’ll be able to participate in a variety of benefits and wellbeing programs that may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors, for example:

• Physical - Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision, Screenings/Assessments

• Social - Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training

• Emotional - Employee Assistance Program, Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs

• Financial - 401k,Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability

Location(s)

Glenview R&D Center

Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for protected individuals, applicants that require accommodation in the job application process may contact [e-mail] for assistance.