Senior Manager BU Innovation - Poultry Foodservice

Tyson Foods; Springdale (AR); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Tyson Foods is seeking a Senior Manager, BU Innovation to set the innovation direction for the Foodservice Value Added Poultry category. You will translate strategy, customer needs, and market trends into prioritized platforms, leading high-impact initiatives from concept to market success.

You will influence senior leaders across multiple functions, drive partnerships, and build innovation capability while delivering profit, volume, and share growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required
• MBA preferred
• Minimum 6+ years of experience in innovation/brand strategy
• Strong leadership and collaboration skills
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

• Shape and own the innovation strategy for Foodservice Value Added Poultry to align with goals.
• Lead major product, packaging, and go-to-market initiatives from concept to in-market performance.
• Develop executive-level innovation narratives and partnerships with Sales and Channel Marketing.
• Coach and develop Managers and Associate Managers; manage cross-functional teams and direct reports.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

People management

Communication

Project management

P&L management

Innovation

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA

Job description

Job Details:

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, BU Innovation sets the innovation direction for the assigned brands and categories and is accountable for the quality, balance, and business impact of the innovation pipeline. This role translates category strategy, customer needs, market trends, and business objectives into prioritized innovation platforms and investment recommendations, then leads the most strategically significant and complex initiatives from concept through in-market performance. The Senior Manager influences senior leaders across the BU, Channel Marketing, R&D, Culinary, Insights, Supply Chain/Operations, Finance, and Strategy; coaches and develops innovation team members; and delivers profit, volume, and share growth for the business and its customers.

Strategy and Portfolio Ownership

• Own and shape the innovation strategy for the Foodservice Value Added Poultry category, aligned to corporate and business unit goals and feeding the long-range and annual plans.
• Define strategic innovation platforms and identify major white-space opportunities and emerging customer and consumer needs, using syndicated research, trend data, primary research, and competitive intelligence.
• Own the innovation pipeline and its prioritization across near-, mid-, and long-term horizons, ensuring a balanced mix of renovation, incremental innovation, and breakthrough/new-to-world opportunities.
• Establish innovation priorities and make investment recommendations to senior leadership.
• Evaluate innovation performance, ROI, and portfolio health, and adjust the pipeline accordingly.

Leadership and Influence

• Lead the most strategically significant and complex product, packaging, and go-to-market initiatives, from concept development and feasibility through business proposal, approval, customer sell-in, and tracking of in-market performance.
• Influence senior leaders in Sales, Marketing, R&D, Operations, Finance, and Strategy, and serve as the liaison to other corporate functions so that innovation initiatives receive the focus they need.
• Develop executive-level innovation narratives and recommendations, including clear consumer positioning and a clear point of difference versus competitors.
• Drive customer co-innovation and strategic partnerships, working with Sales and Channel Marketing to integrate operator and distributor strategies into the pipeline, improve innovation forecast accuracy, and deliver against joint business plan (JBP) objectives.
• Leverage synergies across retail and foodservice channels to maximize idea scale.
• Direct innovation and consulting agencies and build relationships with external suppliers and partners.

People and Capability Building

• Lead, coach, and develop Managers and Associate Managers of varying experience levels, building innovation capability across the organization.
• Oversee the projects owned by direct reports to keep them on time and on track, and resolve issues as they arise.
• Serve as an expert and advisor to other Tyson innovators.

Process and Governance

• Use the innovation project management, packaging, and specification systems to advance projects with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree required; MBA preferred.
• Experience and knowledge: Minimum 6 plus years of experience. Deep understanding of innovation success factors, innovation marketing, consumer insights, brand strategy, and P&L management.
• Leadership: A forward-thinking problem solver and proven collaborator who challenges the status quo to support strategic decisions, and who can devise strong solutions in unstructured situations.
• Communication: Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to influence senior leaders.
• Project management: Proven ability to manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment and to lead cross-functional teams and direct reports.

Requisition is not taking sponsorships.

A resume is required to be considered.

All professional team members are expected to demonstrate responsible use of approved AI tools, including safeguarding sensitive information, adhering to company policies, and validating AI-generated outputs. Individual Contributors should demonstrate the ability to integrate AI into daily work, improve efficiency through AI-enabled solutions, evaluate outputs critically, and apply professional judgment when using AI. People Leaders should demonstrate the ability to drive responsible AI adoption, enable effective use of approved solutions, identify opportunities to improve team performance through AI, and ensure accountability for the quality and accuracy of AI-supported outcomes.

Relocation Assistance Eligible: Yes

Work Shift: 1ST SHIFT (United States of America)

Certain roles at Tyson require background checks. If you are offered a position that requires a background check you will be provided additional documentation to complete once an offer has been extended.