Lead, R&D - Operating Model Excellence Lead

Manage a team of research and development professionals, overseeing research and development projects and studies in order to investigate relationships, solve technical problems, and develop new solutions for a specific application or within a specific branch of science. Independently evaluate, select, and apply standard engineering/scientific techniques, processes, and criteria.

Job Description

Job Purpose

​​The R&D Operating Model Excellence Lead provides a consistent connective layer across NA BU R&D and Central R&D operations. This role anchors, prioritizes, and enables disciplined ways of working and execution — including enterprise standards, maturity development, and operational or transformational initiatives. The role ensures Central R&D work is appropriately tracked, gated, and progressing toward integration with business strategic plans, underpinned by strong governance, reporting, and data-driven insights. It also ensures that BU R&D is operating with consistency and per process and guardrail expectations. ​

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

​​ Reporting, Insights, & Governance

- ​Aggregate BU and Central internal R&D capability initiatives into views for R&D leadership and key stakeholders. Examples include system and process pilots, GBS operating model assessments, people programs, and new technical standards.

- ​Deliver recurring status reporting that improves transparency, cadence, and decision-making across R&D workstreams.  Reporting includes center commitments, technology readiness and transfers, resource utilization, etc.

- ​Define, build and maintain dashboards that surface R&D-specific KPI health and strategic progress in a practical, decision-oriented format with high confidence in data and insights.

- ​Support enterprise reporting needs tied to external and internal requirements (e.g., government reporting, tax credit documentation, audit support) by ensuring traceability, completeness, and consistency.

​Portfolio & Prioritization

- ​Ingest and maintain Central R&D technology pipelines and initiatives within the Portfolio Management Tool, ensuring work is visible, comparable, and trackable against technical readiness levels across BUs.

- ​Develop and provide resourcing visibility of all R&D teams within the Portfolio Management Tool to support planning, prioritization, and trade-off discussions.

- ​Coordinate prioritization of cross-R&D internal asks, helping leadership align on sequencing, capacity constraints, and operating models.

- ​Ensure high-priority capability initiatives have clear ownership, milestones, and escalation paths when dependencies or constraints threaten outcomes.

​Operating Model & Change Leadership

- ​Strengthen operating model rigor across R&D by supporting clear standards, processes, and governance mechanisms.

- ​Enable effective R&D forums (e.g., Technical Review Board, Monthly Business Reviews) with routine audit, established R&D calendar, structured inputs and outputs, decision tracking, and follow-through.

- ​Serve as a governance partner to leadership, ensuring updates and decisions are captured, communicated, and translated into execution.

- ​Drive adoption of more disciplined ways of working, improving consistency, readiness, and predictability across the R&D portfolio.

- ​Apply change management practices to increase adherence to shared standards while balancing practicality for teams executing day-to-day work.

- ​Anticipate technical pipeline risks to delivery and readiness early, creating simple mechanisms to surface issues and drive action before they escalate.​

Expected Experience & Required Skills

- ​​Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Engineering, Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Operations/Supply Chain; Master's degree or MBA highly desired.

- ​10+ years of experience leading transformation, portfolio, or program work in complex, cross-functional environments (R&D, product development, manufacturing, supply chain, or similar).

- ​Strong capabilities in portfolio coordination, prioritization, and governance, with the ability to create clarity across multiple stakeholders and competing demands.

- ​Proven ability to design and implement executive-ready reporting, dashboards, and operational metrics that drive decisions, not just visibility.

- ​Strong change management and stakeholder leadership skills, including influence without authority and navigating senior leadership expectations.

- ​High proficiency translating ambiguous needs into structured processes, clear deliverables, and repeatable operating rhythms.

- ​Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to synthesize complex work into crisp leadership narratives.

- ​Experience working with portfolio management tools and/or building operating cadences for stage gates, readiness, and governance highly desired.

- ​Experience partnering with data/analytics teams to improve reporting automation, data quality, and dashboard usability.

- ​Background supporting enterprise reporting or compliance-adjacent documentation (e.g., audit support, structured evidence, traceability).

- ​Familiarity with R&D portfolio contexts (e.g., commercialization workflows, readiness frameworks, cross-function dependencies).​

Work Environment & Schedule

This position is considered a ​Normal office environment with limited travel or visits to external locations; offices are open workspaces​ Additionally, this role requires ​

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:
$141,500.00 - $176,900.00

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 saving for the future, we offer plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs. Coverage for 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 a physical, 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 [email protected] for assistance.