Associate Director, Consumer Insights

OverviewAssociate Director, Consumer Insights role at Kraft Heinz. The Consumer Insights Associate Director will champion the consumer and own the innovation agenda for the Taste Elevation (TE) business unit brands, including Heinz, Philadelphia Kraft, Classico and others. The role identifies, develops and integrates consumer insights across these businesses to drive a growth mindset and a consumer-obsessed culture. The Associate Director has overall responsibility for the US TE BU innovation agenda and partners with Global Innovation CIS and NA CIS leaders to drive synergies and maximize brand and category success. The role relies on custom strategic market research and a mix of information sources to deliver insights that provide a competitive advantage to Kraft Heinz’s innovation agenda.ResponsibilitiesKey strategic insights partner to the Taste Elevation BULeads the Consumer Insights Innovation road map development (whitespace identification, ideation, validation) across TE; executes the learning agenda for Kraft and Miracle Whip brandsIdentify breakthrough solutions delivering speed and rigor in all aspects of consumer learning; challenge status quo and build strategy and consumer learning plansDrive toward larger/scalable platform ideas vs. one-off innovation launchesInfluence and build internal buy-in for the innovation pipeline with rigorous consumer understandingShape the long-term category story and innovation go-to-market strategy for the Taste Meals and Snacks categories through right-sized consumer learning and storytellingLead, coach and develop a team of three to deliver on the TE BU Innovation AgendaOperate effectively in ambiguity, creating strategic direction for growth opportunitiesKey SkillsStrategic: be a key strategic business partner to Marketing; leverage consumer understanding, research methodologies, best practices to drive the business forwardInfluential: influence at all levels and work with cross-functional teamsImpactful: translate insights into actionable recommendationsOwnership: willing to build a function from the ground up and think entrepreneuriallyFlexibility: adapt to changing priorities with strong results orientationCommunication: distill insights clearly to drive empathy and storytellingSelf-motivation: manage multiple workstreams with actionable plansAnalytical: identify patterns to inform brand actionsCollaborative: strong team player in a fast-paced environmentCoaching & People Leadership: develop a high-performing teamCuriosity & Action: high intellectual curiosity with tangible resultsInfluence: ability to influence senior leaders and drive impactQualificationsExperience leading people managementSignificant experience in innovation insights from whitespace through ideation and validationExperience with agile, iterative innovation; strong collaboration with Marketing, R&D, Supply Chain, Sensory, and moreProficient in qualitative and quantitative market research methods; experience applying these tools to innovation developmentExperience with primary and secondary data sourcesWorking knowledge of syndicated tools (e.g., Nielsen, Circana, Mintel, etc.)Ability to distill insights and drive organizational impactComfort with ambiguity, change managementStorytelling skills with strong communication and presentation capabilitiesCompensation & BenefitsNew Hire Base Salary Range: $159,400.00 - $199,200.00. Eligible for a performance-based bonus as per plan terms. Benefits include health coverage, retirement plans, and wellbeing programs; details vary by role, country, and other factors.LocationChicago/Aon CenterEqual OpportunityKraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes. For reasonable accommodation during the job application process, contact NAZTAOps@kraftheinz.com for assistance. #J-18808-Ljbffr