Manager, R&D - Packaging Materials Performance Specifications

Job Purpose  

​​As the R&D Manager of Packaging Performance Specifications, you will lead the development, deployment, and governance of Performance-Based Specifications (PBS) for packaging across the Kraft Heinz North America portfolio. The objective of the role is to ensure packaging solutions are specified and delivered against defined functional, quality, shelf-life, consumer experience, and manufacturing performance outcomes (rather than prescriptive designs). You will partner with Packaging R&D, Innovation, Process and Platform packaging teams, Quality, Operations, Procurement, and external partners to translate requirements into clear, testable, and compliant performance specifications that enable scalable commercialization and consistent execution. This role includes building and maintaining specification templates and standards, enabling strong cross-functional ways of working, and ensuring specification discipline supports innovation, value engineering, and compliance with evolving sustainability and regulatory needs.  Your team will support you in these efforts and will lead packaging sustainability compliance for Extended Producer Responsibility legislation.​  

Essential Functions & Responsibilities  

• ​​Own and evolve the PBS framework for packaging, including definition, structure, required content, and linkage to performance outcomes (functional, quality, shelf-life, consumer experience, manufacturing performance). 

• ​Lead development and rollout of enterprise PBS templates and best practices, including guidance for writing measurable requirements and acceptance criteria. 

• ​Translate cross-functional requirements into PBS by partnering with Packaging R&D, Innovation, Process/Platform teams, Quality, Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure specifications are complete, testable, and fit for manufacturing. 

• ​Establish and run specification governance, including review cadence, approval workflows, escalation paths, and go/no-go readiness requirements related to specification completeness and risk. 

• ​Ensure specifications enable manufacturable solutions, aligning performance requirements with converting processes and manufacturing constraints (e.g., filling, web handling, labeling, molding, printing, closures/dispensing where applicable). 

• ​Drive consistency and compliance by ensuring specifications reflect relevant sustainability and regulatory considerations and are maintained as requirements evolve. 

• ​Build tools and processes for specification lifecycle management, including version control, change management, and communication of updates to impacted functions and sites. 

• ​Define and align testing/validation expectations tied to PBS, including performance verification criteria and documentation needed to support proof of concept, scale-up, and handover. 

• ​Enable training and adoption by developing training materials and coaching teams on PBS thinking, writing high-quality requirements, and applying enterprise packaging standards. 

• ​Measure PBS effectiveness using quality and execution metrics (e.g., right-first-time specifications, reduction in rework, fewer late-stage changes, improved launch readiness).​ 

People Management Responsibilities 

• Team (salaried): targeting 2 direct reports  

Key Outputs & Deliverables  

• Enterprise PBS framework and templates that standardize how packaging performance requirements are defined and documented. 

• A governed PBS library (maintained specifications, version control, change management, clear ownership). 

• Project-ready PBS deliverables that enable teams to deliver packaging designs to Performance-Based Specifications—meeting defined functional, quality, shelf-life, consumer experience, and manufacturing performance outcomes. 

• Specification readiness criteria embedded in project governance to support timely, high-quality handover from concept through proof of concept, scale-up, and commercialization. 

• Training and enablement materials to drive consistent application of PBS and enterprise packaging standards. 

Expected Experience & Required Skills 

• BS/MS/PhD degree in Engineering, Materials, Chemical or Packaging Engineering preferred, or related discipline. 

• 6+ years of R&D packaging development, commercialization experience and project leadership experience (consumer goods, food & beverage, pharma or similar preferred). 

• Strong technical knowledge of packaging materials, formats and manufacturing/converting constraints. 

• Demonstrated experience in building performance specifications as well as packaging development and commercialization and cross-functional project leadership.  

• Strong ability to translate business, technical, and consumer needs into clear, measurable performance requirements. 

• Proven capability with project governance, risk management, and stakeholder reporting. 

• Working knowledge of design of experiments and statistics and technical problem solving. 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to influence across functions and levels. 

• Familiarity with sustainable packaging solutions and the need to align packaging work with evolving sustainability and regulatory requirements. 

• Willingness and ability to travel up to 25% of the time 

Work Environment & Schedule 

This position operates primarily in a hybrid work environment and is based at the Kraft Heinz R&D Innovation Center in Glenview, IL. Our hybrid model provides flexibility based on business needs, allowing employees to work virtually up to two days per week, with an expectation to work on-site at least three days per week at the Glenview Innovation Center (Chicago, IL).  

Physical demands include but not limited to 

• ​​​Regular office work 

• ​Physical presence at labs and manufacturing sites (internal and external) to perform experimental and validation testing​​ 

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.