Sr. Principal Scientist, R&D – Margin Enhancement Strategy & Pipeline

Job Purpose    ​ ​ As the Senior Principal Scientist, R&D – Margin Enhancement Strategy & Pipeline , you will serve as a leading technical expert in formulation, ingredient, and product value engineering. This role is responsible for identifying, developing, and advancing transformational value engineering opportunities that strengthen the multi-year R&D productivity pipeline across North America. Partnering closely with Platform R&D, Procurement, Operations, Consumer Experience, Commercialization, and external suppliers, you will leverage deep technical expertise, market insights, and emerging technologies to uncover scalable opportunities that drive cost optimization while maintaining consumer preference, product quality, and brand equity. As an individual contributor, you will influence strategy and decision-making across business units through technical leadership, scientific rigor, and thought partnership. ​       Essential Functions & Responsibilities     ​ ​ Serve as a recognized technical authority and thought leader in value engineering, providing consultation on the most complex product, ingredient, and formula challenges across the NA Region .   ​ Build and maintain a multi-year pipeline of high-value productivity opportunities that span categories, platforms, and business units.   ​ Shape the long-term North American productivity strategy by identifying emerging technical capabilities, white-space opportunities, and future cost optimization pathways.   ​ Identify breakthrough ingredient and formulation technologies that enable step-change cost savings while preserving or improving consumer outcomes.   ​ Conduct technical assessments of emerging technologies, supplier capabilities, ingredient systems, and manufacturing innovations to identify future value engineering opportunities.   ​ Develop and maintain external networks across suppliers, universities, startups, and industry organizations to proactively identify emerging value engineering opportunities.   ​ Partner with Platform R&D teams to translate technical concepts into scalable productivity initiatives and innovation roadmaps.   ​ Provide technical leadership during opportunity ideation, feasibility assessments, and early-stage development activities.   ​ Lead cross-functional workshops focused on value engineering pipeline generation, opportunity prioritization, and technical risk evaluation.   ​ Collaborate closely with Procurement, Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Packaging, and Commercialization teams to assess NA Regional value engineering opportunities.   ​ Establish and maintain technical frameworks, best practices, and methodologies for identifying and evaluating value engineering opportunities.   ​ Influence senior leadership through data-driven recommendations, competitive insights, technical evaluations, and long-term productivity strategies.   ​ Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, academic research, and supplier innovations to continuously refresh the value engineering opportunity pipeline.   ​ Support critical productivity initiatives as a technical advisor and consultant, helping teams navigate complex formulation and scale-up challenges.   ​ Represent Kraft Heinz externally through engagement with suppliers, industry organizations, universities, and strategic innovation partners. ​     Expected Experience & Required Skills   ​ ​ Master's degree or PhD in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biological Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology, or a related field is strongly preferred. Candidates should possess 7+ years of relevant experience with a Master's degree, 6+ years with a PhD, or 8+ years with a Bachelor's degree, demonstrating progressive technical leadership, recognized subject matter expertise, and a track record of identifying and delivering high-impact value engineering opportunities.   ​