Sensory and Consumer Experience Team Lead

About the role

Kraft Heinz is looking for a Sensory and Consumer Experience Team Lead in Nijmegen to head its Core Product Platforms (Sauces and Meals) for EPDM (Europe Pacific Developed Markets), working with the zone RD leadership team. The role reports to the Emerging and Developed Market Consumer & Culinary Experience Director and manages the Consumer Experience Core Platforms team, turning insights into actionable product and packaging design principles.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a multi-cultural team of Consumer Experience researchers and sensory analysts, manage resources and priorities, and foster a high-performance culture.
• Lead the Platforms Consumer experience strategy, connect insights across functions and anticipate future consumer needs.
• Collaborate with R&D, Marketing and leadership teams to align product development routes and market strategies.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, manage external partnerships and represent the team's voice to senior leadership.
• Work with the Global Consumer Experience Acceleration Lead to define new methodologies and standard processes, and enrich and manage the agency roster.
• Develop proactive insights, learning plans and strategic programs, and guide the team in turning market opportunities into product and packaging design principles.
• Oversee product development follow-up, champion design sprint projects and steer product and pack superiority programs.

Required profile

• BSc in Food Science, Engineering or Sensory / Consumer Science, or in Marketing or Innovation Studies.
• 13+ years of experience.
• Proven track record in Consumer Technical Insights, Consumer Experience, Cognitive Science, Economic Science and Sensory Science, ideally in food categories, on the client side in consumer/FMCG/retail.
• International experience in a matrix organization.

Required skills

• Quantitative and qualitative research and workshop facilitation.
• Design thinking, lean startup and design principles applied to consumer product testing.

What we offer

• A fast career track.
• A competitive salary and an excellent bonus structure above market.
• Reimbursement of travel expenses.