Senior Manager, Commercialization – Continuous Improvement

Kraft Heinz · Chicago, IL

Apply on Kraft Heinz ↗

Level: Manager
Team: Lean / CI
Base pay: $121k–$151k
Travel: 10%
Degree: Required
Experience asked: 8+ years
Industry: Food & beverage
Posted: Yesterday

The role in 30 seconds

A management continuous improvement role at Kraft Heinz (food & beverage) in Chicago, IL.

They ask for: 8+ years · degree required
Tools it names: Lean, Six Sigma, Automation
Base pay: $121k–$151k
Day to day: about 10% travel

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of October 26, 2026

Continuous Improvement roles in Illinois: typical posted base $120k–$169k. This one lists $121k–$151k.

Median of the low and high ends of 16 live postings that list pay, out of 21 continuous improvement openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 20 other live lean / ci postings in Illinois.

Base pay: In line with similar roles
Experience asked: Less than usual (8+ vs 10+)

Skills these teams ask for most

✓ Lean 90%
✓ Six Sigma 71%
Kaizen 57%
Root cause 52%
Black Belt 43%
Value stream mapping 38%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 8+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

1
Pick 2–3 people on the Lean / CI team at Kraft Heinz
We found 5 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role, 3 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Charlie → (free)
3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is CI run from the plant floor or from a corporate OpEx group?
- Which metrics does leadership actually watch: OEE, scrap, cost per unit?
- The posting says about 10% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: Kraft Heinz in Chicago

1 other open role at this site · 5 people we found in lean / ci roles at Kraft Heinz.

Associate Director, Advanced Analytics - Growth & Manufacturing · Manufacturing · Director+

Full description from Kraft HeinzAs posted on their careers site.Show

Expected Experience & Required Skills

✓Bachelors in business, information systems, analytics, operations, engineering or related field, with a minimum of 8+ years of progressive experience in continuous improvement, commercialization, project management, process excellence, or digital transformation, preferably within CPG, food & beverage, or adjacent consumer industries.
✓Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to synthesize complex information, develop actionable recommendations, and communicate effectively with senior leadership.
✓Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders, facilitate cross-functional collaboration, and drive organizational change without direct authority.
✓Ability to independently manage multiple complex initiatives, balance competing priorities, and deliver sustainable improvements in a dynamic business environmen t.
✓Hands-on experience leveraging digital tools, workflow automation, and data analytics to simplify business processes, improve reporting, and enable data-driven decision-making.
✓Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Excel and PowerPoint, and experience with business intelligence, automation, or project management platforms such as Power BI, PowerApps, Power Automate, Smartsheet, Planview, or MS Project. Ability to design processes for AI readiness and automation.
✓Experience with Stage-Gate processes, commercialization workflows, or PMO governance preferred.
✓Lean Six Sigma, PMP, Agile, or Microsoft Power Platform certifications are a plus.
✓Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.

Work Environment & Schedule

This position operates primarily in a hybrid work environment and is based at Kraft Heinz Headquarters in the Aon Center in downtown Chicago, 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 Kraft Heinz Aon Center.

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.

Show full description ↓

Job Description

Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement

•Lead the identification, prioritization, redesign, and implementation of cross-functional commercialization process improvements to simplify workflows, eliminate non-value-added activities, and improve execution effectiveness. Drive the continuous improvement roadmap for commercialization PMO processes, partnering with functional stakeholders to prioritize initiatives based on business impact, feasibility, and organizational needs.
•Maintain and continuously improve Stage-Gate governance documentation, process standards, templates, and playbooks to drive consistency, accountability, and operational efficiency.
•Establish baseline performance measures, quantify improvement opportunities, and track the sustained impact of implemented solutions.

Technology, Automation & Digital Enablement

•Lead the commercialization and PMO digital enablement and automation roadmap, setting priorities, sequencing, and success measures for technology solutions that reduce manual activities and team administrative demands.
•Serve as the accountable owner for the design, development, testing, and deployment and ongoing enhancement of digital automation solutions using Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI), remaining hands-on in configuring and building practical solutions that address commercialization and PMO business needs to reduce manual activities and reduce team administrative demands.
•Serve as business owner and primary point of accountability for PMO platforms and associated workflows, including data quality, and user support (Smartsheet, Planview, MS Project); develop and maintain executive dashboards with real-time portfolio visibility.
•Lead the evaluation, piloting, and adoption of emerging technologies, including AI and Microsoft Copilot, determine where and how they are applied to improve commercialization processes and team effectiveness.
•Serve as the primary commercialization liaison to Digital and IT teams, representing business required and ensuring technology solutions align with enterprise architecture, security requirements, integration standards, and support models.

Insights, Analytics & Reporting

•Own PMO reporting and analytics end to end, including reporting standards, data sources, and cadence, serving as the single source of truth for commercialization portfolio performance.
•Design, build, and maintain executive dashboards with real-time portfolio visibility, so performance measurement provides accurate, timely, and actional business insights.
•Analyze commercialization portfolio and process performance to identify risks, inefficiencies, trends, and improvement opportunities, translating findings into recommendations for PMO and functional leadership.
•Own the preparation and delivery of portfolio reporting for weekly, monthly, and quarterly business reviews, ensuring consistency and reliability to support effective prioritization and decision-making.

Training, Communication & Change Adoption

•Design and deliver practical training materials, including decks, playbooks, and job aids, for new tools, processes, and governance frameworks. Develop adoption strategies and plans with communication and feedback loops.
•Influence and align stakeholders across Commercialization, Marketing, R&D, Operations, Finance, Supply Chain, and Digital to implement sustainable improvements without direct authority.
•Establish feedback mechanisms and adoption measures to evaluate effectiveness, address barriers, and reinforce continuous improvement practices across the organization.