Agile Innovation Manager

Job Title: Agile Innovation Manager
Job Location - Chicago, IL(Hybrid)
Duration - 12 months

We’re seeking a highly collaborative and proactive Agile Innovation Manager to join our cross-functional agile pod focused on driving innovation and growth in the Disruptive Innovation team. In this role, you’ll be responsible for enabling fit-for-purpose agile ways of working, removing barriers to progress, building timelines, and ensuring continuous delivery of high-impact solutions that are right-sized for our global innovation team.

This role will be embedded within a tight-knit team of R&D, Packaging, Supply Chain, Marketing, Finance, and Strategy leads, all working together to bring the next big thing on innovation to the market—faster and smarter. This role is ideal for a project leader with experience in physical product innovation, commercialization, manufacturing readiness, packaging changes, and cross-functional program management within the Food & Beverage industry.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, sprint reviews, and other agile rituals to keep the team focused, aligned, and on track.
• Partner with Project Owner and Marketing Lead to manage end-to-end innovation & commercialization process, from initial concept to successful market launch.
• Build and manage the timeline of the project and product development; align POD members on their commitments with the timelines to ensure on-time delivery.
• Coach the pod on agile principles, flex when needed, and help the team balance speed and structure while adapting quickly to feedback and new insights.
• Identify and resolve impediments that hinder progress—whether operational, organizational, or resource-related—to keep the initiatives moving forward.
• Track key agile metrics such as CSat, Maturity, Capacity of the team, reporting progress, and making adjustments as needed to ensure project success.
• Maintain clear documentation of sprint goals, backlog items, decisions, and velocity. Ensure the team and stakeholders have visibility into progress, risks, and timelines.
• Guide the team in retrospectives to continuously improve delivery and collaboration.
• Ensure alignment across all pod members, including R&D, Supply Chain, Finance, and Marketing, while fostering an environment of shared ownership and rapid iteration.
• Tailor agile workflows to reflect the unique physical product innovation characteristics—helping the team move quickly from insight to execution while navigating pack simplification, retail constraints, and test-and-learn launches.
• Help the team align on the highest-impact initiatives by working closely with the Pod Lead and cross-functional partners to manage and refine the product backlog.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or related field.
• MUST HAVE: 5 years of project management, agile leadership, or scrum master experience within the Food & Beverage industry.
• MUST HAVE: Experience with physical product innovation in Food & Beverage with packaging projects, aligned with operations & manufacturing side: engineering, changing of machines, alignment with supply chain, etc.
• Strong knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodologies or proven experience in product development and commercialization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.
• Strong experience in building timelines for projects with uncertainty, that demand a lot of changes multiple times throughout the project.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Experience supporting test-and-learn innovation cycles or commercialization processes.
• Passion for team empowerment, iterative learning, and removing barriers to execution.
• Open to work flexible hours since part of the team is located in AMS – start 7 am Chicago time when needed.

Must Haves

• Food industry experience (non-negotiable) - NOT DIGITAL, physical product commercialization.
• Physical Product Development focused innovation project management background.
• Experience in supply chain development, factory engineering, or packaging-related innovation delivery.
• Physical Product Commercialization process knowledge.
• Understand packaging changes, formula changes, feasibility constraints, machinery timelines.
• Agile project management experience (Client).
• 2-3 years of experience leading agile ceremonies and managing projects through sprint-based delivery models.
• Comfortable facilitating sprint events and creating review materials.
• Self-driven, proactive working style.
• Able to identify stakeholders, processes, and solutions independently.
• Strong communication & relationship-building skills.
• Must navigate between technical and non-technical teams, translating needs in both directions.