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Director Innovation Jobs in Arizona (NOW HIRING)

Sprouts Farmers Market

Director Sourcing

Phoenix, AZ · Hybrid

Overview The Director, Innovation & Product Development leads Sprouts Brand's Product Development function and serves as the organization's innovation leader. This role is responsible for identifying ...

Sprouts Farmers Market

Director Sourcing

Phoenix, AZ · Hybrid

Overview The Director, Innovation & Product Development leads Sprouts Brand's Product Development function and serves as the organization's innovation leader. This role is responsible for identifying ...

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$31.2K

$109.5K

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How much do director innovation jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for director innovation in Arizona is $109,478.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $74,600.00 and $146,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a director of innovation do?

A Director of Innovation leads an organization's efforts to develop and implement new ideas, technologies, and strategies that drive growth and competitive advantage. They research market trends, foster a culture of innovation, and collaborate with teams to bring new products, services, or processes to life. Their role involves strategic planning, identifying opportunities for innovation, and managing projects that enhance business performance.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of innovation?

To thrive as a Director of Innovation, you need expertise in strategic planning, product development, and business analysis, typically supported by a relevant bachelor's or master's degree. Familiarity with project management tools, innovation frameworks, and data analytics platforms is highly beneficial. Strong leadership, creative problem-solving, and excellent interpersonal communication set standout candidates apart in this position. These capabilities are crucial for effectively driving change, fostering a culture of innovation, and ensuring the organization remains competitive in a dynamic marketplace.

What are the main challenges a director of innovation typically faces in this role?

A Director of Innovation often deals with balancing the need for creative, out-of-the-box thinking with the practical requirements of business viability and risk management. Navigating resistance to change and securing stakeholder buy-in across different departments can be significant challenges. The role usually involves managing cross-functional teams and building bridges between R&D, marketing, and operations to drive projects forward. Being able to translate visionary ideas into actionable initiatives, while ensuring alignment with organizational goals, is essential for long-term success in this position.

What are the most commonly searched types of Innovation jobs in Arizona?

The most popular types of Innovation jobs in Arizona are:

What are popular job titles related to Director Innovation jobs in Arizona?

For Director Innovation jobs in Arizona, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Director Innovation jobs in Arizona look for?

The top searched job categories for Director Innovation jobs in Arizona are:

What cities in Arizona are hiring for Director Innovation jobs?

Cities in Arizona with the most Director Innovation job openings:

Director Innovation jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Innovation job openings in Arizona as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $109,478 per year, or $52.6 per hour.

Director, Sprouts Brand - Innovation & Product Development

Phoenix, AZ • On-site

Sprouts Farmers Market
Retail • 10K+ employees
Learn more about Sprouts Farmers Marketexternal

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 25 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Lead the development and commercialization of innovative products and platforms that strengthen Sprouts Brand's market position.

  • Identify emerging trends and translate them into category opportunities and strategic growth initiatives.

  • Build and maintain strategic relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, and external innovation networks to support product development and innovation.

Sprouts Farmers Market rating

6.9

Company rating: 6.9 out of 10

Based on 831 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

Overview
The Director, Innovation & Product Development leads Sprouts Brand's Product Development function and serves as the organization's innovation leader.
This role is responsible for identifying emerging trends, uncovering category white space opportunities, developing differentiated product concepts, and leading the creation of innovative products that strengthen Sprouts Brand's competitive advantage.
As the team is established and grows, this leader will operate as a hands-on player-coach, balancing strategic innovation leadership with direct product development responsibilities. The Director will personally lead high-priority development projects while building the processes, capabilities, and partnerships required to support a best-in-class innovation organization.
Working closely with Category Strategy, Merchandising, Brand, Packaging, Quality, Supply Chain, and supplier partners, this role ensures Sprouts Brand remains ahead of evolving customer needs while accelerating innovation speed and delivering products customers cannot find elsewhere.
This position is located at our Store Support Office in Phoenix, Arizona, and operates on a hybrid schedule (in office Tuesday - Thursday).
Essential Functions
  • Develop and lead the multi-year innovation strategy for the Sprouts Brand portfolio, establishing priorities that drive sustainable growth, competitive differentiation, and long-term brand equity
  • Own the enterprise innovation pipeline, ensuring a balanced portfolio of breakthrough innovation, platform expansion, renovation initiatives, and future growth opportunities aligned to business objectives.
  • Identify and translate emerging consumer, health and wellness, culinary, ingredient, sustainability, and marketplace trends into innovation platforms, category opportunities, and strategic growth initiatives.
  • Partner with executive and cross-functional leaders to define innovation priorities, allocate resources, and align product development investments with enterprise growth strategies.
  • Lead the development and commercialization of high-impact, strategically significant products and innovation platforms that strengthen Sprouts Brand differentiation and market position.
  • Establish and govern innovation portfolio management processes, evaluating opportunities through customer, competitive, operational, and financial lenses to maximize return on investment and business impact.
  • Build and maintain strategic relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, ingredient partners, and external innovation networks to accelerate innovation, access emerging capabilities, and identify future growth opportunities.
  • Champion product development excellence by establishing scalable innovation frameworks, best practices, stage-gate processes, and commercialization standards that improve speed-to-market and launch effectiveness.
  • Drive continuous improvement in innovation and product development processes, increasing organizational agility, reducing development cycle times, and enhancing commercialization success rates.
  • Serve as the enterprise subject matter expert for product innovation and development, influencing category, merchandising, sourcing, and brand strategies through deep consumer and market insights.
  • Lead, develop, and build organizational capability within the Product Development team through coaching, succession planning, talent development, and creation of a high-performance innovation culture.
  • Communicate innovation strategy, portfolio performance, business cases, and growth opportunities to senior leadership, influencing strategic decisions that support long-term organizational success.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Physical Requirements
  • Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Product Development, Consumer Science, Business, Marketing, or related field; Master's degree preferred
  • 10+ years of progressive experience in product development, innovation, category management, merchandising, private brand, or related functions
  • 5+ years of leadership experience managing teams, developing talent, and leading cross-functional business initiatives
  • Demonstrated success developing and commercializing innovative consumer products and driving measurable business growth
  • Experience presenting strategic recommendations and business performance updates to senior and executive leadership teams
  • Requires long-term strategic and financial planning skills
  • Ability to preserve confidentiality of information, communicate with all levels of management and work within strict time frames and resolute deadlines
  • Complete understanding of P/L statements, general ledgers, and margins
  • Thorough understanding Microsoft Office suite
  • Some travel required

#LI-KO1
Benefits
In addition to a rewarding career, Sprouts offers a comprehensive program to help support you and your family. These programs include:
  • Competitive pay
  • Sick time plan that you can use to support you or your immediate families health
  • Vacation accrual plan
  • Opportunities for career growth
  • 15% discount for you and one other family member in your household on all purchases made at Sprouts
  • Flexible schedules
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • 401(K) Retirement savings plan with a generous company match
  • Company paid life insurance
  • Contests and appreciation events throughout the year full of prizes, food and fun!

Eligibility requirements may apply for the following benefits:
  • Bonus based on company and/or individual performance
  • Affordable benefit coverage, including medical, dental and vision
  • Health Savings Account with company match
  • Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts for healthcare and dependent care
  • Company paid short-term disability coverage
  • Paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers
  • Paid holidays

Get Paid Every Day!
Sprouts Farmers Market offers DailyPay - if you're hired as an eligible employee, you'll be able to transfer the money you've already earned at no extra cost, and get it the next business day, for free. We offer DailyPay so you don't have to wait for payday to access the money you've already worked for. With DailyPay, you can see how much you've made every day and you can transfer your money any time before payday.
You can learn more by visiting https://www.dailypay.com/partners/sprouts-farmers-market/.
Why Sprouts
Grow with us!
If you have a passion for inspiring people and a flair for fresh food, consider applying for a job at Sprouts! With a focus on customer service, our neighborhood grocery stores offer high-quality, farm fresh produce, natural meats, plenty of scoop-your-own bulk goods and much more in a fun, friendly, old-fashioned farmer's market setting. Come grow your career in healthy living with a fast-paced, rapidly growing company and teams that pride themselves on empowering others along their journey.
At Sprouts, we're committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and caring workplace culture.
Our Team Member Resource Groups (TMRGs) create spaces for connection, support, and growth. Every team member is welcome to join one or more of our five groups:
  • Inspiring Women at Sprouts
  • Rainbow Alliance at Sprouts
  • Sabor at Sprouts
  • Soul at Sprouts
  • Honored to Serve at Sprouts

Together, these groups celebrate diversity and empower our team to thrive.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by people assigned to this work. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Sprouts' management reserves the right to amend and change duties, responsibilities, and requirements to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.
Sprouts will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance.
California Residents: We collect information in accordance with California law, please see here for more information.

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