Director Merchandise Strategic Innovation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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).

• 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.

• 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 

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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/.

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.

California Residents: We collect information in accordance with California law, please see here for more information.

• 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