Innovation Consultant – Global Procurement

Innovation Consultant – Global Procurement

Job Description

You’re not the person who will settle for just any role. Neither are we. Because we’re out to create Better Care for a Better World, and that takes a certain kind of person and teams who care about making a difference. Here, you’ll bring your professional expertise, talent, and drive to building and managing our portfolio of iconic, ground-breaking brands. In this role, you’ll help us deliver better care for billions of people around the world. It starts with YOU.

We are seeking a strategic and forward-thinking Innovation Consultant – Global Procurement to drive innovation and growth across Supply Chain and the broader enterprise. This individual will play a pivotal role in scouting open innovation opportunities, identifying market trends, and integrating innovation into procurement. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication skills and excel at relationship management in a global, matrixed organization.

This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of procurement innovation and contribute to the company’s long-term business growth. If you are passionate about driving change and fostering innovation, we encourage you to apply!

In this role, you will:

• Develop strategic frameworks and collaborate with buyers to embed innovation into category strategies and scorecards for balanced impact.
• Partner with cross-functional teams (e.g., R&D, Marketing, Sustainability) to identify and prioritize innovation initiatives across multiple categories.
• Support the development, negotiation and execution of early-stage agreements to protect intellectual property, strategic interests and value-driven partnerships.
• Scout and monitor technologies, industry and market trends, and emerging suppliers aligned with strategic business needs to inform pipeline development.
• Act as innovation champion within Procurement, influencing stakeholders to take calculated risks, drive experimentation and continuous improvement.
• Utilize digital and analytical tools (e.g., Power BI, SAP, Coupa) to drive data-driven decision-making and procurement innovation strategies.
• Support manager in the execution of open innovation programs and processes

About Us

Huggies®. Kleenex®. Cottonelle®. Scott®. Kotex®. Poise®. Depend®. Kimberly-Clark Professional®. You already know our legendary brands—and so does the rest of the world. In fact, millions of people use Kimberly-Clark products every day. We know these amazing Kimberly-Clark products wouldn’t exist without talented professionals, like you.

At Kimberly-Clark, you’ll be part of the best team committed to driving innovation, growth and impact. We’re founded on more than 150 years of market leadership, and we’re always looking for new and better ways to perform – so there’s your open door of opportunity. It’s all here for you at Kimberly-Clark.

Led by Purpose. Driven by You.

About You

You perform at the highest level possible, and you appreciate a performance culture fueled by authentic caring.  You want to be part of a company actively dedicated to sustainability, inclusion, wellbeing, and career development.

You love what you do, especially when the work you do makes a difference. At Kimberly-Clark, we’re constantly exploring new ideas on how, when, and where we can best achieve results. When you join our team, you’ll experience Flex That Works: flexible (hybrid) work arrangements that empower you to have purposeful time in the office and partner with your leader to make flexibility work for both you and the business.

In one of our professional roles, you’ll focus on winning with consumers and the market, while putting safety, mutual respect, and human dignity at the center.

 To succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, engineering, marketing or related field
• 8+ years of relevant experience in Procurement, R&D or Marketing
• Demonstrated experience in cross-functional strategy development and execution
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving clarity in complex or evolving business situations
• Change management & agility to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity in complex or evolving business situations
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Proven influencing and stakeholder engagement skills across cultures and levels
• Expertise in supplier development & relationship management to foster collaboration
• Negotiation & contract management expertise, particularly in developmental or early-stage agreements
• Knowledge of supplier innovation scouting, early-stage sourcing processes, and intellectual property considerations
• Ability to conduct cost-benefit analyses for new procurement strategies, innovation investments and supplier partnerships
• Advanced working knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint and SAP

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in related field
• Global experience in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) or similar industry
• Familiarity with data visualization and financial modeling to calculate revenue impact and margin growth, ensuring innovation initiatives align with business objectives.
• Exposure to external innovation scouting, open innovation platforms, or innovation accelerators/incubators
• Prior experience with upstream or innovation-related Procurement, new product development and pilot contracting processes

Global locations outside North America will be considered.

Business travel will be based on the project needs and is not expected to exceed 50% of the time. Typical range is 0 – 20%.

US Grade 08

Total Benefits

Here are just a few of the benefits you’d enjoy working in this role for Kimberly-Clark. For a complete overview, see www.mykcbenefits.com.
 

Great support for good health with medical, dental, and vision coverage options with no waiting periods or pre-existing condition restrictions. Access to an on-site fitness center, occupational health nurse, and allowances for high-quality safety equipment.

Flexible Savings and spending accounts to maximize health care options and stretch dollars when caring for yourself or dependents.

Diverse income protection insurance options to protect yourself and your family in case of illness, injury, or other unexpected events.

Additional programs and support to continue your education, adopt a child, relocate, or even find temporary childcare.

To Be Considered
Click the Apply button and complete the online application process. A member of our recruiting team will review your application and follow up if you seem like a great fit for this role.

In the meantime, please check out the careers website.

And finally, the fine print….

For Kimberly-Clark to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that make life better for people all around the world.  We actively seek to build a workforce that reflects the experiences of our consumers.  When you bring your original thinking to Kimberly-Clark, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, and DMV check.

Veterans and members of the Reserve and Guard are highly encouraged to apply.

This role is available for local candidates already authorized to work in the role’s country only. Kimberly-Clark will not provide relocation support for this role.

#LI-Hybrid

Salary Range: 127,600 – 157,600 USD

At Kimberly-Clark, pay is just one aspect of our total rewards package, which also includes a variety of benefits and opportunities to achieve, thrive and grow. Along with base pay, this position offers eligibility for a target bonus and a comprehensive benefits suite, including our 401(k) and Profit Sharing plan. The anticipated base pay range for this role is provided above for a fully qualified hire. Actual pay will depend on several factors, such as location, role, skills, performance, and experience. Please note that the stated pay range applies to US locations only.

Primary Location

Neenah - West Office Facility 1

Additional Locations

Hong Kong Office, Roswell Building 300, Singapore

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time