Licensing Approvals Specialist

Role: Specialist, Licensing Approvals (Contractor)

Location: Chicago, IL

Licensing Approvals Specialist (Contractor)

Contract Term : 4-month contract

Position Summary :

At Kraft Heinz, our mission in l icensing is to accelerate growth for the company and its iconic brands. We bring a marketer’s mindset, with the vision to innovate while keeping the brand and its consumers at the center of everything we do.

The Licensing Approvals Specialist is a strong opportunity for a highly organized, detail-oriented coordinator who enjoys keeping complex projects moving and working across teams to bring great ideas to life. In this role, you will support a fast-paced licensing function at Kraft Heinz, helping manage the approval process across a portfolio of iconic brands and ensuring projects move smoothly from concept through launch. Working closely with internal stakeholders and our external agency partner, you will ensure all approvals are secured timely at each of the proper stage gates across food and non-food licensing projects in North America, including design concepts, sensory and sampling, packaging, marketing materials, social (The Kitchen), and PR/ launch plans.

Key Components of the Role :

Coordinate the day-to-day approval process procedures for licensing projects across food and non-food categories in North America

Track timelines, review stages, and key milestones to help ensure deliverables move forward on schedule

Support internal vetting and approval workflows across design concepts, sensory and sampling, packaging, marketing materials, social (The Kitchen) , and PR/ launch plans

Partner closely with the Licensing team and external agency partner to manage day-to-day requests, follow up on open items, and maintain momentum against deadlines

Schedule /organize cross-functional meetings, ensuring materials are organized, feedback is documented, and next steps are communicated clearly

Help keep stakeholders aligned throughout the product lifecycle by monitoring progress, identifying follow-ups, and escalating issues as needed

Provide administrative and operational support to help the team execute smoothly and efficiently

Qualifications :

1-3 years of professional experience in project coordination, operations, approvals management, or general support in a similar coordination-focused role

Previous experience supporting day-to-day operations, project workflows, or cross-functional team coordination preferred

Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities at once

Detail-oriented with strong follow-through and a high degree of accuracy

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams and with external agenc y partners

Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Familiarity with consumer products, retail, food, and/ or brand licensing environments is a plus