Mgr Design to Value

Why Hershey: At The Hershey Company, our culture is rooted in purpose and inspired by Milton Hershey’s enduring vision that business should create opportunity for others. Through our commitment to corporate philanthropy, we create positive impact by supporting communities, helping children thrive, and operating as a business for good. This includes our deep and long standing partnership with Milton Hershey School, where we invest in education, workforce readiness, and hands on engagement to help students succeed beyond the classroom. Supported by strategic grantmaking, product donations, cross brand collaboration, and strong employee volunteerism, Hershey offers a place to work where making a difference—locally and globally—is part of how we do business every day. Job Location

Heryshey, PA (Remote) Job Overview

As the Manager for Design to Value, you will play a critical role in advancing our product design agenda, spearheading initiatives that enhance formulation optimization and overall product excellence. This position demands a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of consumer packaged goods, capable of translating market insights and technical data into actionable design choices.   You will lead cross-functional collaborations that challenge assumptions and prioritize initiatives based on rigorous analysis, ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals. Moreover, this role requires the ability to influence senior leadership by delivering structured, data-driven recommendations that guide medium- to long-term strategic planning.   The ideal candidate thrives in environments that blend analytical rigor with creative problem-solving, embracing the opportunity to innovate business models and navigate complex governance processes. Your contributions will directly impact divisional growth and competitive positioning through the intelligent application of commercial intelligence and stakeholder engagement. Accountabilities

Take ownership of product design initiatives program, including organizing workshops, managing projects, defining scopes, developing business cases, and maintaining comprehensive roadmaps. Critically evaluate and prioritize product design decisions in collaboration with cross-functional teams, with a focus on formulation, consumer sensory experience, and manufacturability. Collaborate with initiative owners to refine value propositions, assess underlying assumptions, identify risks, and establish clear success metrics. Guide and coordinate cross-disciplinary teams through enterprise stage-gate reviews and governance frameworks to ensure timely and effective execution. Prepare and present concise, decision-ready reports for executive leadership that distill complex trade-offs and strategic recommendations.

Conduct in-depth analysis of strategic challenges, market trends, and customer behavior to uncover growth opportunities and potential risks. Drive innovation by refining and validating business models to support strategic objectives and maximize value creation. Manage and facilitate collaboration across multiple business units involved in strategic initiatives to ensure cohesive execution and alignment. Monitor emerging technologies and industry developments to inform strategic forecasting and planning. Evaluate strategic partnerships and investment opportunities through thorough due diligence, risk assessment, and financial analysis to inform sound decision-making.

Minimum Education & Requirements

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Exceptional capability to synthesize complex information and influence senior stakeholders with executive-ready presentations that clarify decisions, risks, and next steps. Strong analytical skills to maintain comprehensive data on SKU volumes, change management, and capacity constraints essential for project sequencing and resource allocation. Proficiency in product design fundamentals,