R&D Prod Dev Sr Scientist

R&D Prod Dev Sr Scientist

Job Description

This fast paced, driven team of quality analysts and scientists focus on the development of PepsiCo’s diverse portfolio of beverage and snack ingredients, enabling product categories to bring innovative ideas to fruition and making a direct impact on the organization’s success.

As a member of the Technical Brand Stewardship Ingredient team, you will utilize your knowledge in chemistry, microbiology, engineering and other sciences to develop internal ingredient specifications describing the quality and functionality of ingredients used to manufacture beverages globally. Rewarding opportunity for personal and professional growth. You will have a unique opportunity to expand your knowledge to help and sustain PepsiCo’s global portfolio of products.

• Leverage internal and external resources to develop or update existing ingredient specifications that are clear, concise and support the quality needs of production groups to consistently manufacture Right First Time products
• Perform ingredient feasibility assessments on new ingredients to drive innovation, productivity and improve quality
• Prioritize and balance multiple projects and specification activities and provide technical guidance to efficiently meet development initiatives for innovation and existing brand platforms
• Assess, respond and resolve emerging business critical issues to avoid material supply shortages, outages and production delays
• Develop and maintain effective cross-functional relationships across internal PepsiCo teams and external partners including vendors and 3rd party labs, as necessary, to lead and influence teams to reach project objectives and timelines

Qualifications / Requirements

• B.S./M.S. (preferred) in Food Science, Chemistry or related field
• 4+ years of experience in Research and Development, Product Development or commercial Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA), R&D internships in relevant fields will be taken into consideration
• Experience in food/beverage/ingredient research & development function desirable (specifically juice, dairy, proteins and nutraceuticals)
• Experience with project management techniques a plus​​

Critical Competencies:

• Ability to build relationships and work closely with internal partners and across divisions
• Good communication skills, both verbal and written, to report project status, highlight and report risks to all key stakeholders
• Protection of intellectual property and excellent technical written acumen
• Understanding of ingredient stability and interactions, sensory assessments, supply chain implications, economics and links with regulatory to assure ingredient compliance
• Ability to self-initiate and manage multiple project tasks independently to meet business objectives
• Time management and organization skills, forward thinking and consistently meet target timeliness
• Demonstrated ability to function effectively in environments with rapidly changing priorities and to exhibit personal leadership that positively influences self and peers