R&D Life Sciences Nutrition and Sports Scientist (12 months FTC)

Overview

PepsiCo is looking for R&D Life Sciences Nutrition and Sports Scientist to join on 12 months Fixed Term Contract in Leicester.

Job Purpose

The Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Life Sciences function at PepsiCo is seeking a Nutrition and Sport Scientist to champion nutrition and sport science expertise to help drive EMEA sector, consumer centric, sustainable business growth and protect PepsiCo's freedom to operate.

This position has responsibility for coordination and execution of physiology and health science related external and internal communication, activations and partnership programs, to support the business objectives of Gatorade sports drink brand, across different markets in EMEA. The role also involves maintaining an external presence and building a network of Gatorade brand ambassadors and influencers to amplify the perception of PepsiCo Life Sciences as a science-based organisation.

Responsibilities

1. Be a key expert for Nutrition and Sport Sciences to support EMEA agenda, liaising with both regional and global partners, as well as the external environment on research to bring the most relevant scientific nutrition and sports science expertise to business plans.
2. Execute the team's external engagement strategy for Gatorade brand and leverage the global Life Sciences category team to foster communication and sharing of best practices from the global function to benefit the local region.
3. Cross-functional collaboration with Life Sciences (including Gatorade Sports Science Institute), Marketing, Product Development, Regulatory, Scientific Affairs, and Legal functions in support of EMEA Gatorade business objectives.
4. Support the continuation/optimization agenda for the UK Health and Nutrition Sciences website and the development of the expansion plan to other countries.
5. Strong leadership presence and ability to work and communicate effectively in cross functional teams, while aggressively working together to meet timelines.
6. Ability to network internally and influence highly matrix teams to achieve the end goal. Key stakeholders will be Life Sciences colleagues from Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Corporate Communications, Regulatory, Legal, Public Policy and Government Affairs and business unit leaders.
7. Maintain a strong network with the academic community, health care professionals, key influencers, brand ambassadors, federal and trade organizations, in addition to peers within industry.
8. The role involves people management.

Qualifications

1. Masters (MSc) required in Exercise Physiology/Sports Nutrition or related discipline. (PhD ideal but not essential).
2. Two or more years of experience working in the field of sports nutrition and/or sports science (Industry experience preferred).
3. Post Graduate experience, preferably in a corporate environment but may also be from research or academic institute in which case strong business acumen will need to be demonstrated.
4. Demonstrable knowledge in the areas of sports nutrition and exercise physiology.
5. Demonstrable experience in the translation and application of sport science and sports nutrition into real-world settings, preferably within traditional sporting environments.
6. Must have a proactive work style, able to multitask, and be flexible to work in a high-performance and ever-changing environment.
7. Excellent collaboration skills with focus on innovation, solutions, and managing (and nurturing) cross-functional relationships.
8. Self-starter with good interpersonal communication skills and ability to work with various personalities and work styles.
9. Strives for high standards, seeks innovative solutions, drives continuous improvement of products and processes and demonstrates a high degree of intellectual curiosity.
10. An understanding of the external environment & scientific and regulatory requirements for health claims.
11. Ability to work and manage connects in remote locations fostering a positive, inclusive work environment where people feel respected and valued for their contributions, especially capable of working cross culturally.
12. Strong project management skills to effectively drive a complex project and strong presentation skills (written & verbal) and ability to effectively communicate with senior colleagues.
13. Strong networking / relationship building skills both with other R&D colleagues globally and other functions: Ability to create and use networks to actively seek and take advantage of ideas, best practice and solutions developed elsewhere and proactively share information.
14. Strong analytical skills to interpret complex data and distil into meaningful information e.g. scientific research, experimental design, statistical inference and interpreting consumer insights and an ability to disseminate to both technical and non-technical audiences.