R&D Project Manager - Away From Home

PepsiCo; Leicester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job description

Overview

PepsiCo is looking for R&D Project Manager - Away From Home - Europe Foods to join in R&D office in Leicester, UK.

The primary focus of this newly created R&D project manager role is to partner with the R&D AFH Europe lead and all Europe business partners to execute our AFH Strategy across Europe. The role will operate across a breadth of initiatives (Culinary, New Business Models, Commercial Change, Portfolio Optimisation) in partnership with Europe Foods R&D, Global AFH R&D and the Global Commercial AFH Team.

Responsibilities

• Project Management - Develop and execute complex projects utilising solid technical project management tools and skills to ensure objectives are accomplished on time, to the agreed standards and within budget.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to understand customer and business needs as well as back of house operations, ingredients pantry, supply chain and other desirability, feasibility and viability inputs and constraints to consider when proposing culinary solutions.
• Generate compelling & creative product prototypes to illustrate technical possibilities to build business and stakeholder interest / alignment and steer development direction.
• Data driven product design - Demonstrated application of consumer product testing, sensory, analytical data to ensure excellent product launches through creation of quality technical product specifications.
• Apply Technical & Business Governance processes effectively from feasibility stage right through to scale-up & post launch support
• Lead projects independently with minimal input from line manager escalating issues as required
• Contribute to workstreams to improve ways of working across the team e.g. improvement of business processes to drive greater efficiencies, sharing of knowledge to create better team cohesion & developing others through embedding best practise
• Provide R&D voice in cross-functional forums and work as an effective business partner in collaboration with R&D discipline partners.

Qualifications

• Graduate in a Food Science or Chemical Engineering looking to build a long term career within R&D.
• At least 5 years’ experience in FMCG R&D product or technology development roles.
• Proven project management skills.
• Experience in managing NPD projects from concept to launch, ideally with past experience in ‘Away From Home’ environment.
• Good technical, analytical and communication skills, ability to interpret data and distil into useful and actionable information.
• Strives for high standards, seeks innovative solutions, rives continuous improvement of products and processes and demonstrates a high attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate effectively to R&D Team and all other functions involved.
• Creative thinking, be able to generate creative, workable ideas within the scope of projects.
• Results driven, demonstrate an ability to persevere and provide timely and direct feedback to others.
• Ability to be able to work independently and to deal with change and increasing complexity.
• Ability to prioritize among the different and numerous projects managed.