R&D Packaging Innovation Senior Director - Science & Technology

International relocation provided for internal candidates only

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

Role Purpose:

• Deliver our global foods packaging Science & Technology (S&T) agenda to build, lead & drive our Horizon-2 & Horizon-3 (H2/H3) strategy in support of long term business growth
• Step up our leadership and focus in developing & unlocking breakthrough packaging technology in support of new innovation terrains to drive incremental business growth

Responsibilities

• Deliver our global foods packaging Science & Technology (S&T) agenda to build, lead & drive our Horizon-2 & Horizon-3 (H2/H3) strategy in support of long-term business growth
• Step up our leadership and focus in developing & unlocking breakthrough packaging technology in support of new innovation terrains to drive incremental business growth
• Develop, lead & execute a cross-functionally aligned global foods packaging S&T strategy to deliver incremental business growth imperatives
• Thought leadership & influencing to ensure that strategy takes a holistic view of packaging including consumer “needs & wants”, materials science, packaging equipment, materials conversion (processing), package technical performance and sustainability [package “beginning-of-life” (BOL)]
• Develop, nurture and sustain technology partnerships & partnership ecosystem(s) to enable breakthrough and advantaged joint technology development
• Deliver & execute a packaging S&T talent strategy that prioritizes deep technical capability & succession bench in critical technical disciplines
• Build strong & active partnership with global foods packaging “end-of-life” (EOL) sustainability team to ensure delivery of pep+ packaging vision & commitments
• ~20% travel required

Compensation and Benefits:• The expected compensation range for this position is between $151,200 - $300,000.• Location, confirmed job-related skills, experience, and education will be considered in setting actual starting salary. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.• Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 35% of annual salary paid out annually.• and an additional target payout of 15% of annual salary is paid out over 3 years following the end of the performance period.• Long term incentive equity may be awarded based on eligibility and performance.• Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.• In addition to salary, PepsiCo offers a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.• A company car and reimbursed mileage.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a BS in Engineering/Science in a relevant field (e.g. Polymer Science & Engineering, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering); MS or PhD strongly preferred
• Minimum of 20 years R&D experience with 10+ years of management & leadership experience.
• Broadly AND deeply networked with industry, academia, research institutes and external development partners
• Strong business/financial analysis capabilities
• Proven track record and mastery of packaging materials, polymer science, packaging equipment & conversion technologies (film extrusion, vertical & horizontal form/fill/seal, thermoforming, injection molding & others), packaging technologies such as retort, hotfill, aseptic & others, sustainability BOL and EOL scenarios
• Deep understanding of technical infrastructure & capabilities, supplier/competitor landscape, operational complexities, business growth metrics, regulatory & policy frameworks, and socio-economic differences across a wide range of markets.
• Proven track record in deep understanding of consumer insights and ability to decode consumer “needs & wants” in CPG space; sound knowledge of package-consumer sensory interactions
• Experience with & knowledge of package digital modeling and simulation platforms (e.g. Dassault) and in interfacing with enterprise-wide Product Life Cycle management (PLM) systems is preferred.
• Strong thought leadership, organizational savvy & effective communication influencing skills -- will be required to interact with and influence “C-Suite” executives multiple times per year
• Deep strategic & forward-thinking capability
• Proven ability to build trusting relationships with cross-functional partners
• Proven track record with demonstrated leadership results, global acumen & technical talent development
• Strong understanding of end-to-end “packaging/consumer journey”, and why & how packaging is part of holistic consumer experience
• Familiarity & experience with Design Thinking, Package Prototyping and collaboration with Design function