R&D Sr. Director, Global R&D Foods, Strategy and Portfolio Management
The R&D Strategy and Portfolio Management team helps drive R&D's contribution to PepsiCo's long-term profitable and sustainable growth agenda. This role ensures that R&D resources and investments are aligned with strategic priorities across Global R&D Foods. We're in search of a qualified R&D Sr. Director, Global R&D Foods, Strategy and Portfolio Management, whose responsibilities of this position will be focused on managing and maintaining oversight of R&D Global Foods strategy and Portfolio management. This is a pivotal role in defining Strategy and Portfolio Management activities for Global R&D Foods partnering with senior management to create, define and manage the portfolio of strategic options that best delivers the R&D organization's vision, balancing short- and long-term objectives, risks and costs. This role will report to the SVP Foods R&D and dotted line to the VP S&PM.
The S&PM R&D Global Foods Lead will be part of the R&D Global Foods Leadership Team and R&D Strategy Leadership Team, ensuring the delivery of our overall R&D Global Foods Strategy and Portfolio as a core component of the overall Global R&D Portfolio.
Principal Accountabilities
- Defines and manages a portfolio of strategic options that align with Global Foods priorities.
- Responsible to develop sector Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and ensure any adjustments through the year
- Collaborates with S&PM leadership to develop and ensure investments and tradeoffs for AOP process for all sectors.
- Collaborates closely with Sector Opex leads to establish integration of local project portfolio with R&D AOP for all project types (Innovation, TBS, productivity, etc.) and linkage to other systems PLM, MyInnovation, Clarity etc.
- Implement value-based portfolio management and enhancing portfolio analytics.
- Support Global Foods organization in leading strategic planning and strategic insights for the category (e.g., sector footprint assessment).
- Implement change throughout the organization where needed by building integrated strategies and supporting data and insights requests across Sectors.
- Cross-functional partnership with Finance & HR functions for budget and resource planning
- Facilitate competitive intelligence, external benchmarking, best practice sharing across S&PM leads and R&D organization.
Skills:
- Demonstrated track record of cross-functional program delivery and senior leadership communication/engagement.
- Strong R&D Leader with deep technical background and R&D development experience who is credible and trusted with business partners.
- Ability to set strategic direction and navigate optionality and ambiguity.
- High performing agile leader consistently able to perform at a high level doing the right thing while influencing others across the organization.
- Strategic problem-solver who envisions smart solutions and executes with urgency across all levels of the organization
- Ability to leverage deep technical and strategic thinking to create value within PepsiCo business models, collaborating across functions, sectors.
- Strategic mindset with an ability to think broadly and identify value for PepsiCo.
- Strong communication skills to translate highly complex and technical topics to a variety of audiences. Must be a bridge from the global strategy space to the world of R&D Global Foods and tailor messages to partners and stakeholders at peer and senior level.
- Maintain an external mindset, including staying on top of technology, consumer, competitive, and macroeconomic / geopolitical trends.
- Strong collaborator, who operates efficiently and effectively in a highly matrixed environment and demonstrates effective collaboration and influence across cultures and geographies.
- Global outlook with sensitivity and awareness of social and cultural differences. Comfortable leading through change and ambiguity
Qualifications
- MSc in Food Science, Chemistry, Biology, Engineering or equivalent with 15+ years of experience in Food/Beverage or CPG industry with emphasis on product development, technology development and strategy experience in a variety of positions both internally and externally
- A leader who has technical credibility with both depth and breadth of the E2E R&D work in categories and functions
- Strong understanding of Global R&D Foods
- Strong grasp of the business to create compelling vision & business case to land strategic solutions.
- Knowledge and implementation experience with transformational initiatives.
- High level of business acumen, strong communication, leadership composure, and influencing skills to drive transformational initiatives.
- Experience in data analytics and financial analysis with effective organization, & presentation skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities & comfort in matrix organization.