R&D Principal Scientist- Color Chemistry

Bring your passion and talent to our stage and continue to share our future and deliver innovative products to our consumers.

The R&D Principal Scientist for the Global Science Platform position is part of the Global Beverage Functional Capabilities R&D group.

This role involves leading projects, designing experiments, and conducting research activities with a team of scientists, while maintaining accurate documentation of experimental data. The position collaborates with cross-functional teams, including Product Development, Specification, Quality, Regulatory, and Procurement, to support the technical readiness of ingredients from the initial stages through commercialization. The role also provides technical insight and troubleshooting to functions such as Product Development and Quality. Strong scientific knowledge, critical thinking skills, and effective communication and collaboration are essential for this cross-functional role.

• Lead and manage multiple projects, applying scientific research and experimental design to achieve project objectives.
• Provide technical ingredient recommendations to other functions based on scientific data.
• Develop experimental designs and related analytics, statistics, and sensory data analysis to validate targets and limits for functional components in ingredients.
• Create scientifically based, robust, functional specifications suitable for implementation within downstream business operations.
• Maintain intermediate technical knowledge of ingredient functionality and potential interactions.
• Design and conduct experiments; analyze and interpret data to inform technical recommendations regarding ingredients.
• Assess technical and business risks associated with new ingredients.
• Collaborate internally and externally with strategic vendors to source ingredients and enhance expertise in ingredient functionality.
• Participate as a member of cross-functional business teams, including individuals from Product Development, Engineering, supply chain, and others.
• Work with R&D disciplines such as Quality Assurance, Food Safety, Nutrition, Regulatory, and Sensory & Consumer Product Insights to ensure ingredient robustness, safety, stability, legality, and adequate sensory and consumer validation.

Key Challenges:

• Lead and manage various ingredient research areas, with an emphasis on color ingredients and functional ingredients.
• Apply your scientific knowledge to technical unlocks; build and lead research programs to solve key issues with multi-year outputs.
• Apply scientific knowledge of ingredients to product development activities.
• Utilize ingredient expertise to inform and guide Product Development initiatives.
• Apply technical understanding of ingredients across different product attributes, including cold fill and thermal processed beverages, and their impact on sensory experiences and formulation.
• Demonstrate leadership by managing multiple project tasks and supporting group members, while managing time and expectations to meet group requirements.
• Communicate conflicts in requests effectively.
• Provide input on tactical aspects of projects.
• Demonstrate appropriate laboratory techniques and equipment handling.
• Keep laboratory notebooks current, documenting all experiments, methods, formulas, and results.

Compensation and Benefits:

• The expected compensation range for this position is between $106,400 - $178,100.
• 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 12% of annual salary paid out annually.
• 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.

• Education: Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree in Food Science, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline.
• Professional Experience: Minimum of 10 years with a BS, 7 years with an MS, or 5 years with a PhD within the consumer packaged goods (CPG) sector.
• Advanced technical knowledge of colors is preferred.
• Experience in product or process development, commercialization, optimization, or productivity improvement initiatives is highly valued.
• Demonstrated strong technical expertise and the ability to align technical decisions with business objectives.
• Effective collaborator with excellent interpersonal skills, capable of working across cross-functional teams and influencing at multiple organizational levels.
• Proven ability to independently lead and execute laboratory work, strategically plan technical center activities, and coordinate with plant personnel to secure ingredient supply.
• Actively engages with various analytical teams to ensure timely completion of testing requirements.
• Highly organized, diligent in documenting processes and outcomes, and able to identify and communicate unexpected insights or learnings.
• Capable of managing and mastering diverse product processing techniques, including both hot-fill and cold-fill methods.
• Proficient in laboratory practices, encompassing chemistry methodologies, operation of laboratory equipment, and adherence to safety protocols.
• Strong computer literacy, including proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Adept at multitasking to support team members, balancing time and priorities to meet group objectives.
• Experience in mentoring and coaching junior scientists.
• Demonstrated skill in collaborating with parallel teams and functional leaders located in different time zones and regions.
• Superior analytical abilities, with a track record of synthesizing data and providing clear recommendations.

Key Personal Attributes :

• Scientific and systematic thinking; creativity and innovation; active listening; empathy; results orientation; a positive, proactive attitude; reliability; outstanding teamwork; and strong self-motivation.
• Exceptional communication abilities, including verbal, written, and presentation skills.

Percent Travel - 5%

Our Company will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and all other applicable laws, including but not limited to, San Francisco Police Code Sections 4901-4919, commonly referred to as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance; and Chapter XVII, Article 9 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, commonly referred to as the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Female / Minority / Disability / Protected Veteran / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity.

If you'd like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the available EEO is the Law & EEO is the Law Supplement documents. View PepsiCo EEO Policy .

Please view our Pay Transparency Statement .