R&d Scientist, Product Development

**This is not a Marketing or IT role.**

The Global Development and Innovation (GDI) center is pivotal to The Coca‐Cola Company's innovation in beverages across multiple categories (sparkling, juices, iced teas,...) and covering, product development, packaging & equipment development. As a Scientist Product Developer, you will plan and lead projects across various categories, contributing to our portfolio’s growth by developing new or enhancing existing beverages, as well as working on business continuity projects. This role offers a unique blend of local and global impact, demanding technical knowledge, creativity, and an eye for future trends as well as strong digital savvy and collaboration skills to leverage Coca-Cola global network of expertise.

**Function Related Activities/Key Responsibilities**:

- Work as part of a cross-functional team (regulatory affairs, quality, global SME’s, marketing): plan and execute projects to deliver product enhancements and innovations, following stage gate process requirements as well as managing the Commercialization timeline of the project.
- Project Execution: Execute new recipe development or adaptations (assigned by and under supervision ofmanager), ensuring projects meet quality, timing, and budget targets. Employ a 'design to value' and E2Eapproach to incorporate sustainability, regulatory requirements, consumer preference, and supply chainconsiderations from the start.
- Communication and Collaboration: Report project outcomes, share learnings, participate in cross-functional teams, and provide insights and data to guide decisions and innovations. Your effectivestorytelling and technical communication will bridge technical recommendations with strategic businessobjectives.
- System and Market Understanding: in-depth understanding of the Coca-Cola’s system dynamics, frombottling/manufacturing operations to global supply chains, and translate trends and the science of taste intocompelling product propositions. Strong knowledge of bottler capabilities.
- Sustainability and Technology: Integrate sustainability principles and digital tools (e.g., AI, digitalprototyping) early in the development process to map impacts and accelerate innovation. Your digitalacumen will enable you to leverage data and technology in product development and risk management aswell as contribute to unlocking future opportunities.
- New Risk Awareness: Stay informed about emerging risks, especially those related to agriculturalingredient selection and product design, to ensure safety. This includes managing allergens, microbialrisks, and sensitivities of products and raw materials, as well as process recommendations.
- External Focus and Innovation: Ability to identify and pilot novel propositions that can give our brands orproducts a competitive edge. Consider new technologies and ingredients and evaluate their potential for
- our purposes: co-creating the innovation pipeline.
- Market Insights and Competitor Awareness: Maintain a strong interest in the activities and strategies of ourcompetitors, as well as overall market trends. This involves not just understanding what exists, butimagining new possibilities and translating them into technically feasible solutions. Ability to use thisinformation to help shape category strategy.
- Digital Savviness for Innovation: Harness digital tools, technologies, and platforms to gather insights forproduct development, such as market trends, consumer preferences, and social media information. Use artificial intelligence to aid in ideation and concept development, accelerate the creation of new ideas, and utilize digital prototyping to speed up innovation and enhance product quality. Employ data and software Tools for managing sustainability from the design phase and assessing risks more effectively.

**Requirements**:

- Bachelor's degree in food science, chemistry, or related field.
- Fluent in English with proficiency in an additional language preferred.
- At least 4 years successful product development experience in the beverages industry or 4-6 successful experience in food industry.

**Functional Skills**:

- Strong knowledge of beverage development, ingredient knowledge, processing technology (mixing, heat treatment, filling) and industry standards.
- Digital literacy: Advanced digital skills to employ data analytics, AI, and digital prototyping in innovation. Data integrity and cybersecurity awareness.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and project management abilities.
- Agility, resilience, and creativity to navigate new product development projects.
- Commitment to sustainability and familiarity with science-based targets for eco-design and supply chain (e.g., tracking ingredient sourcing and lifecycle impacts, and foundational knowledge on circular economy).