R&d Senior Manager, Product Development

**Scope & Impact**The R&D Senior Manager, Product Development, has full responsibility over a set of projects for Business Continuity and Productivity Programs across Categories acting as enabler with Category Teams. It integrates the former responsibilities of the GDI Category Leader, Product Development, and Innovation & Experimentation (Commercialization).It is part of this role deliver projects with a high degree of technical robustness, as well as managing the Commercialization timeline of the project.**Focus Areas**Key areas of focus of this role can be summarized as follows:- GDI Project Execution & Management- Project Commercialization- Ensure technical diligence and robustness on each project.**KEY SUCCESS PARAMETERS****Work Focus****GDI Project Execution & Management, including Commercialization**:- Lead Business Continuity and Productivity E2E projects across Categories (Sparkling and Stills).- Lead commercialization process for the market implementation of new product launches and product reformulations by working collaboratively and networking with all the necessary functions while ensuring compliance with KO standards and policies/ local regulation for the entire OU. Own the project timeline, manage and co-ordinate interactions among several entities (R&D, CPS, G2G, marketing, finance, technical and Bottling partners) to ensure effective process in place for each initiative as agreed standards and timelines.- Responsible for designing product development approach, for elaborating project plan and for disciplined project execution. Delivers highly complex new product launches or product reformulations, from desk and benchtop level up to pilot and industrial scaling up, in a very advanced technical level. Recommend validated product solutions with an informed defined risk and formula cost analysis.- Responsible to develop set of specifications: Ingredient, Formula, Processing and Manufacturing Instructions (MMI), shelf-life recommendations.- Leads project meetings within the category, cross-functionally with marketing, customer management or technical groups.- Participates in team projects, cross-functional committees, or company-wide initiatives to share information, represent the GDI function perspective, or assist with product development, process modification, package development and marketing.- Drafts detailed & accurate reports for analyses, experiments, or projects. Gathers and organizes information under tight timelines to support senior management's decision-making.- Connects with Global R&D (research & development) Teams to align on priorities, project scope and resources to support the Latin America plans.**People Leadership**:- This role is an individual contributor.- Manages, coaches and trains students, technicians, or junior developers on specific project/task.- Leads by influencing more junior developers and peers.- Expected to become role-model of the function.**Communication Focus**Proper, timely and effective communication is key to this role’s success, it communicates internally with the R&D network, the OU’s Extended Category Team, global communities and externally with suppliers, partners, and associations.The role requires a proper technical communication understanding.**Experience**- 7 years of deep knowledge and relevant experience in Research and Development roles and/or extensive experience and seniority on Commercialization roles.- Experience integrating end-to-end technical scopes for innovation projects.- Meaningful knowledge of expanded Technical Functions as Supply Chain, Quality, SRA, etc.**KEY KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS****MASTERY OF (REQUIRED)**- Technical knowledge and experience in food/beverage industry- Project Management- Knowledge on product development process and the ability to contribute expertise- Knowledge on Supply chain, Quality and Food Safety**BROAD EXPERTISE IN**_(GOOD TO HAVE)_**- Business Case creation and analysis, financial assessment of projects- Consumer Science / Marketing**What You’ll Do for Us**- Development of lab scale prototypes, producing pilot plans for both beverage-based parts and final products. Prepares beverages and conducts analytical tests on taste and/or odor according to sensory guidelines, including qualifying taste panelists.- Designs, produces, and evaluates/assesses, through lab testing, a product prototype/sample against technical requirements, fit to concept or performance specifications.- Provides expertise and recommendations of best practices for production of beverage-based part or finished products during production trials with the plants or bottling partners, which includes consulting line managers as appropriate on milestones and general guidelines and proactively provides advice inside & outside R&D community.- Performs chemical analyses using instrumental methods to determine the composition of samples and prepares samples and sampling plan for ingre