Principal Scientist, R&D – Consumer Experience (CX) Product Insights

Kraft Heinz • Glenview, IL

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal Scientist for CX Product Insights is the technical authority and methodologist for consumer experience research across an assigned portfolio within Product Insights. This role architects fit-for-purpose CX learning strategies across the end-to-end product lifecycle, from front-end exploration and ideation through launch readiness, ensuring methodological rigor, evidence quality, and decision-ready synthesis that accelerates innovation and renovation. The scientist translates consumer needs into clear product and packaging experience requirements, influences cross-functional teams toward consumer-centric decisions, and balances speed vs. rigor based on decision risk. This role elevates functional capability through coaching, playbooks/toolkits, and ways of working, and guides internal teams and suppliers to the right level of rigor for the decision at hand. The scientist will partner closely with R&D (Product & Process Development, Packaging, Sensory), Marketing/Brand, Insights, Analytics, Culinary, and external suppliers to ensure consumer learning is converted into practical product, packaging, and technical decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree minimum (Consumer Behavior/Psychology, Marketing Research, Engineering, Food Science, Human Factors, Industrial Design, or related STEM field).
• Minimum of 6+ years (BS), 5 + years (MS) or 4 + years (PhD) in consumer/product research, consumer experience, or applied insights supporting product development and commercialization—CPG or food & beverage strongly preferred—with demonstrated progression as a technical authority across multiple brands/platforms and vendor ecosystems.
• Recognized expertise across CX research methods (qualitative and quantitative), including end-to-end study design, instrument development, analysis planning, synthesis, and storytelling; ability to select methods based on decision risk and learning objectives.
• Proven ability to influence product and packaging innovation/renovation decisions by translating consumer needs into clear experience requirements and decision criteria.
• Strong technical oversight: expert scoping, critical review of study quality, and ability to QA vendor work (methods, analysis, and interpretation).
• Clear, succinct communication across audiences, including leadership-level implications, tradeoffs, and uncertainty/limitations.
• Demonstrated capability building: coaching, technical training, and establishing best practices/standards in a matrixed organization.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management; sound escalation judgment and ability to correct misinterpretations of evidence.
• Strong prioritization and independent execution across a complex portfolio with multiple concurrent projects.
• Working proficiency with quantitative/statistical interpretation used in CX and product testing; comfort using and overseeing common research platforms and analysis tools (survey/testing platforms, analysis packages, dashboards/BI), consistent with internal standards.
• Ability to travel up to 20 % of the time.

Responsibilities

• Provide CX technical leadership for the assigned portfolio/platforms, defining key information needs tied to business and technical decisions at each development milestone.
• Architect end-to-end CX learning plans (qualitative + quantitative) from upstream exploration to downstream validation, with clear decision framing, success criteria, and evidence standards.
• Serve as portfolio CX methodologist/SME—selecting, applying, and advising on appropriate methods across learning phases, aligning rigor to risk and timeline.
• Translate consumer learning into clear experience requirements that guide product and packaging development, including managing design tradeoffs and aligning on what success looks like.
• Lead high-stakes stakeholder readouts, synthesizing findings, tailoring storyline and technical depth for executive vs. technical audiences; ensure implications are clear, succinct, and actionable.
• Serve as technical consultant to the CX team on study designs, analysis plans, and interpretation for high-stakes readouts and gate/milestone decisions.
• Evaluate, pilot, and standardize emerging CX methods and analytics (including vendor capabilities), documenting best practices, limitations, and evidence thresholds before scaling.
• Coach and upskill scientists and partners through training, playbooks/toolkits, best practices, and consultative support, including shaping ways of working that embed CX rigor across the function.
• Audit vendor strategy and performance for the portfolio— capability matching, scoping, quality expectations, data integrity checks, performance management, and deliverable acceptance criteria.
• Lead multiple simultaneous workstreams with strong prioritization, operating discipline, documentation, and stakeholder communication in a fast-paced environment.
• Provide continuity/backup coverage for the senior team as needed.
• Ensure compliance with data integrity, privacy, and internal research governance requirements.

Benefits

• Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision, Screenings/Assessments
• Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training
• Employee Assistance Program, Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs
• 401k, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal