Research and Development Scientist - poppi

PepsiCo • Austin, TX

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Join poppi’s R&D team that’s reclaiming soda one mouthwatering drop at a time. Refreshing and juicy without the unnecessary sugar, it’s time to love soda again! We’re a passionate group of people dedicated to shaking up the soda scene for good, one happy gut at a time- putting the fun back into functional with our delicious, better-for-you prebiotic soda line. This role will be based out of poppi R&D lab in Austin, TX. We are looking for a candidate with benchtop formulation and flavor experience in the beverage category, with an innovation mindset to develop and refine new and existing poppi products. This role requires the ability to work cross-functionally with the QA, Operations, and Procurement teams and external partners to ensure diligence in the development, scale-up, and commercialization of products. This role is responsible for also supporting poppi’s strategic R&D initiatives, including continuous improvements in sensory, scalability, cost, technical advancements, and functional efficacy. This role will assist other R&D scientists and managers with new product ideation and concept development, as well as troubleshooting technical product issues.

Requirements

• B.S. or M.S. in Food Science, Food Engineering, or related discipline
• 2+ years of experience in the food or beverage industry, preferably in beverage application development.
• Outstanding teamwork and communication skills
• Quick learning, able to grasp the basics of the science of beverage manufacturing
• Strategic and data-driven approach to developing best-in-class products
• Great written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

• Hands-on development of new beverage applications (preferably: soft drinks, enhanced waters, energy drinks) and improvement of existing products
• Create and document finished goods formulas for costing and production, and identify opportunities for cost optimization
• Partner, source, and manage ingredients, flavors, and equipment for product development
• Determine functional performance and sensory properties of ingredients in finished products using industry-established analytical and sensory tools
• Employ in-house labs or external analytical lab partners to collect data on nutritional content, shelf-life, packaging testing, micro testing, etc. and make recommendations
• Open to travel to ingredient and product suppliers for innovation sessions and prototype trials as needed
• Work in collaboration with the QA, SRA, Legal, and other departments to ensure that the commercial-ready formulas are consistent from a sensory, food safety and legal perspective
• Accurately prepare laboratory beverages and concentrates and submit samples for analytical, corrosivity, and sensory evaluation
• Initiate and maintain documentation of trial reports, experimental write-ups, analytical testing, stability testing, handover documents, and presentation cascades
• Communicate the timely status of project progress to the manager and the cross-functional team
• Organize and manage Tech Center runs, shelf-life testing, and oxidation studies
• Perform all activities safely and in accordance with all PepsiCo and poppi safety protocols, maintaining GMP in laboratory, pilot plant, and factory settings. Ensure competent training & operation of all relevant equipment & processes.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant Code of Business Principles, site, and company policies
• Positively add to and harness the progressive culture that has already been developed

Benefits

• Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 5% of annual salary paid out annually.
• Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.

What This Job Offers

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