Product Development Senior Scientist

at  Mars

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The CARE Design Centre team plays a key role in contributing to the delivery of our Pet Nutrition growth sufficiency ambition. This is achieved through the delivery of innovation projects focused on key benefit areas such as digestion and obesity across formats/technologies (dry, wet, C&T’s) that will primarily land on the IAMS brand across multiple markets.
The scope of these projects varies in the levels of complexity but typically encompasses innovation which covers different ingredients, processes, packaging, product designs and claim technologies.
The associate in this role will be expected to serve as technical project leader and contribute to the development of superior propositions based on pet & pet parent insights. They will work in close partnership with the relevant marketing and supply functions, brand boards and R&D functional teams to ensure the technical robustness and validation of the product design.

• Technical project lead for global product innovation projects. This role represents all R&D functions as part of the core project team and leads the technical project team to ensure the development and validation of superior propositions based on pet & pet parent insights and robust technical deliveries and readiness at DB and AB stage gates
• Accountable for technical delivery of medium/high complexity innovation projects or sub-projects ensuring compliance to relevant S&OP+ business processes (Global Innovation Process (GIP), QUEST, Design for Vertical Start Up Product & Pack). This includes effectively managing delivery on time, cost and quality whilst working with and influencing key stakeholders
• Leads technical project team with risk and opportunity management mindset. Accountable for the delivery of robust risk assessments and timely communication to core project team and key stakeholders at each stage gate. This includes both written and verbal high-quality communications of project status, breakthroughs, and findings
• Accountable to ensure product solutions deliver to agreed business model that consistently delivers against project critical success factors and targets (Nutrition standard (MPENS, AFFCO, etc), palatability, digestibility and feaces quality, recipe cost, carbon intensity, shelf-life, and claims). Understands and apply regulatory/legal legislations, quality standards, and food & people safety considerations to development
• Leverages internal and external resources to build relevant competitor landscapes to identify insights on product design, claims, ingredients, etc.
• Responsible for generating and being the custodian of relevant product project deliverables at GIB-NPR-DB-AB stage gates across S&OP+ business process (e.g. Product Brief, technical project time plan, Product key quality attributes, Global Product specifications, Technical Readiness Reviews (at DB and AB) and Product Innovation Blueprint
• Responsible for working seamlessly with Global & Local Marketing, Process & Packaging Innovation, Regional and Site R&D, Commercial, CMI, and Supply to establish product targets and key routes to implementation
• Responsible for building functional excellence in Product Development. This includes being informed of technological, innovation and business trends, competitive set, trade customers, equipment suppliers and be able to match & apply to development projects
• Responsible for proactively managing Intellectual Property risks and opportunities
• Responsible for providing training and support to other associates, within the Product Development fields in which the job holder has expertise