Senior Manager, Product Development Coca-Cola Category

at  CocaCola

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Senior Manager Product Development, will play a critical role in both shaping in the Coca-Cola category innovation and growth plans and driving projects to completion to deliver against strategic priorities. This role will be responsible for influencing and supporting the co-creation of a multi-year innovation pipeline in partnership with Marketing, Strategy, Human Insights, Supply Chain, Procurement and Research-to-Experimentation. The position will need to apply the global strategy while leading product development teams to deliver differentiated and consumer-centric product solutions to meet the OU annual business plans and progress the long term brand plans. The Sr. Manager will be responsible for developing new products or reformulating existing products, understanding consumer voice and internal stakeholder expectations to effectively lead projects.

FUNCTIONAL KNOWLEDGE:

• Expert knowledge in food and beverage process technology, with an emphasis on SSD’s.
• Expert knowledge of food technology and product commercialization.
• Expert knowledge of food chemistry and complex food systems as it relates to the production of carbonated and non-carbonated beverages.
• Knowledge and experience with food and beverage process technology, food hygiene and food microbiology. Able to assess product safety risk related to processing.
• Knowledgeable about The Coca Cola Company’s line of beverages including an understanding of ingredients, concentrates and beverage bases as well as competitive product lines.
• Experience in product development or a deep understanding of the E2E process, strongly preferred.
• Knowledgeable about manufacturing processes associated with non-carbonated and carbonated beverages with an emphasis on sparkling soft drinks, syrup production and concentrate manufacturing.

SKILLS

Product Development; Leadership; Chemistry; Influencing; Continual Improvement Process; Environmental Science; Sensory Processing; Researching; organization; Microbiology Laboratory; Project Management; Food Sciences; Food Technology; Communication; Laboratory Testing; Data Compilation; Quality Control (QC); Food Safety Management; Green Solution

• Function as the technical leader for new product innovation, reformulations, and new technologies.
• Support development of CCTM innovation strategies in partnership with Category team to deliver 2+ year pipeline for growth, productivity, and continuity plans for the category.
• Collaborate with multiple TI&SC function subject matter experts and leaders, such as Process Development, TCR, Packaging, SRA, QSE, SC, FM, CPS, Procurement to identify and validate fit-for-purpose solutions based on project needs and scope.
• Provide end-to-end technical leadership from concept to 1st production of new products and reformulations of existing products.
• Ensure Technical Risks are identified, controlled, aligned, and effectively communicated.
• Partner with GDI R&D Tech Center leaders to leverage project management routines to deliver global/regional/local innovations.
• Ensure Technical Gate Deliverables are met to deliver project commitments.
• Lead and direct teams of product developers to meet project briefs.
• Provide technical expertise to Coca-Cola Category marketing, quality and technical functions, CPS, Bottlers on production and product related issues. This includes acting as a resource for general information and acting as a consultant for other technical personnel in the Company.
• Monitor external environment to identify threats and opportunities for the category.
• Design, develop, conduct and/or review experiments (e.g., laboratory or process experiments) to deliver new products; evaluate ingredient, product or packaging safety, efficacy, or claims; or evaluate new ingredients, materials, products, or processes. Write detailed and accurate reports for analyses, experiments, or projects (e.g., equipment validation, evaluation of new processes).
• Capture information, assess it and make recommendations to Company management (e.g., senior technical management) or give the KO system information about emerging business opportunities, technology capabilities or scientific breakthroughs to offer solutions to technical problems and/or affect the Company’s strategic direction.
• Create materials (e.g., memos, reports/updates, newsletters, web-based content) to provide information on department activities, progress of implementation projects, issues, concerns, or best practices.
• Prepare document(s) (e.g., project proposal, strategic project brief, project charter, project scope, product specifications) to define a project, establish expectations and gain support.
• Support the training, mentoring, knowledge transfer of team members to help enable the development and growth of the next generation of technical leaders.