Director, Product Development

The Product Development team’s purpose is to lead the innovation and productivity agendas to grow KDP brands, transform beyond its core, and improve the profitability of our products. At KDP, our inspiration is to bring meaningful impact and that starts with our company vision -- Drink Well, Do Good!

This Leadership role within R&D will lead the Innovation agenda to design and develop products across the Carbonated Soft Drinks (CSD) Portfolio and Food Service. The incumbent will be a strategic thinker, natural collaborator, influencer, and lead the development and commercialization of our key brands. This role positions Keurig Dr Pepper to delight our consumers and customers through a variety of our brands and channels.

The role will work closely with Marketing, Commercial, R&D, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Finance leaders.The leader should have strong interpersonal skills to build key cross functional partnerships and relationships to foster a team environment aligned to the overall KDP values and culture.

The role will report to VP, Cold Product Development.

Key Responsibilities :

• Partner with Marketing to build the Innovation strategy across our CSD portfolio and Food Service channels by influencing stakeholders and peers on the strategic vision and road map
• Leads the Product strategy, planning, influencing, and commercialization of the Food Service agenda with the Commercial and Marketing team
• Implements the CSD R&D strategy, goals, and business plans to drive growth while appropriately allocating resources to balance immediate and long-term objectives
• Collaborate with R&D, Marketing, Commercial, Procurement, and Supply Chain on the CSD Innovation and Food Service pipeline across the KDP portfolio
• Partners actively with R&D leaders in the progression of Design-to-Value, Product Design, New Technologies, Supplier partnerships, and external innovation to build out a robust multi-year pipeline
• Manages team of Scientists, where role is empowered to make decisions & recommendations on productivity ideas and development while influencing key stakeholders and Brand owners on the purpose, functionality & role of the product
• Provides technical leadership in the development and optimization of products from bench to pilot scale up, and through full commercialization for the US and Canadian market
• Proactively influences and co-leads Innovation workshops, planning, and the technical and financial assessment of ideas with cross-functional partners
• Develops and communicates key business updates to stakeholders and senior leadership
• Ability to create and lead processes to drive efficiency, resolve complexity, and prioritize high performance team behavior
• Inspires, motivates, and develops talent maintaining a forward thinking, agile, and people focused environment
• Manages and aligns the overall CSD and Food Service R&D budget and planning

• Minimum bachelor’s degree, graduate degree is a plus. (Food Science or Engineering preferred).
• 12+ years of experience with a food/beverage company is highly desirable
• 5+ years’ experience managing, leading, and developing direct reports
• Additional experience with hot fill, cold fill, retort, and aseptic processes is a plus.
• Proficient in consumer design and value creation is a plus.
• Extremely strong skills in business acumen, financial analysis, influencing, leading cross-functional teams
• Must have excellent presentation and communication skills
• Demonstrated consumer empathy for developing consumer centric propositions
• Ability to travel is required

CAPABILITIES:

• Ability to manage ambiguity and complex problems. Create solution paths reflecting a range of sustainable, functional, and technically feasible options.
• Understanding of and experience in managing the inter-dependences and relationships between all aspects of R&D, Marketing, Finance, Commercial, and Supply
• Self-motivated, takes initiative, highly collaborative with strong problem-solving skills
• Positively influences peers and stakeholders
• Change readiness, resiliency and flexibility to thrive in fast moving organization

Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ: KDP) is a leading beverage company in North America, with a portfolio of more than 125 owned, licensed and partners brands and powerful distribution capabilities to provide a beverage for every need, anytime, anywhere. We operate with a differentiated business model and world-class brand portfolio, powered by a talented and engaged team that is anchored in our values. We work with big, exciting beverage brands and the #1 single-serve coffee brewing system in North America at KDP, and we have fun doing it!
Together, we have built a leading beverage company in North America offering hot and cold beverages together at scale. Whatever your area of expertise, at KDP you can be a part of a team that’s proud of its brands, partnerships, innovation, and growth. Will you join us?
We strive to be anemployer of choice, providing a culture and opportunities that empower our team of ~29,000 employees to grow and develop. We offer robust benefits to support your health and wellness as well as your personal and financial well-being. We also provide employee programs designed to enhance your professional growth and development, while ensuring you feel valued, inspired and appreciated at work.
Keurig Dr Pepper is an equal opportunity employer and recruits qualified applicants and advances in employment its employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability or association with a person with a disability, medical condition, genetic information, ethnic or national origin, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.