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Senior Manager, Product Development - Global Nutrition (North America Operating Unit Juice Team)

This is an individual contributor role

Job Purpose Summary

The Global Development and Innovation (GDI) center is pivotal to The Coca‐Cola Company's innovation in beverages across multiple categories (sparkling, juices, dairy, teas), covering product development, packaging & equipment development. As a Senior Manager Product Developer, you will lead projects within the juice category, driving growth through the creation of new beverages and the enhancement of existing ones. You will formulate and execute strategic initiatives for the nutrition category.

This role offers a unique blend of global and local impact, requiring technical expertise, creativity, forward-thinking, digital savvy, and collaboration skills. This Senior Manager role is responsible for facilitating and executing innovation and consumer led technology strategy as well for helping to build and/or execute a robust 3+ year innovation pipeline of global and regional reach in partnership with Marketing, Strategy, Human Insights, Supply Chain, Research-to-Experimentation and SRA. These efforts will steer our long-term plans and leverage Coca-Cola's extensive global network of expertise.

You will have the opportunity to work on one of the most exciting segments of our portfolio, where your contributions will help shape how consumers nourish their bodies through innovative solutions. Join us and be a part of our journey to make a positive impact on people's lives.

Key Responsibilities:

Project execution and management: Responsible for designing product development approach, for elaborating detailed project plans and ensuring disciplined project execution. Manage complex new product launches or reformulations from desk and ideation, through technical pre-work strategy (outlining understanding needs and providing scenarios to approach), benchtop stages, conduct sensory tests, pilot and co-lead industrial scaling with the regions. You will manage the project development working autonomously yet aligning with the category lead's supervision, meeting project milestones and deliverables within quality, timing, and budget targets, that are in line with category strategy. Employ a 'design to value' and E2E approach that focuses on consumer-centric design and considers multiple technical and business aspects.

Innovation and Prototyping: Lead innovation projects with an E2E approach. Develop detailed learning plans and research strategies navigating uncertain pathways and collaborate with partners for technical solutions aligned with our business goals. Use statistical methods and digital tools for efficient product development. Capitalize learnings and adapt strategies based on feedback and dynamic conditions.

Strategic approach: Ensure a strategic collaborative approach towards the Nutrition Category charters, enablers, and embedded big bets (bringing external focus and innovation, local market insights, competitors' awareness, innovative tools, etc). Contribute to the strategy development and implementation: Building the learning plans in partnership with key stakeholders across functions to enable and execute a robust product portfolio.

Influencing & Stakeholder Management: Effectively managing and nurturing internal and external relationships to support and advance organizational goals. Work as part of a cross-functional team, including GDI community, processing, supply chain, scientific regulatory affairs, quality, global SME's, marketing, to plan and manage a program of projects that deliver product enhancements and innovations.

Communication and Collaboration: Effectively report project outcomes, share learnings, actively participate in cross-functional teams, and provide insights and data to guide decisions and innovations. Your effective storytelling and technical communication bridge technical recommendations with strategic business objectives. Lead project discussions within technical forums. Smart risk management related communication.

Business understanding & System knowledge: In-depth understanding of the Coca-Cola's system dynamics, from bottling operations to global supply chains, and translate trends and the science of taste into compelling product propositions. Strong knowledge of bottler capabilities.

Risk Awareness: Stay informed about emerging risks, especially those related to agricultural ingredient selection and product design, to ensure food safety. This includes managing allergens, microbial risks, and sensitivities of products and raw materials, as well as process recommendations. Technical savvy to identify potential headwinds and lead effective discussions for assessing risk management.

External Focus and Innovation: Ability to identify and pilot novel propositions that can give our brands or products a competitive edge. New technologies and ingredients and evaluate their potential for our purposes: co-creating the innovation pipeline. Translate new possibilities into technically feasible solutions. Ability to use this information to help shape category strategy.

Digital Savviness for Innovation: Harness digital tools and platforms for product development (e.g. market trends, consumer preferences, predictive models associated with product stability and beverage matrix interactions, and social media information). Use artificial intelligence to aid in ideation development and digital prototyping. Use data and technology in product development and risk management to unlock future opportunities.

Qualifications & Requirements:

+ At least 8 years' product development experience in the beverages industry, or 8-10 years in the food industry with technical expertise such as ingredient development experience.

+ 3-5 years of experience in Juice Product Development preferred

+ Proven experience in leading successful innovation projects, preferably in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.

+ Enterprise and strategic mindset.

+ Demonstrated ability to connect across organization lines, regardless of reporting relationships.

+ Bachelor's or Master's degree in food science, chemistry, or related field.

+ Fluent in English

+ Ability to guide and inspire more junior team members.

+ Willing to travel up to 25% annually

Functional Competencies:

+ Technical knowledge of beverage development, science foundations, ingredient & processing, and industry standards.

+ Business acumen and enterprise mindset.

+ Analytical, problem-solving, and project management abilities.

+ Effective communication skills.

+ Flexibility to adapt to global role and different time zones.

+ Flexibility and adaptability to evolving circumstances and pivot strategies as needed.

+ Agility, resilience, and creativity in navigating new product development projects.

+ Advanced digital skills in data analytics, AI, and digital prototyping. Data integrity and cybersecurity awareness.

+ Proficiency in statistical analysis and experimental design.

+ Adeptness in interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and fostering a positive work environment.

+ Ability to guide and inspire more junior team members.

**Skills** Product Development; Leadership; Chemistry; Continual Improvement Process; Environmental Science; Researching; Microbiology; Food Sciences; Waterfall Model; Food Technology; Communication; Laboratory Testing; Data Compilation; Quality Control (QC); Food Safety Management; Green Solutions; Sensory Testing

The Coca-Cola Company will not offer sponsorship for employment status (including, but not limited to, H1-B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require The Coca-Cola Company's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.

Pay Range:$131,000 - $153,000

Base pay offered may vary depending on geography, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position, is offered.

Annual Incentive Reference Value Percentage:15

Annual Incentive reference value is a market-based competitive value for your role. It falls in the middle of the range for your role, indicating performance at target.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.