Principal Scientist/Manager, R&D – CX Product Insights, Global Innovation ​

Job description

​​Provide CX technical leadership for the assigned portfolio/platforms, defining key information needs tied to business and technical decisions at each development milestone. ​Serve as subject matter expert (SME) for packaging design consumer research, providing specialized methodological expertise. ​Architect end-to-end CX learning plans (qualitative + quantitative) from upstream exploration to downstream validation, with clear decision framing, success criteria, and evidence standards. ​Serve as portfolio CX methodologist/SME—selecting, applying, and advising on appropriate methods across learning phases, aligning rigor to risk and timeline. ​Translate consumer learning into clear experience requirements that guide product and packaging development, including managing design tradeoffs and aligning on what success looks like. ​Lead high-stakes stakeholder readouts, synthesizing findings, tailoring storyline and technical depth for executive vs. technical audiences; ensure implications are clear, succinct, and actionable. ​Serve as technical consultant to the CX team on study designs, analysis plans, and interpretation for high-stakes readouts and gate/milestone decisions ​Evaluate, pilot, and standardize emerging CX methods and analytics (including vendor capabilities), documenting best practices, limitations, and evidence thresholds before scaling. ​Coach and upskill scientists and partners through training, playbooks/toolkits, best practices, and consultative support, including shaping ways of working that embed CX rigor across the function. ​Audit vendor strategy and performance for the portfolio—capability matching, scoping, quality expectations, data integrity checks, performance management, and deliverable acceptance criteria. ​Lead multiple simultaneous workstreams with strong prioritization, operating discipline, documentation, and stakeholder communication in a fast-paced environment. ​​Bachelor's degree minimum (Consumer

Behavior/Psychology, Marketing Research, Engineering, Food Science, Human Factors, Industrial Design, or related STEM field), with an advanced degree preferred ​Minimum of 6+ years (BS), 5+ years (MS) or 4+ years (PhD) in consumer/product research, consumer experience, or applied insights supporting product development and commercialization—CPG or food & beverage strongly preferred—with demonstrated progression as a technical authority across multiple brands/platforms and vendor ecosystems. ​Recognized expertise across CX research methods (qualitative and quantitative), including end-to-end study design, instrument development, analysis planning, synthesis, and storytelling; ability to select methods based on decision risk and learning objectives. ​Proven ability to influence product and packaging innovation/renovation decisions by translating consumer needs into clear experience requirements and decision criteria ​Direct experience in consumer research methodology focused on packaging technical design ​Strong technical oversight: expert scoping, critical review of study quality, and ability to QA vendor work (methods, analysis, and interpretation). ​Clear, succinct communication across audiences, including leadership-level implications, tradeoffs, and uncertainty/limitations. ​Demonstrated capability building: coaching, technical training, and establishing best practices/standards in a matrixed organization. ​Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management; sound escalation judgment and ability to correct misinterpretations of evidence. ​Strong prioritization and independent execution across a complex portfolio with multiple concurrent projects. ​Working proficiency with quantitative/statistical interpretation used in CX and product testing; comfort using and overseeing common research platforms and analysis tools (survey/testing platforms, analysis packages, dashboards/BI), consistent with internal standards. ​Ability to travel up to 20% of the time.​