Job Purpose / Overview
The Innovation Consumer Technical Insights Senior Scientist provides technical leadership to guide the design and development of superior product experiences for projects within the Innovation Centre program, spanning advanced innovation and renovation, as well as Front-End Framework and Technology Readiness Level projects. This role is responsible for defining proposition-specific job stories, translating them into tangible differentiators for the product experience, and designing and delivering comprehensive consumer learning plans for assigned projects. The position also serves as the key contact for selected brands regarding cross-functional learning on proposition performance.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the definition of proposition-specific job stories for advanced innovation and renovation projects, translating them into tangible differentiators for the product experience as input to the product and packaging brief for research and development.
- Align product experience critical success factors with Marketing and Consumer Market Insights to ensure the product experience delivers against consumer needs and supports a superior proposition.
- Create and deliver consumer learning plans to develop and validate the unbranded product proposition for advanced innovation and renovation projects, as well as learning plans for relevant Technology Readiness Level and Front-End Framework projects.
- Contribute to the claims brief and lead substantiation as required by assigned projects.
- Play an active role in Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility exploration, collaborating with Marketing and Consumer Market Insights to define desirability and proactively push boundaries to increase project success.
- Serve as the key contact for Portfolio Leaders on selected brands, supporting them with cross-functional insight on proposition performance.
- Role-model consumer centricity and agile execution.
- Translate consumer and customer insights into product and packaging design attributes, and develop the Key Quality Attribute ladder by linking brand promise, consumer benefit, and product key quality attributes.
- Actively participate as a member of the global Consumer Technical Insights community, helping to advance functional excellence and business impact.
Context and Scope
The Innovation Consumer Technical Insights Senior Scientist brings the consumer voice into every project from the outset, collaborating closely with research and development and cross-functional project partners. This may include Technology Readiness Level or Front-End Framework projects. The role partners effectively with Consumer Market Insights peers, forming a unified consumer voice as input to learning plans, product critical success factors, and claims. All Consumer Technical Insights work is delivered in line with functional excellence as defined by the Central Consumer Technical Insights Director, and the role is an active member of the global Consumer Technical Insights community, sharing learnings and best practices.
Job Specifications / Qualifications
Education & Professional Qualifications
- University degree in food science, consumer science, or a related equivalent field.
Knowledge / Experience
- Extensive experience in applied sensory and consumer science, as well as product development, within a business context.
- Experience in project management.
- Proven ability to build strong collaborative relationships with partners across internal teams and with external agencies.
- Ability to effectively engage and influence peers in research and development, marketing including consumer market insights, commercial, and supply chain.
- Fluent in English; knowledge of a second language is advantageous.
