Principal Scientist, R&D – Consumer Experience, Product Insights

Role Overview

• Provide CX technical leadership for the assigned portfolio/platforms, defining key information needs tied to business and technical decisions at each development milestone.
• 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.
• Provide continuity/backup coverage for the senior team as needed.
• Ensure compliance with data integrity, privacy, and internal research governance requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree minimum (Consumer Behavior/Psychology, Marketing Research, Engineering, Food Science, Human Factors, Industrial Design, or related STEM field).
• 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
• 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.
• 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.

Benefits

• Coverage for employees (and their eligible dependents) through affordable access to healthcare
• protection, and saving for the future
• plans tailored to meet you and your family’s needs
• Wellbeing
• We offer events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, and financial well-being lifestyle for our employees and their families.
• a variety of benefits and wellbeing programs that may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors
• Physical
• Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision, Screenings/Assessments
• Social
• Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training
• Emotional – Employee Assistance Program , Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs
• Financial – 401k, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability