Consumer Science Scientist

Overview

About PepsiCo PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the centre of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

Responsibilities

What we’re looking for:

This role looks to develop and implement sensory and consumer research strategies that inform product design decisions across innovation, brand stewardship, renovation, Design to Value (DtV), product superiority, and portfolio transformation initiatives. The role will primarily support the Grains & Bakeries and Beverages categories in South Africa, with support provided to selected priority projects across Middle East and Africa as required.

The role looks to leverage global and local sensory and consumer research capabilities, integrating product insights with deep technical expertise to support the Foods and Beverages R&D organization in delivering consumer-relevant, insight-driven solutions. It will partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders to embed human centricity throughout the product development process, translate consumer learning into clear and actionable recommendations, and support decision-making against consumer, technical, and business objectives.

The role will also contribute to strengthening the team’s research capabilities by scanning emerging advancements in sensory and consumer research and staying current with evolving methodologies and best practices. This will enable the team to adopt relevant research approaches that respond to changing consumer needs and generate meaningful, actionable insights.

• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to implement the global Consumer Science innovation research roadmap, ensuring local alignment with the Technical Stage Gate (TSG) process.
• Develop integrated research plans that span Gates 2 to 4 of the TSG process, using strategic thinking to align key stakeholders across R&D, Consumer Insights, and Marketing.
• Localize and apply global Consumer Science processes and protocols to drive efficiency in terms of time and cost across supported teams.
• Support the implementation and advocacy of the Consumer Science team’s vision and mission in collaboration with the Consumer Science Manager.
• Deliver actionable insights through the interpretation of both qualitative and quantitative consumer research, supporting current and future R&D initiatives. Effectively communicate implications to senior leadership, including up to LG2 executives.
• Mentor and coach Consumer Science team members to build capability and promote best-in-class research practices aligned with broader business priorities.
• Coordinate with Consumer Science peers and external research partners to ensure appropriate resource allocation, test design, and deployment in line with best practice standards.

Qualifications

What will qualify you for the role:

• An advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in a relevant scientific discipline such as Psychology, Food Science, or Sensory Science is preferred, with a strong theoretical foundation in test design, research methodologies, and statistical analysis techniques.
• Relevant work experience in sensory or consumer research/insights, ideally within a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) environment.
• Experience expectations may vary based on academic background (e.g., 2–3 years with a Master’s degree, 5+ years with a Bachelor’s degree).

“PepsiCo is an Equal Opportunity Employer in line with the Employment Equity Act"