Product Development Manager, Culinary Innovation

PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH; Barcelona; Presencial; EUR 70.000 - 90.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

A leading global beverage company is seeking a Culinary Product Development Manager in Barcelona to oversee product development strategies and drive innovation in culinary processes. Candidates should have 7–10 years of experience in food product development and a degree in a relevant field. Key responsibilities include managing cross-functional teams, leading MVP development, and collaborating on packaging optimization. This role fosters creativity and operational excellence.

Formación

• 7–10 years in food product development or culinary innovation.
• Experience leading development teams or projects.
• Strong understanding of packaging integration.

Responsabilidades

• Lead the end-to-end development of MVPs ensuring culinary integrity.
• Coordinate efforts across culinary and supply chain teams.
• Oversee the design and validation of reconstitution methods.

Conocimientos

Food product development

Cross-functional leadership

Consumer prep systems

Packaging integration

Culinary intuition

Educación

Degree in Food Science, Culinary Innovation, or Product Design

Descripción del empleo

Overview

The Culinary Product Development Manager leads the translation of culinary gold standards into scalable MVPs, bridging the gap between creative vision and operational feasibility. This role drives product development strategy, oversees prototyping efforts, and ensures alignment across culinary, technical, and manufacturing stakeholders. With a strong maker mindset and leadership capabilities, the Manager fosters agile innovation and guides the team through iterative development cycles.

Responsibilities

• Strategic MVP Development: Lead the end-to-end development of MVPs, ensuring culinary integrity, scalability, and consumer relevance.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Coordinate efforts across culinary, food technology, packaging, and supply chain teams to align on product goals and execution plans.
• Prep System Strategy: Oversee the design and validation of reconstitution methods (e.g., oven, microwave, sous-vide) to ensure optimal product performance in real-world settings.
• Packaging & Format Optimization: Collaborate with Food Experience and Design teams to ensure MVPs are compatible with packaging, assembly, and consumption formats.
• Agile Sprint Management: Drive agile sprint cycles, prioritize iterations based on insights, and ensure timely delivery of testable prototypes.
• Co-Manufacturing & Pilot Oversight: Partner with external manufacturers and internal supply chain teams to transition MVPs into pilot trials, resolving constraints and optimizing for scale.
• Documentation & Knowledge Sharing: Maintain comprehensive records of development processes, test results, and learnings to support scale-up and cross-team transparency.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years in food product development, culinary innovation, or technical R&D within the food industry.
• Proven leadership in cross-functional environments, with experience managing development teams or projects.
• Deep understanding of consumer prep systems, packaging integration, and co-manufacturing processes.
• Strong culinary intuition and ability to operate in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
• Degree in Food Science, Culinary Innovation, Product Design, or related field preferred.