R&D Engineer

PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH; Leicester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading company as an R&D Technical Brand Stewardship (TBS) Engineer in Leicester. This role focuses on managing contaminants in food safety, ensuring compliance, and leading complex projects with cross-functional teams. The successful candidate will have a strong background in Food Engineering and proven leadership in R&D environments.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years’ experience in FMCG R&D.
• Proven leadership through managing projects from initiation to launch.
• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute complex projects in the TBS area, focusing on contaminants.
• Apply a risk-based mindset for Food Safety and Regulatory projects.
• Engage and influence stakeholders across various levels.

Skills

Analytical skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Prioritization

Influencing

Education

Graduate in Food Engineering or Science

Job description

Overview

Join PepsiCo as R&D Technical Brand Stewardship (TBS) Engineer in R&D Leicester site on a 18-month Fixed Term Contract.

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Europe Foods R&D Technical Stewardship Lead, the R&D TBS Engineer collaborates effectively with cross-functional & R&D partners to deliver technical R&D aspects of multiple TBS projects within the Europe Food organization. The main focus is on the contaminants agenda, across all technologies, leveraging technical knowledge, applying business processes, and creating risk-based fast solutions.

This role ensures the protection of the licence to operate, maintains supply, and guarantees the accuracy and effective use of technical data.

The engineer leads TBS projects in close partnership with Global Functions, Technology Teams, Food Safety, Regulatory Affairs, Supply Chain, and other stakeholders, focusing on contaminants management, mitigation actions, coordination, team capability development, and supporting Horizon contaminants from the TBS perspective.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic oversight and leadership for developing and executing complex projects in the TBS area, focusing on contaminants to ensure the Europe Foods license to operate, uninterrupted supply, and accurate technical data for decision-making.
• Apply a risk-based mindset and decisive judgment to deliver Food Safety and Regulatory projects on time, ensuring compliance and mitigating risks to business continuity and supply chain.
• Lead high-impact projects independently with minimal supervision, engaging and influencing stakeholders at various levels, and escalating issues when necessary for timely resolution.
• Set high standards for compliance and continuous improvement across all responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Graduate in Food Engineering or Science discipline, or equivalent.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in FMCG R&D.
• Proven leadership skills through managing projects from initiation to launch.
• Experience working across different markets or in a global matrix organization.
• Strong prioritization skills to manage multiple emerging priorities.
• Ability to identify connections between workstreams to support business performance.
• In-depth analytical skills to interpret complex data, including process data, experimental design, and statistical inference.
• Good understanding of the broader business environment and the application of technical and commercial knowledge during projects.
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, capable of persuasive communication to gain support from senior R&D stakeholders.
• Ability to build effective relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail and analytical skills.
• Excellent cross-functional partnering skills.