R&D Consumer Science - Associate Scientist

PepsiCo; Gurugram District; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

PepsiCo in India seeks a consumer-focused professional to drive research from idea to insight and translate findings into actionable business recommendations.

You will lead end-to-end consumer research projects for India & Pakistan beverages, coordinate with agencies, and ensure on-time, on-budget delivery with clear recommendations for product development and innovation.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Food Science, Psychology, Statistics, Engineering, or a related field.
• 4-7 years of experience in Consumer Research, Insights, or a related FMCG function.
• Strong understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Knowledge of consumer testing.
• Experience managing research projects from idea to insight.
• Ability to analyse data and translate findings into simple, compelling recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Manage India & Pakistan beverages’ category to enable effective and efficient delivery of the short term and long term innovation, productivity, quality and sustainability agenda.
• Identify needs, establish learning plan, lead qualitative and quantitative consumer research and sensory research, communicate results and recommendation.
• Coordinate with research agencies for proposals and field materials.
• Ensure field work’s quality is meeting targets and completed on time, within budget.
• Review consumer research report and check for data discrepancies.
• Ensure report complies to R&D guidelines
• Ensure report has clear recommendations and insights for the product developers.
• Archive all consumer research reports to restricted sharepoint on regular basis and maintain the projects list in consumer spend tracker.
• Maintain India sensory lab operations and monitor budget for adherence to target amount.
• Monitor trends & new launches through secondary databases (Mintel, Euromonitor) and report on annual basis.

Skills

Qualitative & quantitative research

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Consumer testing

Education

Master's degree in related field

Job description

Overview

Join us in shaping the future of food and beverages. We're seeking an inquisitive and consumer-focused individual who is passionate about understanding human behavior, uncovering meaningful insights, and turning them into impactful business decisions. If data excites you as much as the stories behind it, and you're driven to make a real difference, we'd love to meet you.

• Manage end to end projects with respect to consumer research to partner with India & Pakistan Business (Beverages)
• Deliver actionable insights and guidance to PD via the above research
• Ensure projects are delivered on time in full and within agreed budget and with actionable recommendations
• Manage trends tracking & competitor mapping initiatives to aid AOP planning

Responsibilities

• Manage India & Pakistan beverages’ category to enable effective and efficient delivery of the short term and long term innovation, productivity, quality and sustainability agenda.
• Identify needs, establish learning plan, lead qualitative and quantitative consumer research and sensory research, communicate results and recommendation.
• Coordinate with research agencies for proposals and filed materials.
• Ensure field work’s quality is meeting targets and completed on time, within budget.
• Review consumer research report and check for data discrepancies.
• Ensure report complies to R&D guidelines
• Ensure report has clear recommendations and insights for the product developers.
• Archive all consumer research reports to restricted sharepoint on regular basis and maintain the projects list in consumer spend tracker.
• Maintain India sensory lab operations and monitor budget for adherence to target amount.
• Monitor trends & new launches through secondary databases (Mintel, Euromonitor) and report on annual basis.

Qualifications

The Basics

• Master's degree in Food Science, Psychology, Statistics, Engineering, or a related field.
• 4-7 years of experience in Consumer Research, Insights, or a related FMCG function.
• Strong understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Knowledge of consumer testing.
• Experience managing research projects from idea to insight.
• Ability to analyse data and translate findings into simple, compelling recommendations.

The Secret Sauce

• Consumer-first mindset
• Learning agility
• Strong ownership and accountability
• Creativity backed by science
• Resilience and adaptability
• Excellent stakeholder management
• Passion for innovation
• Drive to make a real impact