Scientist, Sparkling, Technical Consumer Data Research

Scientist Role in Technical Consumer Data Research (TCDR)

The Scientist role in Technical Consumer Data Research (TCDR) reports to the Senior Director, TCDR, NAO U. The role delivers high-quality sensory and consumer data to support product, packaging, and equipment development aligned with productivity, renovation, and innovation priorities for business-critical projects across the North America Operating Unit (NAOU).

As an individual contributor, the TCDR Scientist designs, manages, and executes sensory and consumer research, ensuring rigorous study design, seamless execution, and robust data analysis. The role generates reliable data, actionable insights, and clear, well-grounded recommendations tailored to business needs.

Working closely with the broader TCDR team and cross-functional business partners, the Scientist applies human-centered design principles and integrates consumer understanding into development processes. This includes building category knowledge, understanding consumer preferences, and translating insights into clear guidance that strengthens the innovation pipeline and supports delivery of market-relevant, consumer-preferred solutions.

Organizationally, TCDR sits within the Innovation, Technology & Strategy function, enabling strong integration of sensory and consumer insights into strategic decision-making and reinforcing the role's impact on delivering competitive, market-leading offerings.

• Design, execute and conduct sensory & consumer research studies to meet specific project objectives gaining valuable sensory insights and providing guidance to the development team and business partner. Manage all phases of the study including experimental design, test execution, statistical analyses and reporting of the results, aligned with OU TCDR leader.
• Provide data-driven recommendations based on strong technical consumer research.
• Conduct competitor benchmarking and Product, Packaging, Equipment evaluation to understand the competitive landscape in support of OU categories and brands.
• Understand and define fundamental sensory and consumer requirements of your categories and inject the knowledge into solution development.
• Be curious, proactively leverage external knowledge (supplier, symposium, literature review) to identify & prove alternative beneficial future forward methods (AI assisted), aligned with TCDR global category leader.
• Work as a close partner with the R&D categories team, Marketing and Human Insight team.
• Work with minimal guidance and in close collaboration with project leaders.

• Manage and lead internal sensory laboratory operations, including oversight of facilities, panels, and personnel (contractors, technicians, interns), while conducting and executing laboratory-based experiments to ensure protocol adherence, accurate data collection, and timely delivery of high-quality results supporting OU research and business objectives.
• Maintain laboratory to highest standard and lead required annual audits successfully.

• Perform analysis and interpret test results; form conclusions on studies conducted. Prepare and present technical conclusion.
• Working knowledge of Statistical software (SPSS, SAS, JMP, etc.), Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Project, Word.
• Harness evolving technologies and data analytics to develop tools and solutions that bolster competitive advantage and deliver market-leading results.
• Bring the outside in, remain current with relevant scientific literature from external resources.

• Skilled in identifying and assessing technical risks, mitigate risks, implementing proactive measures to ensure project continuity and system integrity.

• System Thinking, ability to listen to and influence those in less technical roles to act and invest in capabilities with compelling data backed business recommendations.

• Translate strategic visions into actionable plans, using knowledge of current business processes and best practices.
• Prepare and present technical…