Pilot Plant Operations Manager - R&D

Overview

The Technology Process Center (TPC) is Pepsi Co Foods Core R&D pilot plant, providing pilot-scale capabilities across multiple food platforms. As a critical link between research, development, and commercialization, TPC enables the testing, scaling, and validation of products, processes, and technologies that support Pepsi Co's innovation agenda.

The TPC Pilot Plant Manager leads across all functions, including operations, maintenance, safety, food safety, quality, warehouse, and additional support teams. They are accountable for the day-to-day performance of the facility, ensuring safe operations, operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and delivery of business commitments. The role also leads the development of the site's long-term capabilities, resources, and organizational plans to support future business and R&D priorities.

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the R&D Pilot Plant, ensuring the site enables Pepsi Co's innovation, productivity, capability, and commercialization agenda through safe, efficient, and effective delivery of R&D test runs and programs.
• Define and execute the long-term vision, operating strategy, and capability roadmap, including resource planning, organizational capability, infrastructure readiness, and operational excellence to meet future business needs.
• Accountable for overall site performance, including safety, quality, food safety, service, talent, productivity, financial stewardship, and continuous improvement.
• Champion a world-class safety culture by providing leadership over Environmental, Health, and Safety programs, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and Pepsi Co standards.
• Own the site's Food Safety and Quality Management Systems, including FSSC
  22000 implementation and sustainment, ensuring robust governance, regulatory compliance, audit readiness, and continuous improvement.
• Accountable for site's operating budget, including labor, maintenance, contract services, utilities, ingredients, and operating expenses, ensuring effective resource allocation, financial discipline, and delivery of business objectives.
• Lead and develop a high-performing organization by driving talent management, succession planning, leadership development, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness across all site functions.
• Collaborate across the Global Process Centers to drive standardization, leverage best practices, optimize resources, and accelerate capability deployment.
• Build strong partnerships with internal stakeholders to ensure the delivers against current and future R&D needs

Compensation and Benefits:

• The expected compensation range for this position is between $110,700 - $185,250.
• Location, confirmed job-related skills, experience, and education will be considered in setting actual starting salary. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.
• Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 12% of annual salary paid out annually.
• Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.
• In addition to salary, Pepsi Co offers a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility:
  Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.

• Bachelor’s Degree preference for engineering disciplines
• Minimum 7 years’ leadership experience in a Food/Consumer Goods manufacturing environment with demonstrated capability to lead multifunctional teams (operations, maintenance, safety, food safety) of a…