Senior Scientist - Variety Agronomy

Overview

At Pepsi Co, we strive to put more smiles on our consumers’ faces with every bite—and we achieve this through robust research and a sustainable approach to raw material production and processing. Come change the way consumers experience food by joining the R&D Ag Science team.

You will be part of the North American Advanced Trialing team within Pepsi Co’s North America R&D Ag Science Variety Trialing organization. As a Scientist in Variety Specific Agronomy (VSA), you will play a pivotal role in advancing our chipping potato portfolio by designing, executing, and interpreting field and storage trials across North America. Working closely with potato breeders, you’ll help select top-performing varieties and recommend sustainable, high-performance crop practices and technologies.

Your expertise in research agronomy and project management will drive innovation across our ingredient supply chain—unlocking data-driven insights that link regional trials to broader global programs.

This role focuses on delivering impactful research in agronomy, breeding, and AgTech, including the identification and validation of new varieties and the development of cutting-edge farming practices. Your contributions will be foundational to Pepsi Co’s beloved products and instrumental in delivering our Positive Agriculture (Pep+) goals across our global sourcing footprint.

You will bring a unique set of skills and experiences to deliver across key areas:

• Foundational subject matter expertise in identification and advancement of top-performing varieties and practices in potatoes, grains, or other specialty crops, aligned with Pep+ goals.
• Apply advanced expertise in trial design, data analysis, and systems biology to evaluate varieties, practices, and technologies for optimal on-farm performance.
• Own and manage field and storage trials across North America, including trial design, execution, data interpretation, and reporting.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners—breeders, growers, CROs, universities, and vendors—to deliver on project goals and timelines.
• Serve as a technical liaison to growers, CROs, universities, and internal teams, ensuring aligned project execution and timeline adherence.
• Bring broad technical knowledge across agronomy disciplines, including fertilizer optimization, microbiome, pest management, and soil health.
• Interpret and communicate experimental results and recommendations to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Manage contracts and hold external collaborators accountable to deliverables and timelines.
• Maintain and grow strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide project budget estimates and track expenditures across assigned work streams.
• Regularly communicate project progress and key outcomes to stakeholders, ensuring alignment with strategic business objectives.

Compensation and Benefits

• The expected compensation range for this position is between $80,200 - $134,250.
• 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 8% 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.

• BS with 4+ years, or MS with 2+ years, or PhD with 0-1+ years in Agriculture, Crop Science, Plant Physiology, or a related field
• 5+ years of field research experience in agronomy, AgTech, or sustainable agriculture
• Corporate experience in the Ag Seed, Chemical, or Food industry, preferably with potatoes, grains, fruits, or vegetables
• Preferred experience in seed production, supply planning, and storage…