R&D Manager - Potato Variety Commercialization

Job Title

Pepsi Co is seeking an experienced and strategic agronomic professional to lead our variety qualification and storage research programs.

This role ensures high-performing, quality varieties are not only selected for their agronomic potential but also validated for their storage behavior, post-harvest performance, and fit for commercial supply chains.

The Variety Qualification and Storage Research Lead will:

• Design and lead storage research trials to evaluate variety-specific performance across harvest timings, temperature regimes, and physiological conditions.
• Oversee operational execution of storage trials by coordinating intake, storage management, and weekly bin evaluations with partner farms and internal teams.
• Lead the North America Variety Qualification process, from trial design and seed volume planning through field and processing execution.
• Serve as the point of contact for the Variety Qualification Committee, consolidating trial outcomes and driving data-based decisions for varietal advancement into the Pepsi Co portfolio.
• Partner with internal teams to shape product profiles, guide trial design, and support varietal go-to-market messaging.
• Consolidate findings into annual reporting deliverables, internal presentations, and variety review meetings, contributing to global knowledge sharing and decision-making.
• Analyze and share North America performance data across storage, agronomy, and processing.

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.

Candidates must have:

• PhD (with >5 years industry experience) or MSc or BSc (with >7 years industry experience) or in Agronomy, Crop Science, Plant Breeding, or a related field, with deep expertise in potato storage research and varietal performance evaluation.
• Must have potato or onion storage research experience.
• Proven experience designing and managing field and storage trials, capturing phenotypic and environmental data, and analyzing post-harvest quality attributes.
• Familiarity with commercial manufacturing environments and the ability to coordinate field-to-factory trial logistics.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to engage growers, internal stakeholders, and senior leadership.
• Strong project leadership, team management, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in data tools and reporting systems.
• Ability to travel ~20% domestically.
• This position is limited to persons with indefinite right to work in the United States.

Our Company will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and all other applicable laws, including but not limited to, San Francisco Police Code Sections , commonly referred to as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance; and Chapter XVII, Article 9 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, commonly referred to as the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.

Pepsi Co is an Equal Opportunity

Employer:

Female / Minority / Disability / Protected Veteran / Sexual Orientation / Gender Identity

If you'd like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the available EEO is the Law & EEO is the Law Supplement documents. View Pepsi Co EEO Policy.

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