Overview:
CAREERS TO SMILE ABOUT
At PepsiCo, you’ll discover a place where our mission is to create smiles around the world. With a portfolio of more than 500 beloved brands including, Gatorade, Lay’s and Quaker, our work touches millions of people every day.
At the heart of the company is a team of thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers who collaborate to innovate and turn ideas into action. Driven by innovation and a focus on creating joyful moments through food and drinks, our decisions are guided by consumer centricity, creating opportunities for our associates to do meaningful work and make a lasting impact in the communities we serve.
Whatever your role, you’ll be part of a general community that values your ideas and empowers you to make an impact, on your career and on the world around you.
**Responsibilities**:
**The Opportunity**:
The **R&D; Associate Manager** leads innovation, productivity, brand stewardship, and portfolio transformation for the Potato Chips category (Lay’s, Ruffles, Sabritas, and Sabritas Receta Crujiente) across the PMF and CAR regions.
- The role is accountable for delivering **strategic, science‑based projects** that drive **sustainable business growth** and expand the category into **new consumer occasions**.
This position integrates **strong technical expertise, functional ingredient knowledge, and consumer‑led innovation thinking** to design, scale, and commercialize products that strengthen the portfolio and unlock incremental growth opportunities, including solutions incorporating **protein, fiber, and other nutritional enhancements**.
In addition to project leadership, the role acts as a **technical thought leader and people manager**, building scientific rigor, confidence, and technical capability within the R&D; team. The objective is to position R&D; as a **trusted,



data‑driven innovation partner** capable of influencing business decisions through evidence‑based insights and experimentation.
The R&D; Associate Manager leads initiatives **end‑to‑end**, from ideation and prototyping through pilot trials, scale‑up, start‑up, and commercialization, while providing technical mentorship to product developers. The role reports to the **R&D; Senior Manager** and works in close partnership with R&D;, Marketing, Planning, Supply Chain, Operations, and Business teams.
**- Your Impact**:
As an **R&D; Associate Manager**, your responsibilities will include:
**Innovation, Growth & New Occasions**:
- Lead innovation initiatives aligned with the **BU AOP Innovation Agenda**, enabling portfolio expansion into new platforms and occasions.
- Translate consumer insights, need states, and emerging trends into **scalable, science‑backed product concepts**.
- Develop differentiated product solutions that balance consumer relevance, technical feasibility, and commercial requirements.
- Partner with Marketing, Sales, and Finance to ensure innovation plans are executable and aligned with business objectives.
**Functional Ingredients & Science‑Based Product Design**:
- Ensure all nutritional and functional designs are **scientifically valid, regulatory‑compliant, and evidence‑based**.
- Collaborate with Nutrition Science, Regulatory, Sensory,



and Analytical teams to support sound technical decisions and credible claims.
**Product Development, Research & Scale‑Up**:
- Execute complex product development initiatives, resolving technical challenges through structured experimentation and analysis.
- Lead research projects involving chemical, biochemical, nutritional, and microbiological aspects of foods.
- Design, develop, and validate formulations and prototypes that meet quality, safety, and manufacturability standards.
- Lead pilot trials, plant validations, scale‑up, and start‑up activities for innovation and renovation projects.
**Product Lifecycle Management & Governance**:
- Lead projects through the **Stage Gate** process from feasibility through Launch & Learn.
- Deliver complete and accurate technical documentation.
- Conduct end‑to‑end risk assessments and define mitigation plans across all project phases.
**Product Transformation, Brand Stewardship & Productivity**:
- Lead product transformation initiatives to ensure compliance with global and local PepsiCo guidelines.
- Ensure consistent execution of **brand stewardship** across the portfolio.
- Drive productivity initiatives related to ingredients, formulations, and processes to improve manufacturing efficiency.
- Lead **zero mass balance** activities, defining raw material usage factors, cost impacts, and productivity opportunities.
**Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory**:
- Execute tactical food‑safety plans and support regulatory and quality audits.
- Lead analytical, microbiological, shelf‑life, and consumer testing in collaboration with R&D; SCPI and Analytical teams.
- Ensure compliance with product, regulatory, and nutrition standards.
- Provide technical input for **Nutrition Facts** and nutritional labeling.
**Cro

📌 R&d Associate Manager (Azcapotzalco)
🏢 PEPSICO
📍 Azcapotzalco