Associate Principal Scientist

Job Description
Are You Ready to Make It Happen at Mondelēz International?
Join our Mission to Lead the Future of Snacking. Make It With Pride.
Working as part of a cross-functional team, you are recognized internally as a technical expert in an area of importance to the R&D function. You identify, define and solve complex business problems by applying your broad and in-depth technical knowledge. As an expert in your technical specialty, this leadership role requires you to interact with senior management and cross-functional teams to meet current and future strategic demands of the business.
How you will contribute
You will plan, lead and manage complex technically focused projects while using your technical expertise to guide, direct and influence activities lead by others. To ensure the right solutions are developed, you will use consumer knowledge and your technical expertise to identify future opportunities and to execute programs with technical rigor. This role will require you to work with cross-functional partners develop and align resource and budget needs for projects. You will be responsible for the technical outcomes of developments related to evaluating new ingredients, formulas, recipes and processes and understanding the impact on scale up between laboratory and production facilities. You will also be responsible for quantifying the technical risks to make recommendations and influence stakeholders. As a people leader, you will mentor and coach others to grow their technical talent.
What you will bring
A desire to drive your future and accelerate your career and the following experience and knowledge:

• Using your excellent technical expertise to set and deliver the R&D agenda
• Effectively influencing category leads (e.g. vice presidents)
• Using critical thinking and thought leadership to ensure that solutions are developed for complex issues
• Working collaboratively in a fast-paced commercial and technical environment
• Coaching and mentoring others

More about this role
What you need to know about this position:
Key Responsibilities include:

• Lead Complex Technical Projects:
  • Scope, plan, and execute technically focused projects/programs in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
  • Deliver excellence across all stages and gates of the I2M (Idea-to-Market) process.
• Navigate Ambiguity with Confidence:
  • Define clear pathways where none exist, while maintaining rigor and excellence in execution.
• Leverage Multi-Platform Expertise:
  • Apply your knowledge across Biscuit Platforms, including Cakes and Pastry, Cookies, and Savory, to drive innovation.
  • Evaluate new ingredients, formulas, recipes, and processes to unlock creative solutions.
• Co-Create Brand Innovation Roadmaps:
  • Partner with brands to design Beyond the Core (BTC) Innovation strategies.
  • Assess technical feasibility, evaluate EMBS, select production sites, determine capex investments, and create alternative scenarios-all with consumer insights and brand equity in mind.
• Deliver Consumer-Centric Solutions:
  • Develop and scale technical solutions with the consumer at the center.
  • Troubleshoot and innovate by leveraging internal and external expertise, creating hypothesis-driven action plans, and collaborating across functions such as Manufacturing and Business Development.
• Drive Innovation Excellence:
  • Apply the Innovation Excellence Framework to overcome complexities in BTC Innovation.
  • Identify technical pathways, from leveraging existing assets to exploring new technologies, while maintaining agility in accelerated timelines and unexpected challenges.
• Technical Ownership:
  • Take accountability for technical outcomes, ensuring rigorous evaluations of ingredients, recipes, and processes.
  • Overcome challenges in scale-up and industrial production through hypothesis-driven problem solving.
• Apply Advanced Technical Tools:
  • Utilize tools like TRL, peer reviews, process specifications, and IIM/I2M methodologies.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in Ion, Accolade, Power BI, and other digital platforms.
• Present and Influence Senior Stakeholders:
  • Synthesize complex technical data into compelling narratives for senior stakeholders.
  • Use storytelling techniques to communicate technical challenges, opportunities, and recommendations, driving alignment and decision-making.
• Risk Mitigation:
  • Quantify technical and timeline risks, generate mitigation strategies, and provide actionable recommendations to influence stakeholders effectively.
• Build Collaborative Networks:
  • Foster connections across functions and business units.
  • Engage with internal and external SMEs to drive innovation and bring cutting-edge science to the forefront.
• Mentor and Develop Talent:
  • Coach and mentor team members to enhance technical capabilities and foster growth.

What extra ingredients you will bring:

• Extensive Biscuit technical knowledge and expertise to set and deliver the R&D agenda
• Demonstrated experience navigating ambiguous projects and managing complex executions.
• Strong and proven expertise in MDLZ NA commercialization processes Handling multiple priorities
• Using critical thinking and thought leadership to ensure that solutions are developed for complex issues
• Working collaboratively in a fast-paced commercial and technical environment Effectively influencing cross-functional stakeholders verbally and in writing, including writing technical report conclusions
• Able to generate Strategic Pipeline for specific brands
• Coaching and mentoring others

Education / Certifications:
BS/MS/PhD in Food Science or Science related
Job specific requirements:

• Minimum of 9-10 years of experience, preferably in the food industry.
• Strong technical foundation and technical curiosity. Knowledge of biscuit formulation/processes is a strong plus.
• Able to develop and drive technical projects with proper scientific rigor: link with appropriate expertise, build detailed and hypothesis, conduct appropriate testing, gather, analyze data, and develop recommendations based on findings.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple projects, prioritize and manage complexity, from bench top to full commercialization.
• Participate in cross functional teams to identify and resolve technical issues.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; able to effectively communicate to all levels within the organization

Travel requirements:
Ability to travel up to 25-30% of the time, on average, with both domestic and international travel possible.
Work schedule:
This is a full-time role based in East Hanover, NJ with in-office expectations of 2-3 days per week.
No Relocation support available
Business Unit Summary
The United States is the largest market in the Mondelēz International family with a significant employee and manufacturing footprint. Here, weproduce our well-loved household favorites to provide our consumers with the right snack, at the right moment, made the right way. We have corporate offices, sales, manufacturing and distribution locations throughout the U.S. to ensure our iconic brands-including Oreo and Chips Ahoy! cookies, Ritz, Wheat Thins and Triscuit crackers, and Swedish Fish and Sour Patch Kids confectionery products -are close at hand for our consumers across the country.
Mondelēz Global LLC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants who require accommodation to participate in the job application process may contact 847-943-5460 for assistance.
Job Type
Regular
Product development
Science & Engineering