Your Opportunity as a Products Research-Senior Scientist, Pet Research & Development Team
The R&D Senior Scientist in Products Research is responsible for understanding consumers’ needs and translating them into technical requirements and consumer models to drive business impact. The incumbent will leverage technical thinking skills to bring together consumer needs and product possibilities into winning innovation. This position will have Products Research responsibility for projects or related programs within Upstream Innovation and Base Business, including defining and executing the consumer methods used for insight understanding, product development, and qualification of projects.
The R&D Senior Scientist in Products Research will independently plan and execute product consumer understanding for R&D teams. The incumbent will build relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers and coach others in their area of expertise. A key focus will be to continue advancing our capability to translate consumer-based needs into design actionability.
The scope of this role covers Pet food, snacks, and other adjacencies and includes multiple brands within the JM Smucker Pet portfolio.
Location: Orrville, OH Corporate Offices
Working Environment: Estimated 30% Onsite/In Person Expectations, 60% Hybrid Flexibility, 10% Anticipated Travel
In this role you will:
- Lead both qualitative and quantitative consumer research to understand consumers’ needs and inform product development. This involves study design, fielding, data analysis, translation into technical requirements (design criteria, specifications, consumer models, etc.), and internal sharing of results
- Advance capability to translate consumer-based needs into design actionability through working with the Product Development, Process Development, and Analytical teams
- Lead category product learning for fundamental R&D product understanding
- Define and influence the Products Research methods and activities used for consumer understanding, product development, and qualification of projects
- Initiate and lead Products Research methods and activities that guide current and future product innovation and technology platforms
- Accountable for all Products Research deliverables in Technical Readiness reviews for projects that they are involved
- Integrate internal and external innovation capabilities to deliver key initiatives and drive Products Research capability
- Leverage Products Research understanding and knowledge to train peers within the R&D organization
- Actively collaborate and leverage relationships across functional teams to achieve established shared goals or objectives
- Works independently, guided by functional processes and seeks input or guidance on complex matters
- Identify and implement Pet R&D work process improvements
- As appropriate, lead cross-discipline project teams
- Become subject matter experts (SMEs) on the consumers and products related to their specific project
The Right Place for You
We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.
What we are looking for:
Minimum Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Science or Engineering
- At least 8 years of experience in the Consumer Products Industry with project leadership
- Experience and formal training in Product Research, including both quantitative and qualitative research
- Must have strong experience in Products Research within the Consumer Product Industry and track record of leveraging this experience to develop, qualify, and launch innovation
- Products Research experience in both Upstream/Front End and Product Development/Qualification/Launch
- Demonstrated practitioner of large quantitative category learning and modeling
- Strong experience analyzing complex data, preferably using statistical software such as JMP or SPSS
- Experience designing and placing research for demonstration of product benefit or support
- Strong collaboration skills and experience partnering with other functions to deliver results
- Ability to effectively communicate complex ideas to a variety of stakeholders across functions
- Ability to thrive in a fast-pace environment, managing multiple projects simultaneously
- Must be passionate and driven, yet flexible and willing to embrace changing business priorities and ambiguity
Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:
- Pet Food/Snack R&D experience, experience in manufacturing or advanced technical degree
Learn more about working at Smucker:
Helping our Employees Thrive
Delivering on Our Purpose
Our Continued Commitment to Ensuring a Workplace for All
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The J.M. Smucker Co. Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about The J.M. Smucker Co. and has not been reviewed or approved by The J.M. Smucker Co..
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs are described as strong, with a company 401(k) match, immediate vesting in some materials, and access to an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. These elements contribute to a favorable view of total compensation value.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave for all parents and on-site childcare at key locations signal a family-forward approach. Additional supports such as adoption assistance and pet-related leave reinforce this emphasis.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, seasonal compressed schedules, and flexibility options are highlighted across materials. The ability to start with substantial PTO and buy additional time enhances perceived time-off breadth.
The J.M. Smucker Co. Insights
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What We Do
Each generation of consumers leaves their mark on culture by establishing new expectations for food and the companies that make it. At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to be at the heart of this dynamic with a portfolio that appeals to each generation of people and pets with products found in 90 percent of U.S. homes and countless restaurants. This includes a mix of iconic brands consumers have always loved such as Folgers®, Jif® and Milk-Bone® and new favorites like Café Bustelo®, Smucker’s® Uncrustables® and Rachael Ray® Nutrish®. By continuing to immerse ourselves in consumer and pet parent preferences for food, how it’s purchased and how the companies that make it should operate, we will maintain the important role we play in their lives. This will allow us to continue growing our business and the positive impact we have on all of those who count on us.
