R&D Senior Manager, Product Development

Job Description Summary:

Please note: this is NOT a marketing or IT role.

Senior Manager, Product Development – Dairy & Plant-Based Beverages LATAM

At The Coca-Cola Company, every employee is a leader. The Senior Manager, Product Development – Dairy & Plant-Based Beverages LATAM plays a critical role in shaping the future of the category by leading innovation, renovation, and commercialization initiatives that deliver superior consumer experiences while driving sustainable business growth.

This role combines deep technical expertise in product development with strong enterprise leadership capabilities. The individual is responsible for translating consumer, customer, and business needs into scalable, commercially successful product solutions across LATAM. Success requires balancing technical excellence, speed, quality, cost, operational feasibility, and consumer relevance while influencing a broad cross-functional network.

The role serves as a key connector between Category Strategy, Marketing, Regulatory, Quality, Supply Chain, Operations, Procurement, Commercialization, Global R&D teams, and Bottling Partners to ensure seamless execution from concept through market launch.

Scope & Impact

The Senior Manager, Product Development has end-to-end accountability for a portfolio of Dairy & Plant-Based projects across LATAM, including:

• Innovation and New Product Development

• Renovation and Superior Product Experience programs

• Regulatory-driven reformulations

• Productivity and Value Engineering initiatives

• Supply and Business Continuity projects

The role leads complex cross-functional initiatives requiring strategic thinking, technical rigor, stakeholder alignment, and disciplined project execution.

This position acts as both a technical leader and business partner, ensuring that all development activities support category growth objectives and enterprise priorities

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Development Leadership

• Lead the development and renovation agenda for Dairy & Plant-Based beverages across LATAM.

• Translate consumer insights, business opportunities, and market trends into technically sound and scalable product solutions.

• Design and execute development strategies from concept generation through commercialization.

• Lead formulation development, ingredient selection, sensory optimization, processing validation, and shelf-life determination.

• Drive technical decision-making with a balanced assessment of risks, costs, operational complexity, and consumer experience.

• Recommend product solutions supported by data, technical validation, and business case considerations.

2. Commercialization & Project Leadership

• Own end-to-end commercialization plans for innovation and renovation initiatives.

• Develop and manage integrated project timelines and critical paths.

• Coordinate activities across R&D, Marketing, Finance, Regulatory, Quality, Supply Chain, CPS, Procurement, Operations, and Bottling Partners.

• Lead pilot plant trials, industrial validations, and market implementation activities.

• Identify and resolve risks, barriers, and dependencies that may impact project success.

• Ensure projects are delivered according to agreed timelines, quality standards, and business objectives.

3. Technical Excellence

Provide leadership across all key technical dimensions:

• Dairy and Plant-Based systems understanding

• Ingredient functionality

• Beverage processing technologies

• Sensory science

• Food safety and quality

• Shelf-life validation

• Regulatory compliance

• Manufacturing feasibility

• Packaging compatibility

Develop and approve:

• Ingredient Specifications

• Formula Specifications

• Manufacturing Management Instructions (MMI)

• Processing Specifications

• Shelf-Life Recommendations

• Technical Documentation

Ensure all solutions comply with Coca-Cola standards and local regulatory requirements.

4. Strategic Business Partnership

• Connect technical development decisions with category, consumer, and business strategies.

• Evaluate trade-offs involving:

  • Cost

  • Speed to market

  • Scalability

  • Quality

  • Complexity

  • Consumer acceptance

• Support portfolio prioritization and resource allocation discussions.

• Contribute to business case development and financial assessment of projects.

• Bring external trends, competitive intelligence, and consumer insights into the development process.

5. Stakeholder Management & Influence

• Build strong alignment across technical and commercial functions.

• Influence decision-making across a highly matrixed organization.

• Facilitate effective collaboration between regional, global, and local teams.

• Provide clear technical storytelling and executive-level recommendations.

• Establish credibility with senior leadership through data-driven insights and robust technical rationale.

6. Category Capability Building

While this role is an Individual Contributor, it is expected to act as a leader within the function by:

• Coaching and mentoring product developers and technical talent.

• Sharing best practices across the LATAM network.

• Driving technical capability development.

• Serving as a role model for collaboration, innovation, and execution excellence.

• Contributing to the development of category and organizational capabilities.

Leadership Expectations

The successful candidate consistently demonstrates:

Enterprise Mindset

Makes decisions based on what is best for the business, category, consumers, and system rather than functional or local priorities alone.

Strategic Thinking

Connects project execution to long-term category growth opportunities and business objectives.

Courageous Decision-Making

Makes informed decisions despite ambiguity, openly addresses trade-offs, and takes accountability for outcomes.

Stakeholder Alignment

Creates trust, drives collaboration, and aligns diverse stakeholders around shared objectives.

Leadership Presence

Communicates with clarity, influences senior leaders effectively, and brings structure to complex situations.

Innovation Mindset

Continuously explores new technologies, ingredients, processes, and consumer trends to unlock growth opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Food Technology, or related field.

• Master's degree preferred.

• 8+ years of progressive experience in Product Development, R&D, Commercialization, or Technical Innovation within the food and beverage industry.

• Strong experience in Dairy and/or Plant-Based Beverage development.

• Demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional product development projects from concept to launch.

• Knowledge of beverage manufacturing processes, including:

  • Mixing and blending

  • Pasteurization

  • UHT processing

  • Aseptic systems

  • Filling technologies

  • Industrial scale-up

• Experience working across multiple markets and regulatory environments.

Preferred Expertise

• Dairy systems

• Plant-based protein systems

• Functional beverages

• Sugar reduction technologies

• Consumer Science

• Sensory Evaluation

• Food Safety & Quality Systems

• Regulatory Affairs

• Project Management

• Business Case Development

• Financial Acumen

• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems

• Digital R&D tools and simulation platforms

• Change Management

What Success Looks Like

A successful Senior Manager in this role:

• Delivers innovation and renovation projects with speed and quality.

• Makes clear business and technical decisions despite ambiguity.

• Builds alignment across complex stakeholder networks.

• Connects consumer needs to technical solutions.

• Balances strategic thinking with flawless execution.

• Drives category growth through innovation, renovation, and operational excellence.

• Strengthens organizational capability and elevates technical excellence across the Dairy & Plant-Based portfolio.

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Por favor, ten en cuenta: este no es un rol de Marketing o TI.

El Centro de Desarrollo e Innovación Global (GDI) es fundamental para la innovación en bebidas de The Coca‐Cola Company en múltiples categorías, abarcando desarrollo de productos, desarrollo de empaques y equipos. El Científico Senior de Desarrollo de Productos de I+D tiene plena responsabilidad sobre un conjunto de proyectos para una categoría determinada, los cuales pueden ser programas de Innovación, Regulación o Experiencia Superior del Producto (Mejora de Calidad). Este rol también puede actuar como habilitador de los Programas de Productividad y Continuidad del Negocio. Forma parte de este rol entregar proyectos con un alto grado de solidez técnica, así como gestionar la línea de tiempo de Comercialización del proyecto.

Áreas de Enfoque

Las áreas clave de enfoque de este rol se pueden resumir de la siguiente manera:

• Ejecución y Gestión de Proyectos en GDI

• Comercialización de Proyectos

• Asegurar la diligencia técnica y robustez en cada proyecto.

Lo Que Harás por Nosotros

Ejecución y Gestión de Proyectos en GDI, incluida la Comercialización:

• Liderar el proceso de comercialización para la implementación en el mercado de nuevos lanzamientos de productos y reformulación de productos trabajando de manera colaborativa y en red con todas las funciones necesarias, asegurando el cumplimiento de los estándares y políticas de KO / regulación local para toda la OU. Ser responsable de la línea de tiempo del proyecto, gestionar y coordinar las interacciones entre varias entidades (I+D, CPS, G2G, marketing, finanzas, técnico y socios embotelladores) para garantizar un proceso efectivo en cada iniciativa según los estándares acordados y las líneas de tiempo.

• Responsable de diseñar el enfoque de desarrollo del producto, elaborar el plan del proyecto y ejecutar el proyecto de manera disciplinada. Entregar lanzamientos de nuevos productos muy complejos o reformulaciones de productos, desde el nivel de escritorio y banco de pruebas hasta la escala piloto e industrial, a un nivel técnico muy avanzado. Recomendar soluciones de productos validadas con un análisis de riesgo definido e informado y análisis costeo de fórmulas.

• Responsable de desarrollar un conjunto de especificaciones: Ingrediente, Fórmula, Procesamiento e Instrucciones de Manufactura (MMI), recomendaciones de vida útil.

• Liderar reuniones de proyectos dentro de la categoría, de manera transversal con marketing, gestión de clientes o grupos técnicos.

• Participar en proyectos de equipo, comités transfuncionales o iniciativas de toda la empresa para compartir información, representar la perspectiva de la función GD&I o asistir en el desarrollo de productos, modificación de procesos, desarrollo de empaques y marketing.

• Redactar informes detallados y precisos para análisis, experimentos o proyectos. Recolectar y organizar información bajo líneas de tiempo ajustadas para apoyar la toma de decisiones de la alta dirección.

• Conectar con los Equipos Globales de I+D (Investigación y Desarrollo) para alinearse en prioridades, alcance del proyecto y recursos para respaldar los planes de América Latina.

Liderazgo e Influencia:

• Entrenar y capacitar a estudiantes, técnicos o desarrolladores junior en proyectos/tareas específicas.

• Liderar influyendo en desarrolladores más jóvenes y compañeros.

• Se espera que se convierta en un modelo a seguir de la función.

Enfoque en la Comunicación

Una comunicación adecuada, oportuna y efectiva es clave para el éxito de este rol; se comunica internamente con la red de I+D, el Equipo de Categoría Extendida de la OU, comunidades globales y externamente con proveedores, socios y asociaciones.

El rol requiere un alto grado de comprensión en comunicación técnica.

Experiencia Requerida

• Dominio del inglés.

• 7+ años de profundo conocimiento y experiencia relevante en roles de Investigación y Desarrollo y/o amplia experiencia y seniority en roles de Comercialización.

• Experiencia integrando alcances técnicos de extremo a extremo para proyectos de innovación.

• Conocimiento significativo de funciones técnicas ampliadas como Cadena de Suministro, Calidad, SRA, etc.

Lo Que Podemos Hacer por Ti

• Impulsar con Propósito: Enfoque impulsado por propósito que empodera a nuestra gente para proteger el medio ambiente y las comunidades a las que servimos mientras entregamos productos seguros y de calidad.

• Conexiones Globales: Te permite desarrollar, mejorar y mantener conexiones globales que nos permiten movernos más rápido y aprender de otros.

• Comunidad de Pertenencia: Somos una organización que cree que nuestra capacidad para crecer continuamente y construir el ambiente adecuado donde las personas se sientan seguras y empoderadas, te permite traer tu mejor versión al trabajo.

Skills:

Location(s):

City/Cities:

Travel Required:

Relocation Provided:

Job Posting End Date:

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.