R&D Scientist, Products Research - Post Consumer Brands

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company’s portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, PEBBLES®, Grape-Nuts® and Malt-O-Meal® cereal, and Peter Pan® peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish®, Kibbles ‘n Bits® and 9Lives® dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.

Post Consumer Brands recently acquired several iconic pet food brands, venturing into a new market while remaining true to our purpose to provide delicious and accessible food that our consumers love. We’re always searching the center store for the next exciting product to add to our portfolio, and right now, we’re growing and need passionate, driven individuals with diverse perspectives to help us reach greater heights. That’s where you come in. Join a team where your voice is not only heard but valued. Make a real impact on brands enjoyed by millions of people and their pets.

Post Consumer Brands corporate headquarters in Lakeville, Minn. is about 20 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Lakeville has all the benefits of smaller town living with access to everything a large metropolitan area has to offer. Join more than 400 team members collaborating on the two-building campus to help put breakfast on the tables of millions of consumers in North America. 

The R&D Scientist in Products Research is responsible for leading projects and product testing to understand consumers’ needs and translate them into technical requirements to drive business impact. This position will have Products Research leadership responsibility for both innovation initiatives and base business renovations, including defining and executing the consumer methods used for insight understanding, product development, and qualification of projects. They will lead product focused consumer understanding for cross-functional teams, train/coach others in their area of expertise, and may be called upon to review the technical work of others. The R&D Scientist is also responsible for the continued creation and improvement of capabilities that translate consumer-based needs into design actionability

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• 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 foundational 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
• Create and improve methodologies related to technical product performance with dogs and cats.
• 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 reviews for assigned projects
• 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 on cross-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 a subject matter expert on the consumers and products related to their specific projects

Education

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Science or Engineering is required; an advanced technical degree is preferred
• Advanced degree in Sensory Science is a plus

Experience

• At least 5 years of experience in the Consumer Products Industry is required
• Experience in Consumer/Products Research is required
• Experience in quantitative data analysis is strongly desired
• Pet Food/Snack and/or related business experience is a plus

Other

• Strong experience in Products Research or Sensory within the Consumer Product Industry and track record of leveraging this experience to develop, qualify, and launch innovation
• Demonstrated practitioner of large quantitative category learning and modeling
• Experience designing, moderating, and interpreting qualitative interviews is desired
• Passionate and driven team player, who is also able to independently manage projects and reach out for support when needed
• 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-paced environment, managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Must be passionate and driven, yet flexible and willing to embrace changing business priorities and ambiguity
• Experience designing and placing research for demonstration of product benefit or support claims is desired
• Expected to have strong experience in statistical analysis of large data sets utilizing software such as JMP, MiniTab or SPSS
• Must have a proven track record of effective communication of data analyses, data-based decision making and turning quantitative analyses into actionable insights to influence the product development process. 

Required Travel

• Up to 20%