R&d Assistant Scientist

**Auto req ID**: 281867BR

This exciting role sits within the Agricultural Science team, a core function that delivers research and development to support PepsiCo’s billion-dollar global food brands, including Walkers, Lays, Doritos and Quaker. Our global team of scientists is at the heart of PepsiCo’s pep+ mission - driving world class research, development and innovation in new technologies and practices that delivers for both people and the planet.

Collaborating with both internal and external experts, you’ll be managing field and lab based projects to deliver science based unlocks for agronomic challenges across our core crops of potato, oats and corn. These will advance regenerative agricultural solutions that support PepsiCo’s Positive Ag commitments as well as enhance quality and productivity outcomes in our supply chain.

Accountabilities:

- Lead, manage and develop the capabilities of our oat quality testing lab, supporting the Quaker business and working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
- Deliver continuous improvement of our field data collection platforms including managing and curating agronomic data, as well as conducting statistical analysis and reporting key insights.
- Design, manage and execute agronomy trials through collaboration with national and international external vendors; interpret and report experimental results - enabling the building of multi-season data sets to unlock actionable recommendations for growers enabling productivity, quality and sustainability wins.
- Work collaboratively both internally within Ag Science and with external vendors to contribute to the delivery of projects which support our brands through cost and consumer quality advantage and product differentiation.
- Draft and negotiate contracts with external research collaborators, holding them to account against agreed and required deliverables to ensure project timelines are met.
- Develop and grow effective working relationships with partners within R&D and other project stakeholders.

**Qualifications/Requirements**:

- BSc or equivalent in Plant Science, Agricultural Science, Biology or related disciplines.
- Experience in potato and small grain crop physiology and agronomy, preferably with additional practical experience translating research into grower facing outcomes.
- Demonstrated experience in experimental design of field and lab-based experiments, management of large datasets, statistical interpretation and reporting of results to determine yield and/or quality metrics.
- A minimum of two years industry related experience. Agricultural research experience is a particular advantage.
- Demonstrated ability to explain complex concepts to other scientists and to non-technical business partners.
- End to end project management, with an understanding of crop seasonality and how to match business priorities with the chronology of the growing season.
- Prioritization of work to deliver critical business innovation needs with scientific excellence.
- Exemplify strong managerial disciplines to ensure efficient management and timely data delivery from our oat testing lab.
- Adapt to unexpected delays and changes in work flows to maintain overall productivity.
- Effective written and oral skills to provide regular reports and data summaries to project teams and department leaders.
- Robust data management skills - ability to collate and interpret large, complex data and distil into useful and actionable information.
- Partner effectively and have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate, negotiate and influence across all levels and functions of the organization.
- Good presentation skills (written & verbal).
- Collaborative and adaptable, with an agile and curious mindset that is open to continuous learning.
- Self-motivated with the flexibility to balance remote working with on-site work from our Cambridge oat lab or our Beaumont Park site in Leicester. You’ll also be traveling to regional field trials across the UK on a regular basis so a driving license is required for this role.

**Relocation Eligible**: Not Eligible for Relocation

**Job Type**: Regular