Principal Scientist, R&D – Open Innovation Expert

Job Description

Job Purpose  

​​​As a Principal Scientist, you will lead and scale Open Innovation (OI) initiatives across R&D to accelerate product, process, packaging innovation in the food business. In partnership with the North America R&D Leadership Team, you will manage and govern our External Partnerships and Open Innovation program, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, focus, and budget adherence. You will scout partners, drive agile sprints and proof of concepts trails, and support the implementation of novel technology platforms.  You will act as the OI client manager for the R&D teams and external customers. Interact across business and technical functions at various levels of seniority throughout the company, provide technical knowledge of open innovation best practices.​ ​  

Essential Functions & Responsibilities  

• ​​Define and execute an Open Innovation strategy and technology roadmaps that integrate digital transformation and AI capabilities with R&D priorities.  

• ​Facilitating business and technical decision makers in the translation of strategy into Open Innovation projects.  

• ​Participate in aspects of Open Innovation capability for the company, to find new or emerging technology and services that can be adapted to provide new product opportunities, or lead to significant cost reduction in operations supporting the digital and food science platforms.  

• ​Representing the company’s interests in relationships and joint development efforts with certain academic and industrial partners who can provide technology and know-how that will help address our important needs.  

• ​Assisting in negotiating and structuring joint development or license agreements with chosen partners.  

• ​Work closely with IP attorneys in negotiating licensing and joint development agreements. Support IP strategy, evaluate invention disclosures tied to Open Innovation projects, and coordinate with corporate venturing or licensing teams on commercialization.  

• ​Working with technology brokerage companies to solicit input from outside experts on our specific technical needs. Coordinate rapid and effective response to unsolicited Open Innovation proposals.  

• ​Identify and evaluate startups, academic labs, technology vendors, and internal teams with strengths in LLMs, autonomous agents, robotics, simulation, sensory analytics, predictive shelf-life modelling, and Digital Twins.  

• ​Design and run Innovation challenges, hackathons, proof-of-concepts (POCs), and partner pilots; manage contracts and IP terms in collaboration with legal and procurement.  

• ​Perform a preliminary technical and business assessment of technology to determine whether this should be pursued.  

​​ 

Expected Experience & Required Skills 

• ​​BS/MS degree in Chemical/Mechanical/Food Engineering or PhD in Food Science with deep technical background in AI or related discipline.  

• ​6-8 years of experience in R&D, Open Innovation, or corporate venturing in the food or CPG industry, with 2+ years exploring digital/AI solutions.  

• ​Strong familiarity with R&D workflows   

• ​Proven track record