Associate Principal Scientist

Job Description

Are You Ready to Make It Happen at Mondelēz International?

Join our Mission to Lead the Future of Snacking. Make It With Pride.

Working as part of a cross-functional team, you are recognized internally as a technical expert in an area of importance to the R&D function. You identify, define and solve complex business problems by applying your broad and in-depth technical knowledge. As an expert in your technical specialty, this leadership role requires you to interact with senior management and cross-functional teams to meet current and future strategic demands of the business.

How you will contribute

You will plan, lead and manage complex technically focused projects while using your technical expertise to guide, direct and influence activities lead by others. To ensure the right solutions are developed, you will use consumer knowledge and your technical expertise to identify future opportunities and to execute programs with technical rigor. This role will require you to work with cross-functional partners develop and align resource and budget needs for projects. You will be responsible for the technical outcomes of developments related to evaluating new ingredients, formulas, recipes and processes and understanding the impact on scale up between laboratory and production facilities. You will also be responsible for quantifying the technical risks to make recommendations and influence stakeholders. As a people leader, you will mentor and coach others to grow their technical talent.

What you will bring

A desire to drive your future and accelerate your career and the following experience and knowledge:

• Using your excellent technical expertise to set and deliver the R&D agenda
• Effectively influencing category leads (e.g. vice presidents)
• Using critical thinking and thought leadership to ensure that solutions are developed for complex issues
• Working collaboratively in a fast-paced commercial and technical environment
• Coaching and mentoring others

More about this role

What you need to know about this position:

Key Responsibilities include:

• Lead Complex Technical Projects:
  • Scope, plan, and execute technically focused projects/programs in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
  • Deliver excellence across all stages and gates of the I2M (Idea-to-Market) process.
• Navigate Ambiguity with Confidence:
  • Define clear pathways where none exist, while maintaining rigor and excellence in execution.
• Leverage Multi-Platform Expertise:
  • Apply your knowledge across Biscuit Platforms, including Cakes and Pastry, Cookies, and Savory, to drive innovation.
  • Evaluate new ingredients, formulas, recipes, and processes to unlock creative solutions.
• Co-Create Brand Innovation Roadmaps:
  • Partner with brands to design Beyond the Core (BTC) Innovation strategies.
  • Assess technical feasibility, evaluate EMBS, select production sites, determine capex investments, and create alternative scenarios—all with consumer insights and brand equity in mind.
• Deliver Consumer-Centric Solutions:
  • Develop and scale technical solutions with the consumer at the center.
  • Troubleshoot and innovate by leveraging internal and external expertise, creating hypothesis-driven action plans, and collaborating across functions such as Manufacturing and Business Development.
• Drive Innovation Excellence:
  • Apply the Innovation Excellence Framework to overcome complexities in BTC Innovation.
  • Identify technical pathways, from leveraging existing assets to exploring new technologies, while maintaining agility in accelerated timelines and unexpected challenges.
• Technical Ownership:
  • Take accountability for technical outcomes, ensuring rigorous evaluations of ingredients, recipes, and processes.
  • Overcome challenges in scale-up and industrial production through hypothesis-driven problem solving.
• Apply Advanced Technical Tools:
  • Utilize tools like TRL, peer reviews, process specifications, and IIM/I2M methodologies.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in Ion, Accolade, Power BI, and other digital platforms.
• Present and Influence Senior Stakeholders:
  • Synthesize complex technical data into compelling narratives for senior stakeholders.
  • Use storytelling techniques to communicate technical challenges, opportunities, and recommendations, driving alignment and decision-making.
• Risk Mitigation:
  • Quantify technical and timeline risks, generate mitigation strategies, and provide actionable recommendations to influence stakeholders eff