Associate Manager – PepsiCo Gandipet Mandal / Hyderabad

About the Job – Associate Manager – PepsiCo Gandipet Mandal / Hyderabad

This role will assist the Specifications Management teams located in Hyderabad Business Services (HBS) to ensure exceptional service is provided in support of R&D Spec Management globally. This role will apply technical expertise and coordinate with in-market and GBS employees, as well as external resources when required, to develop clear and concise Formula, Ingredient and/or Packaging specifications, maintain existing specs and supplier relationships, and manage tracking and uploading into relevant systems.

Responsibilities

Deliver system and process training as needed
Identify potential areas for process improvements and employee upskilling to make recommendations to R&D GBS Leadership for continuous improvement
Leverage internal and external resources to develop or update existing ingredient and/or packaging specifications that are clear, concise, and accurate from spec readiness to supplier commercial qualification approval.
Learn, understand, and uphold Ingredient, Supplier, Third Party, Formula, and/or Beverage/Food Packaging Standards
Maintain and foster relationships with in-market R&D spec teams, other spec GBS teams, and external suppliers
Interact with and provide support to all disciplines to ensure complete and accurate specification. These stakeholders could include some or all of the following: Product Development (PD), Food Safety (FS), Regulatory Affairs (RA), Quality Assurance (QA), Procurement, Supplier Quality Assurance (SQA)
Manage Supplier relationships and serve as point of contact to gather information/data needed to build specifications; complete timely follow-ups to keep the process moving to completion
Collect supplier questionnaire and manage supplier alignment on spec details
For certain Specifications (eg. Foods & Beverages) initiate material testing requests and validate specification quality parameters
Maintain and update existing specs to ensure compliance with standards
Upload all paperwork (re. Supplier Specs) and materials qualifications into the appropriate system (Product Vision / SAP) and track workflow
For Packaging Specifications only: schedule and conduct Individual Component Specification (ICS) reviews, update documents, and manage supplier approval prior to internal review
Ensure all requests are processed, documented, and delivered within defined SLAs (Service Level Agreements)
Assess, respond, and escalate emerging business critical issues to avoid material supply shortages, outages and production delays

Qualifications

Professional work experience (2-5yrs) gained in Food/Beverage or Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry
Evidence of leadership skills when engaging with Senior Stakeholders and/or experience leading small teams
Demonstrated ability to teach, train, coach or mentor others in a technical capacity
Preference for experience in technology system conversion / implementation execution preferred
Ability to interpret and assess complex technical information and issues and seek alignment towards workable solutions
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
Ability to rapidly learn computer applications/programs & navigate systems
For Formula and Ingredient Specifications: basic understanding of Food Safety, Microbiology and Regulatory Affairs
Collaborative skills and strong interest in working with others across time zones; Ability to build relationships and work closely with both internal and external partners
Good communication skills – oral and written (e.g. communication on telephone, external and internal to PepsiCo, managing with other support group functions, etc.)
Ability to manage time effectively across multiple priorities and projects requiring a high degree of organizational and communication skills to ensure requests are delivered in a timely manner
Exceptional data organizational and problem-solving skills with attention to detail and accuracy
Self-motivated & demonstrated ability to take initiative on projects
Fluent in English (HBS)
Fluent in English and Spanish (if located in MBS)
Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Food Chemistry, Microbiology, Biochemical Engineering or Chemical Engineering or equivalent relevant experience required.
For Packaging-specific roles: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Packaging-related field or equivalent relevant experience required
Prior experience of working in a global shared services environment and / or specifications management space preferred
Prior experience working in a large global CPG company, with understanding of the CPG performance outputs and measures preferred
Proven track record of identifying and championing new ingredient and packaging spec writing / management initiatives and process improvements