Senior Manager, Functional Ingredient Research - Application and Ingredient Delivery

Job description

Job Description Summary: Senior Manager, Functional Ingredient Research - Application and Ingredient Delivery About the Research & Application Team : The Research to Experimentation (RtE) function in TI&SC delivers scalable and impactful innovations in the areas of ingredients and packaging that grow, sustain, and protect our business. The Flavor and Ingredients Research & Application (FIRA) team is part of RtE and creates a compelling consumer holistic experience through flavors & ingredients. Our Functional ingredient Research, Application and Ingredient Delivery team is researching, developing, and validating the edge creation functional ingredient solutions for beverage application in order to address consumer wellness and functional benefit need. Job Description Summary : The Senior Manager, Functional Ingredient Research & Application, will play a critical role in transforming and applying the validated functional ingredient innovations into differentiated beverage experiences across a broad range of beverage categories. This individual will help assess functional ingredients for beverage application, adapt and optimize ingredient solutions for diverse beverage matrices, ensuring outstanding sensory experience, technical robustness, economical relevance, and scalable implementation by integrating the expertise from different SMEs and functions into the beverage matrix. By anticipating and overcoming formulation, processing, stability, and consumer acceptance challenges, this role will help accelerate the integration of next-generation ingredient technologies into the company's innovation pipeline. The role provides a unique opportunity to bridge scientifically validated solution with beverage functional chassis and formula design, converting advances in ingredient science into meaningful consumer benefits and category-applicable innovations. We are seeking a highly accomplished product developer who is excited to expand their expertise in functional ingredients, wellness-focused innovation, and emerging beverage technologies. The ideal candidate will bring a strong record of product development across multiple beverage categories within The Coca-Cola Company, coupled with intellectual curiosity for the science behind ingredient functionality and consumer-relevant benefits. Success in this role requires strong collaboration and influence across a diverse network of technical and business partners. The individual will work closely with cross-functional teams across Research to Experimentation (RtE), including Flavor & Ingredients Research Application (FIRA), Analytical Sciences, and Packaging, as well as colleagues in Global Development & Innovation (GDI), Scientific & Regulatory Affairs (SRA), Strategy & Insights Services (SIS), and Technical Consumer Data Research (TCDR). Through these partnerships, the Senior Manager will help shape and accelerate future functional technical platforms and deliver innovative solutions that address evolving consumer wellness needs around the world. What You’ll Do for Us Key Responsibilities : 1. Functional Ingredient Technology Translation & Integration : Lead the integration of emerging functional ingredient technologies into beverage systems across multiple categories. Adapt ingredient technologies to different beverage matrices while maintaining intended functionality, sensory quality, stability, and consumer acceptance. Develop platform approaches that enable efficient adoption of ingredient technologies across the category and global portfolio. 2. Beverage Technical Problem Solving : Anticipate and resolve formulation, processing, and stability challenges associated with incorporating functional ingredients/solutions into category specific matrix. Establish technical guidelines and best practices for ingredient usage, compatibility, performance, and processing requirements. Drive development of the playbook of robust ingredient solution and formulation design suggestion that balance functionality, taste, quality, manufacturability, and cost effectiveness, which can facilitate GDI further leverage for category and specific market formula design and optimization. 3. Cross-Category Innovation Development : Partner with GDI category teams and TCDR to identify opportunities where functional ingredients can create differentiated consumer experiences and benefit platforms. Generate beverage prototypes that demonstrate the potential of emerging ingredient technologies to enable edge creation innovation proposition and consumer experience. Accelerate the transfer of technical learnings and solutions across categories to maximize innovation impact. 4. Ingredient Assessment & Technology Evaluation : Evaluate the technical feasibility, functionality, sensory impact, stability, and scalability of new functional ingredients and ingredient technologies. Collaborate with ingredient suppliers, research partners, and startups to identify emerging technologies relevant to future beverage innovation. Build technical understanding of ingredient mechanisms, limitations, and opportunities for application across beverage categories. 5. Scientific Collaboration & Validation : Partner with Functional Ingredient Research teams to translate scientific discoveries into practical beverage solutions. Work closely with Scientific & Regulatory Affairs to ensure ingredient applications align with regulatory requirements and substantiation strategies. Support the development of testing protocols, experimental designs, and validation approaches to understand ingredient performance in beverage systems. 6. Cross-Functional Leadership : Drive collaboration across Research to Experimentation (RtE), including FIRA, Analytical Sciences, and Packaging teams to deliver integrated innovation solutions. Partner closely with Global Development & Innovation (GDI), Scientific & Regulatory Affairs (SRA), Strategy & Insights Services (SIS), and Technical Consumer & Design Research (TCDR) to align technical development with consumer, business, and regulatory requirements. Influence technical decisions and innovation priorities across global and operating unit stakeholders. What Success Looks Like Accelerates the adoption of functional ingredient technologies across multiple beverage categories and landing in Category and OU pipeline. Delivers technically robust, sensory-preferred, and scalable beverage solutions. Establishes cross-category platforms that increase speed and efficiency of innovation. Builds strong partnerships across research, development, regulatory, and consumer insights teams. Enables differentiated functional beverage experiences that address evolving consumer wellness needs What You’ll Need Job requirements & Related Work Experience : Master degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biological, Nutrition or related field is required. 7+ years food & beverage industry experience. 5+ years strong product development experience in TCCC, Experience collaborating within global teams and working across multiple geographies. Enterprise and strategic mindset Demonstrated ability to connect across organization lines, regardless of reporting relationships. Project Management: Knowledge of project management principles and the ability to apply the principles, tools, and techniques to develop/plan, manage or execute projects or work plans to ensure successful completion (e.g., on time, within budget). Ability to travel globally up to 25% of time. Competency : Strategic thinking and implementation Functional Skills Required in Technical Competency and Credibility Business Acumen, Strong Leadership, Management, and Influencing Skills Effective English communication skill Leadership Behaviors : DRIVE INNOVATION : Generate new or unique solutions and embrace new ideas that help sustain our business (encompassing everything from continuous improvement to new product and package innovation). COLLABORATE WITH SYSTEM, CUSTOMERS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS : Develop and leverage relationships with stakeholders to approximately stretch and impact the System (Company and Bottler). ACT LIKE AN OWNER : Deliver results, creating value for our Brands, our System, our customers, and key stakeholders. INSPIRE OTHERS : Inspire people to deliver our mission, demonstrate passion for the business and give people a reason to believe anything is possible. DEVELOP SELF AND OTHERS : Develop self and support others' development to achieve full potential. Growth Behaviors : GROWTH MINDSET : Demonstrates curiosity. Welcomes failure as a learning opportunity. SMART RISK : Makes bold decisions/recommendations. EXTERNALLY FOCUSED : Understands the upstream and downstream implications of his/her work. Tracks and shares external trends, best practices or ideas. PERFORMANCE DRIVEN AND ACCOUNTABLE : Has high performance standards. Outperforms her/his peers. FAST/AGILE : Removes barriers to move faster. Experiments and adapts. Thrives under pressure and fast pace. EMPOWERED : Brings solutions instead of problems. Challenges the status quo. Has the courage to take an unpopular stance. Skills : Product Development, Agile, Beverage Industry, Communication, Consumer Research, Food Technology, Ideation, Influencing, Project management, Leadership, Leading by Influence, Product Commercialization, Product Development Lifecycle, Relationship Management. What We Can Do For You Purpose-Driven Work: Contribute to a purpose-driven organization focused on protecting the environment, supporting the communities we serve, and delivering safe, high-quality products. Global Connections: Develop, strengthen, and maintain global connections that help teams move faster, share knowledge, and learn from others across the organization. Community of Belonging: Be part of an organization that supports continuous growth and fosters an environment where people feel safe, empowered, and able to bring their best selves to work. Growth Opportunities: Work with talented colleagues on meaningful projects that create business impact and support professional growth. The Coca-Cola Company will not offer sponsorship for employment status (including, but not limited to, H1-B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require The Coca-Cola Company's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States. Skills: Chemistry, Communication, Continual Improvement Process, Data Compilation, Environmental Science, Food Safety Management, Food Sciences, Food Technology, Green Solutions, Laboratory Testing, Leadership, Microbiology, Product Development, Quality Control (QC), Researching, Sensory Testing, Waterfall Model Pay Range: United States: 131,000 - 153,000 USD Base pay offered may vary depending on geography, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position, is offered. Annual Incentive Reference Value Percentage: 15 Annual Incentive reference value is a market-based competitive value for your role. It falls in the middle of the range for your role, indicating performance at target. Location(s): United States of America City/Cities: Atlanta Travel Required: 00% - 25% Relocation Provided: No Job Posting End Date: September 29, 2026 Our Purpose and Growth Culture: We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. When we collect your personal information as part of a job application or offer of employment, we do so in accordance with industry standards and best practices and in compliance with applicable privacy laws.