The main purpose of this role is to define and implement a potato variety strategy to support future growth of China LAYs business the second largest market globally after the USA.  The strategy must provide a solution to enable launch of new varieites in China as no varieties have been imported since 2017.  The strategy must address expanding growing regions and environments, incorporate yield and quality targets, provide solutions for contract and co-farms, and protect PepsiCo germaplasm. Secondly, this role will be responsible for developing and implement a strategy for standing up PepsiCo owned potato flake business.  Thus, the China lead will also be accountable for defining the potato variety testing and deployment strategy for both Lays and Baked Lays businesses ensuring the highest quality, statistically robust data-driven decisions.  It will ensure standardized assessments from in-field performance through qualification and sensory analysis for commercial decisions on deployment of new varieties, which requires coordination and alignment across R&D, processing, procurement, sensory and product teams.  It will also include responsiblity for field assessment and recommendations of agri-tech innovation(s) under the PepsiCo AgTEC framework.  The combined VSA and Agri-tech field data and associated optimized field practice innovation will deliver core growth through increased productity and improved quality as well as sustainability directly supporting  PepsiCo’s ESG 2030 commitments through reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved soil health.  The lead will require extensive collaboration, influencing and negotiation skills to work with China federal and local government, legal, IP, and regulatory agencies to navigate policies while finding new varieties to feed Lays processing plants, but also to find varieties, test them, and develop best practices on how to grow them for the baked potato flake business. This role will be connecting daily with the R&D APAC VP, Supply Chain Directors, PepsiCo Regulatory Director and Supply Chain sr Director of APAC to persuade and collaborate on the needs of the potato pipeline for China while securing a new competitive advantage for pepsico business.

This role / person will bring a unique set of skills and experience which will allow them to deliver across key areas:

1. Define strategy that will enable the deployment of superior potato varieties ultimately enabling differentiation of the LAYs brand to consumers.  Execute / Influence
2. Understand process to re-open import channels into China for new varieties Execute
3. Identify and negotiate with domestic and international 3^rd party breeding companies, government and academic entities to support variety development for contract farms in China.  Execute / Influence
4. Work with legal, regulatory and key stakeholders to ensure protection of PepsiCo germplasm in China. Execute
5. Accountability for potato variety trialing, strategy development and execution to support adoption of PepsiCo potato varieties across China– Decide / Execute
6. Accountable for potato trialling activities, setting scientific standards for execution of experiments on PepsiCo FutureFarms, analyzing data and making recommendations for GP/SChain, growers and OoS demo farms – Decide / Execute
7. Accountable for collaborating with external breeding companies to identify and trial performance of potential new varieties meeting China potato needs. – Decide/Execute
8. Subject matter expert in agronomy and crop trialling for business critical core raw material streams (across R&D categories) – Execute
9. Oversight of the implementation of field trials placed at co-farms (>400) largest farming network within PepsiCo. Execute
10. Provide regular and timely project progress updates to senior stakeholders to ensure continued alignment with business objectives – Execute / Influence
11. Provide high quality crop trial data which support Lays Core through cost advantage, consumer quality advantage, product differentiation and Postiive Agriculture - Execute
12. Maintain external relationships, drive cultural evolution in PepsiCo teams and public collaborators around agronomy – Influence / Consult

• PhD + 5y or MSc + 10 years experience in Agronomy, Breeding, Trialing, or Horticulture managing multi-disciplinary field trials.  
• Expertise in experimental design of field experiments, data management and statistical interpretation is required.  Excellent reporting skills are a prerequisite.
• Demonstrated ability to explain agronomic concepts to other scientists and to non-technical business partners.
• Innovative attitude demonstrated through past experience and track record. 
• Demonstrated ability to execute projects within a project management framework and a large degree of independence.
• Ability to balance need to deliver aggressive business innovation goals with scientific excellence
• Innovative approach to technical challenges
• Ability to interpret data rapidly and identify business relevant insights
• A proven ability to work closely with colleagues within matrix organization to deliver complex projects with a high degree of flexibility and comfort with change
• Excellent communication and networking ability with internal and external audiences that have a wide range of scientific expertise.