Now Brewing – senior product developer, Beverage R&D, Global Channel Development! #tobeapartner

From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection. We are known for developing extraordinary leaders who share this passion and are guided by their service to others.

This is an opportunity to create and develop At Home Coffee products for our Starbucks consumers, with a focus on North America and International Regions. Our overarching purpose within R&D is to continually reinvent Starbucks by setting the pace for consumer-focused innovation, bringing ideas to life, and creating special moments for our customers, partners and each other.

 You will be responsible for innovating and development – concept to launch. You will optimize processes and programs to build World Class Partnerships and to elevate the product development life cycle.  You will work cross-functionally with Global Brand, External Partnerships, Regulatory and QA, to meet our financial and business objectives while delivering the Starbucks experience to our customers wherever they are.

As a senior product developer, you will…

·       Manage multiple [primarily coffee focused] projects simultaneously, across platforms or channels ensuring that briefs deliver to the strategy and concepts meet the briefs.

·       Manage complex manufacturing trials from pilot through scale-up, commercialization and launch at supplier manufacturing facilities including assessment, testing and documentation.

·       Apply technical knowledge and project learnings to write plant trial protocol and product specifications, seeking guidance when needed.

·       Anticipate and proactively respond to project, customer, and market changes, while nimbly adapting to changing priorities.

·       Utilize business and customer insights to create relevant products that are tied to broader strategies and company goals, with an awareness of the impacts to other initiatives.

·       Provide options and recommendations to successfully drive projects forward with reduced risk, with some independent decision making.

·       Demonstrate creative and sound problem-solving skills to constructively resolve issues.

·       Connect internally and externally to build relationships, share ideas, and best practices.

·       Communicate effectively cross-functionally and with leadership to advance recommendations and use story-telling to present concepts and ideas. 

·       Influences partners and teams across matrixed environments

We’d love to hear from people with:

·       BS/MS in Food Science or other related fields

·       5 years’ experience in food and beverage innovation/product development, bench-top to full scale commercialization and process improvement or development

·       Strong understanding of CPG products including dry mixes, aseptic, coffee, dairy, alt-dairy, tea (incl. black, matcha or chai) and juice-based. Experience in soluble coffee is a huge plus!

·       Strong understanding of beverage processing

·       Working knowledge of human centered design experience or training a plus

·       A strong passion and experience in driving innovation at scale

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

·       Knowledge and experience of product development and manufacturing scale up of beverage products

·       Knowledge of beverage quality control, food safety and microbiology

·       Ability to apply ingredient functionality, processing and quality assurance

·       Knowledge of sensory, experimental design, statistics and consumer research methodologies

·       Demonstrate the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with peers, business partners and stakeholders internally and externally

·       Strong and effective collaboration, problem solving and communication skills

·       Ability to travel

·       Model’s leadership behaviors that are ground in Starbucks Mission and Values

As a Starbucks partner, you (and your family) will have access to medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, and other voluntary insurance benefits. Partners have access to short-term and long-term disability, paid parental leave, family expansion reimbursement, paid vacation from date of hire*, sick time (accrued at 1 hour for every 25 hours worked), eight paid holidays, and two personal days per year. Starbucks also offers eligible partners participation in a 401(k) retirement plan with employer match, a discounted company stock program (S.I.P.), Starbucks equity program (Bean Stock), incentivized emergency savings, and financial well-being tools.  Additionally, Starbucks offers 100% upfront tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program via the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, student loan management resources, and access to other educational opportunities.  You will also have access to backup care and DACA reimbursement.   Starbucks will comply with any applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, and in accordance with its plans and policies. This list is subject to change depending on collective bargaining in locations where partners have a certified bargaining representative. For additional information regarding partner perks and more detailed information about benefits, go to starbucksbenefits.com.

*If you are working in CA, CO, IL, LA, ME, MA, NE, ND or RI, you will accrue vacation up to a maximum of 120 hours (190 in CA) for roles below director and 200 hours (316 in CA) for roles at director or above.  For roles in other states, you will be granted vacation time starting at 120 hours annually for roles below director and 200 hours annually for roles director and above.

The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate will be based on multiple factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge/skills, experience, geographical location, and internal equity.  At Starbucks, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at the high end of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

Join us and inspire with every cup. Apply today!

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, gender identity and expression, genetic information, or any other factor protected by law. 

We are committed to creating a diverse and welcoming workplace that includes partners with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We believe that enables us to better meet our mission and values while serving customers throughout our global communities. People of color, women, LGBTQIA+, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. 

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal state and local ordinances. Starbucks Corporation is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at applicantaccommodation@starbucks.com.