Principal R&D Engineer

Come join a creative team of scientists and engineers at the forefront of beverage innovation. The R&D Process Development Engineering team translates product ideas into robust, scalable, and manufacturable processes that deliver quality, safety, cost, and speed-to-market for Keurig Dr Pepper. This Principal Engineer role will strengthen KDP’s capability to commercialize complex beverage and adjacent food platforms through disciplined scale-up, plant readiness, technical troubleshooting, data-driven decision making, and future-ready ways of working.

The Principal Engineer will lead process development, scale-up strategy, plant trial design, manufacturing readiness, process verification/validation, and technical commercialization support across a diverse innovation and productivity portfolio. This role requires deep hands-on experience with juice, dairy, and complex beverage formulations, including aseptic processing and other thermal processing platforms. The role will partner closely with Product Development, Quality, Packaging, Engineering, Procurement, Supply Chain, manufacturing sites, co-packers, suppliers, and external technical partners to convert product requirements into reliable manufacturing solutions.

This is a senior technical leader role, someone who can manage ambiguity, challenge historical thinking, influence cross-functional partners, mentor others, and create practical solution paths that are technically sound, sustainable, scalable, and business-relevant. This role will also help advance the use of data science, AI-enabled tools, statistical analysis, and process modeling to improve trial design, validation strategy, learning capture, troubleshooting, and first-time-right commercialization.

Responsibilities:

1. Lead technical process development and scale-up for complex R&D projects from bench through pilot, plant trial, validation, and commercialization.
2. Define processing requirements for juice, dairy, and other complex beverage formulations, including process-critical parameters, operating windows, thermal targets, process capability needs, and manufacturing constraints.
3. Provide technical leadership for aseptic processing, hot-fill, pasteurization, HTST/UHT or other thermal processes, batching, blending, deaeration, homogenization, filling, packaging interfaces, sanitation/CIP, and startup readiness.
4. Lead complex test plans, research trials, DOE studies, risk assessments, pilot plant trials, plant trials, process verification/validation activities, and commercialization readiness reviews to generate insight into key design spaces, system limitations, and scale-up opportunities.
5. Apply first principles, experimental data, statistical analysis, data visualization, and light modeling approaches to explain technical phenomena, establish tradeoffs, and influence decisions with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
6. Explore and apply data science, AI-enabled tools, predictive modeling, historical validation data, plant data, and digital knowledge systems to improve technical learning, process decisions, troubleshooting, and future commercialization effectiveness.
7. Partner with Product Development to translate formulation intent into scalable process designs that protect flavor, color, texture, stability, food safety, and finished product quality.
8. Support manufacturing plants and co-packers through capability assessments, process fit evaluations, gap assessments, startup support, troubleshooting, corrective actions, and qualification recommendations.
9. Create clear technical documentation including process flow diagrams, manufacturing instructions, trial protocols, validation summaries, technical reports, presentations, standards, and lessons-learned documentation.
10. Lead root cause analysis for process-related quality, stability, throughput, yield, sanitation, or manufacturing performance issues and recommend practical corrective and preventive actions.
11. Collaborate with Procurement, suppliers, and external partners to assess ingredient/process impacts, alternative materials, productivity opportunities, and supplier technical capabilities.
12. Pro-actively identify and implement improvement opportunities within Process Development Engineering and across functions, including process, tools, standards, systems, and ways of working.
13. Build strong relationships with internal and external partners while demonstrating KDP values, ownership, collaboration, resilience, and a strong technical voice.
14. Act as an advisor, coach, and mentor to engineers and cross-functional partners on complex technical challenges, trial design, troubleshooting, commercialization governance, and disciplined documentation.

• Salary Range: $96,800 - $145,00
• Actual placement within the compensation range may vary depending on experience, skills, and other factors
• Benefits, subject to election and eligibility: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Paid Time Off (including paid parental leave, vacation, and sick time), 401k with company match, Tuition Reimbursement, and Mileage Reimbursement
• Annual bonus based on performance and eligibility

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 10+ years of relevant experience in R&D process engineering, food/beverage processing, technical commercialization, manufacturing engineering, or related CPG technical roles.
• Must-have experience with juice, dairy, and complex beverage formulation commercialization, including scale-up from bench or pilot through plant production.
• Demonstrated hands-on knowledge of aseptic processing and other thermal process platforms used for beverage and food commercialization.
• Strong understanding of beverage processing operations including batching, blending, thermal processing, filling, packaging interfaces, sanitation/CIP, process capability, and plant startup.
• Experience leading plant trials, validation activities, process troubleshooting, technical risk assessments, and commercialization readiness evaluations.
• Demonstrated capability using DOE, statistical analysis, data-driven problem solving, and structured technical decision-making.
• Working knowledge or strong interest in applying data science, AI tools, predictive analytics, process modeling, plant historian data, or digital systems to improve R&D and manufacturing outcomes.
• Proven ability to manage ambiguity and complex problems by creating solution paths that reflect sustainable, functional, and technically feasible options.
• Excellent presentation, communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to translate technical findings into clear tradeoffs and business implications.
• Strong understanding of the interdependencies between product, process, package, quality, manufacturing, and supply chain requirements.
• Self-motivated, collaborative, resilient, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving, changing business environment.
• Travel inlcuded in this role (25%). 

Keurig Dr Pepper (Nasdaq: KDP) is a leading beverage company with more than 150 owned, licensed and partner brands that meet a wide range of needs and occasions. Our North American refreshment beverage business holds leadership positions across carbonated soft drinks, water, juice and mixers with a portfolio of iconic brands such as Dr Pepper®, Canada Dry®, Mott’s®, A&W®, Peñafiel®, GHOST®, 7UP®, Snapple®, Clamato® and Core Hydration®. Our global coffee business spans more than 100 markets and includes the leading Keurig® single‑serve brewing system in the U.S. and Canada, along with powerhouse brands such as Peet’s, L’OR and Jacobs, and other regional coffee leaders. Our more than 50,000 employees aim to enhance the experience of every beverage and coffee occasion while making a positive impact for people, communities and the planet.

We strive to be an employer of choice, providing a culture and opportunities that empower our team to grow and develop. We offer robust benefits to support your health and wellness as well as your personal and financial well-being. We also provide employee programs designed to enhance your professional growth and development, while ensuring you feel valued, inspired and appreciated at work.

Whatever your area of expertise, at KDP you can be a part of a team that’s proud of its brands, partnerships, innovation and growth. Will you join us?

Keurig Dr Pepper is an equal opportunity employer and recruits qualified applicants and advances in employment its employees without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability or association with a person with a disability, medical condition, genetic information, ethnic or national origin, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

A.I. Disclosure: 
KDP uses artificial intelligence to assist with initial resume screening and candidate matching. This technology helps us efficiently identify candidates whose qualifications align with our open roles.  AI does not make hiring decisions; all decisions throughout the hiring process are made by talent acquisition team members.  If you prefer not to have your application processed using artificial intelligence, you may opt out by emailing your resume and qualifications directly to kdpjobs@kdrp.com in lieu of clicking Apply. In order for your application to be considered and opted out of AI, you must include the words "AI Opt-Out" and either job title and location or Job ID # in the email subject line in your email application.