Job Description Summary:
Our Technical Consumer Data Research (TCDR) insights are foundational to building a robust, multiâyear global innovation pipeline spanning Defend the Core, Present Forward, and Future Back initiatives.
The Senior Director, Technical Consumer Data Research (APAC) is accountable for leading sensory and consumer research strategy across the APAC region, spanning multiple categories and Operating Units (JSK, ASP, GCM, INSWA). The role directs regional TCDR resources, integrates Global TCDR capabilities, and translates consumer insights into technical understanding and actionable product, package, and equipment solutions for regional launches. This role plays a critical leadership position in advancing a 3â5-year innovation pipeline, while accelerating adoption of digitized, AIâenabled and predictive research methodologies to drive faster, more futureâready decision making. The Senior Director leads a diverse, highâperforming regional team and serves as a key member of the Global TCDR Leadership Team.
Role Scope & Impact:
Own APAC TCDR strategy across categories and Operating Units
Influence innovation direction from early exploration through commercialization
Lead transformation toward digitized, AIâdriven consumer research
Develop regional talent and capabilities aligned to global standards
Shape businessâcritical innovation decisions through technical consumer insight
What Youâll Do for Us:
1. APAC TCDR Strategy & Innovation Leadership
Define and execute the APAC TCDR strategy to enable 3â5 year innovation pipelines across categories and Operating Units.
Lead discovery of emerging consumer trends, behaviors, and unmet needs, translating insights into technical attributes and solution hypotheses.
Partner with Category, Marketing, Human Insights, and GDI leadership to align multiâyear pipeline needs, priorities, and success metrics.
Ensure consumerâcentric insights are embedded into innovation portfolios to deliver advantaged, futureâproof solutions.
2. EndâtoâEnd Consumer Learning & Sensory Leadership
Direct development and deployment of technical consumer learning plans across innovation, renovation, core, and business continuity projects.
Oversee internal and external sensory panels, ensuring scientific rigor and regional relevance.
Embed crossâfunctional frameworks (e.g., need states, demand spaces, BEACH) into learning plans to enable streamlined, globalâready research execution.
Monitor external environments to identify category and countryâspecific opportunities and risks.
3. Digitization & Advanced Analytics
Lead adoption of digitization and data science capabilities from Global TCDR, accelerating AIâenabled, predictive, and forecastâdriven insights, regionally.
Advance GenâAI and machineâlearning applications within consumer research, ensuring appropriate risk, safety, and compliance standards.
Shape futureâstate consumer research practices through external partnerships, networks, and emerging technologies.
4. Global TCDR Capability Integration
Act as APAC representative on the Global TCDR Leadership Team, ensuring regional priorities are aligned with global methodologies and standards.
Drive local adoption of standardized global best practices while allowing for marketâspecific flexibility.
Lead training, upskilling, and storytelling capability development for regional TCDR teams using global playbooks and tools.
5. People, Resource & Financial Leadership
Lead and develop a highly engaged, diverse, and geographically distributed APAC TCDR team.
Manage regional TCDR and DMI budgets, including forecasting, actuals tracking, and alignment with annual business plans.
Build a strong succession pipeline and actively develop subjectâmatter expertise across the organization.
6. Stakeholder & System Leadership
Build trusted partnerships across Operating Units, Global Categories, Marketing, GDI, Operations, Bottlers, and external partners.
Influence senior stakeholders through clear, evidenceâbased insights and technical recommendations.
Establish dashboards, timelines, and scorecards to ensure visibility, transparency, and proactive risk management.
Key Success Measures
Strength and quality of 3â5-year innovation pipelines
Speed and effectiveness of consumer and dataâled decision making
Adoption of digitized and AIâenabled research methodologies
Talent capability growth and engagement
Stakeholder confidence and influence at senior levels
Knowledge & Capability Requirements
Deep expertise in humanâcentric consumer insights, sensory science, statistics, and advanced analytics
Strong understanding of data science, machine learning, and generative AI applications
Proven ability to influence and advise senior executives in complex, matrixed environments
Track record of leading regional and global teams with an agile, futureâfocused mindset
Exceptional stakeholder management and systemsâthinking capability
What Weâre Looking For:
Bachelorâs or PhD in Consumer Science, Food Science, Psychology, or related discipline
15+ years leadership experience in FMCG (Food & Beverage strongly preferred)
Proven expertise leading largeâscale global and regional consumer research programs
Experience operating across Global and Operating Unit environments
Knowledge of the CocaâCola Company system is advantageous
Core Skills & Competencies:
Strategic Thinking: Experience in developing innovation and organizational strategies, defines strategic direction, balancing short-term delivery with long-term growth. Experience in translating external trends into strategy to stay ahead of the competition
Creative thinking: Builds a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and bold idea generation at scale.
Technical Expertise: Shapes long-term capability development and technical excellence across teams.
Problem Solving: Addresses systemic challenges and enables scalable, sustainable solutions.
Change Management: Expertise in driving organizational transformation, and embedding new processes to create lasting change and organizational buy-in.
People Leadership: Builds high-performing teams, develops future leaders, and drives engagement. Executive level influence.
Decision making: Makes strategic and organizational decisions with accountability for outcomes. (Global Category or Enterprise -level; Multiyear)
Why Join Us?
Impact at Scale: Shape products enjoyed by millions across diverse APAC markets.
Global Connectivity: Access world-class technical expertise, innovation labs, and global R&D networks.
Digital Future: Lead with next-gen tools â from AI-driven formulation insights to virtual product design.
Creative Freedom: Drive innovation that blends science, consumer desire, and brand vision.
Legacy: Be part of a team building the future of beverages, with agility, ambition, and excellence.
What can help you to be successful in the role?
Growth Behavior:
Growth Mindset: Demonstrates Curiosity. Welcomes failure as a learning opportunity.
Smart Risk: Makes bold decisions/recommendations.
Commercially Focused: Understands the upstream and downstream implications of his/her work.
Performance Driven & 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.
Leadership Behavior
Act Like an Owner: Deliver results, creating value for our brands, our System, our customers and key stakeholders.
Collaborate with the System, Customers and Key Stakeholders
Develops Self and Others: Develop self and support others' development to achieve their full potential.
Drive Innovation: Generate new or unique solutions and embrace new ideas that help sustain our business.
What We Can Do For YouÂ
Career growth and development: Leveraging our boundaryless network, we provide access to educational platforms and provide coaching, mentoring and feedback, as a part of our Leadership & Development process.
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