Associate Researcher

Job Title: Associate Researcher

Location: Mumbai, India

We are seeking a passionate and technically adept individual with exceptional learning agility to develop superior product propositions for the Indian consumer. This role encompasses consumer research and go-to-market support, offering a diverse range of responsibilities that will significantly enrich your experience and career development. Expect to gain substantial expertise in consumer research and aspects of product development.

Your Team: Based in Mumbai, India, you will report to an on-site manager and become an integral part of a growing team of functional and technical experts, leading projects across the region.

Measuring Success: Over time, you will evolve into a consumer research specialist, expected to:

• Contribute to the planning and execution of a wide array of technical tests, independently summarizing findings and correlating them with in-depth observations.
• Communicate results clearly and concisely to your manager, coach, co-workers, and other team members.
• Take personal ownership of assigned tasks, demonstrating confidence in data, results, and recommendations.
• Leverage technical knowledge, infrastructure, and insights to optimize experimentation.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and qualify winning product propositions through consumer and technical evaluations.
• Develop and execute learning plans, conducting a broad range of consumer research.
• Identify insights translatable into winning product innovations or compelling consumer claims through hands-on experimentation.
• Identify key consumer claims and lead their substantiation.
• Lead the development, validation, documentation, and approval process for demonstration materials.
• Develop formula cards supporting regional material qualifications, Business Continuity Plans (BCPs), and product qualifications.
• Monitor, analyze, and report on monthly consumer feedback, sharing recommendations for observed trends deviating from predictions.
• Coordinate and manage technical testing in collaboration with Analytical teams at other sites.

Role Requirements:

• Demonstrated strong technical mastery and rigor in current projects.
• Understanding of business/project needs to define and align learning plans with project priorities.
• Ability to independently conduct lab experiments and strong observational skills to inform experimental improvements and project direction.
• Execute with excellence, delivering and documenting accurate consumer test results reliably to drive decision-making.
• Understand and apply relevant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Claims Substantiation Guidelines (CBAs) to ensure compliance.
• Troubleshoot and define complex technical problems, seeking internal/external resources when necessary.
• High level of technical curiosity, actively seeking opportunities to apply new knowledge and skills to enhance reliability, productivity, and robustness of results.
• Proficiency in Product Research (PR) and basic Product Development (PD) skills and experience are highly desired but not mandatory if strong learning agility is demonstrated.

Job Qualifications:

Prerequisites:

• Education: Bachelor's Degree in Science, Pharmacy, or Engineering from a top university with 3-5 years of relevant experience, OR Master's Degree in Science, Pharmacy, or Engineering from a top university with 1-2 years of relevant experience.
• Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to troubleshoot issues and implement systemic fixes.
• Influencing Skills: Strong leadership and influencing capabilities across all organizational levels.
• Collaboration Skills: Ability to collaborate effectively across functions and regions.

This role requires some travel within India and abroad; candidates must be open to travel.