R&D Project Management Office Manager

Overview

CAREERS TO SMILE ABOUT

At PepsiCo, you’ll discover a place where our mission is to create smiles around the world. With a portfolio of more than 500 beloved brands including, Gatorade, Lay’s and Quaker, our work touches millions of people every day.

At the heart of the company is a team of thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers who collaborate to innovate and turn ideas into action. Driven by innovation and a focus on creating joyful moments through food and drinks, our decisions are guided by consumer centricity, creating opportunities for our associates to do meaningful work and make a lasting impact in the communities we serve.

Whatever your role, you’ll be part of a global community that values your ideas and empowers you to make an impact, on your career and on the world around you.

Responsibilities

The Opportunity

The R&D Project Management Office Manager , based in Mexico City or Monterrey, is responsible for leading the Technical Project Management and Productivity Governance team within R&D Operations.

This role ensures high‑quality execution and support across key R&D initiatives, including innovation, productivity, and brand stewardship projects, as well as the overall productivity agenda for the foods business.

The role works closely with in‑market teams and acts as a key point of contact for R&D leadership. It drives alignment, enables collaboration on strategic initiatives, and continuously identifies opportunities to improve efficiency and generate savings, while ensuring speed, quality, and on‑time delivery across a complex portfolio of projects.

Your Impact

Project Management Office Leadership (Productivity and Key Projects)

• Own end‑to‑end project governance, ensuring alignment between business strategy, project priorities, execution plans, and results.
• Define and manage project scope to prevent deviations and maintain focus on approved objectives.
• Establish clear timelines and milestones, ensuring realistic plans and proactive management of risks.
• Oversee budgets, forecasting, and financial controls to ensure transparency and disciplined investment decisions.
• Ensure quality standards and compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
• Manage resource planning and capacity to optimize the use of critical R&D talent.
• Lead clear and effective communication with stakeholders, focusing on decision‑making rather than status reporting.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks across projects and portfolios.
• Oversee vendor management and external partnerships to ensure alignment and accountability.
• Ensure strong stakeholder alignment across R&D, commercial, and corporate teams.

Productivity and Governance

• Prioritize and align key productivity initiatives, ensuring they follow defined governance processes across the region.
• Lead the R&D productivity agenda, working closely with finance, procurement, and operations to meet timelines, financial targets, and reporting requirements.
• Act as the main point of contact for productivity tracking within R&D.
• Participate in or co‑lead workshops to identify new efficiency opportunities and build a strong pipeline of initiatives.
• Provide regular updates and dashboards to regional and global leadership on productivity performance.

People Leadership

• Lead and develop the team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Set clear performance goals and development plans for team members.
• Provide ongoing feedback, coaching, and mentoring to support growth and engagement.
• Drive talent development and career progression within the team.
• Promote best practices and consistent standards of excellence across teams.

Qualifications

Who Are We Looking For?

• 8+ years of experience in people management proven track record, PMO, or related roles, preferably within consumer goods, food, or beverage industries.
• Strong business and analytical acumen, with the ability to connect data, performance drivers, and insights, and translate them into clear business recommendations and scenarios.
• Proven ability to solve complex problems and provide thought leadership in high‑pressure, fast‑paced, and ambiguous environments.
• Experience leveraging data and digital tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI) to generate insights and support fact‑based decision making.
• Strong organizational and communication skills , with the ability to manage multiple priorities and ensure timely, high‑quality delivery.
• Demonstrated leadership and collaboration skills , with experience influencing stakeholders, leading teams, driving change, and improving processes across functions.
• Adaptability and learning agility, with the ability to navigate organizational change and work effectively across diverse teams; fluent in English and Spanish.

If this is an opportunity that interests you, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet 100% of the requirements.

What can you expect from us:

• Opportunities to learn and develop every day through a wide range of programs.
• Internal digital platforms that promote self‑learning.
• Development programs according to Leadership skills.
• Specialized training according to the role.
• Learning experiences with internal and external providers.
• We love to celebrate success, which is why we have recognition programs for seniority, behavior, leadership, moments of life, among others.
• Financial wellness programs that will help you reach your goals in all stages of life.
• A flexibility program that will allow you to balance your personal and work life, adapting your working day to your lifestyle.
• And because your family is also important to us, they can also enjoy benefits such as our Wellness Line, thousands of Agreements and Discounts, Scholarship programs for your children, Aid Plans for different moments of life, among others.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We respect and value diversity as a work force and innovation for the organization.