Manager, R&D Microbiology & Food Safety

Key Responsibilities:

* Please note: this is an individual contributor role

Technical Leadership & Strategy

• Act as the LATAM R&D SME in Food Safety & Applied Microbiology.

• Define and implement microbiological strategies to support innovation pipelines, including emerging and high-risk product categories.

• Lead microbiological risk-based decision-making across product development.

Microbiological Risk Assessment & Product Development

• Lead Microbiological Risk Assessments (MRA) for ingredients, processes, and finished products.

• Define microbiological specifications for ingredients and finished goods.

• Evaluate and recommend formulation, preservative systems, and process parameters (e.g., thermal treatments) to ensure microbiological stability.

• Guide the application of the Microbiology Decision Tree and manage exceptions in alignment with global standards.

Testing, Validation & Protocol Development

• Define and oversee microbiological testing strategies for ingredients and products (internal and external labs).

• Establish protocols for:

  • Microbiological challenge studies (preserved beverages)

  • Thermal process validation (UHT, HTST, retort, pasteurization)

• Ensure proper validation of methods and compliance with corporate and regulatory requirements.

Cross-functional Collaboration & Capability Building

• Partner closely with Product Developers, Process/Equipment Engineers, Quality, Regulatory, and Supply Chain teams.

• Provide technical guidance to resolve microbiological issues in formulation, ingredients, and process design.

• Build microbiology capability across R&D through training and coaching.

• Strengthen food safety culture within the organization.

External & Internal Network Management

• Develop and maintain a strong network of internal and external laboratories across LATAM to ensure capability, speed, and reliability in microbiological testing.

• Collaborate closely with the Global Microbiology Community of Practice (CoP), actively contributing to discussions, knowledge sharing, and alignment of standards and best practices.

• Participate in and contribute to global and regional microbiology workstreams with direct impact on R&D, ensuring LATAM needs and perspectives are represented.

• Support the evaluation, onboarding, and performance follow-up of external laboratories in LATAM, in alignment with global approval processes (note: formal laboratory approval remains under global responsibility).

• Partner with Global Microbiology teams to ensure consistent implementation of tools, standards, and methodologies.

Governance, Compliance & Systems

• Act as HACCP Leader for the Innovation Center.

• Participate as internal auditor for the Quality & Food Safety System.

• Ensure compliance with corporate standards, regulatory requirements, and food safety policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in microbiology, Food Science, Biochemical Engineering, Chemistry, or related field.

• Fluent English (written and spoken) is required.

• Master’s degree in food microbiology, Food Science, Dairy Science, or related discipline (preferred).

• Minimum 5 years of experience in the food or beverage industry.

• Strong experience in microbiology applied to beverages or similar categories.

• Experience with sensitive products (e.g., dairy, plant-based) is highly desirable.

• Advanced knowledge in Food & Applied Microbiology.

• Strong experience in microbiological testing and laboratory practices (GLP).

• Expertise in:

  • Thermal processing (UHT, HTST, retort, pasteurization)

  • Filling technologies (Aseptic, Hot Fill, Cold Fill)

• Knowledge of preservative systems and microbiological stability.

• Experience in setting specifications and validation methods.

• Solid understanding of food manufacturing processes.

• Spanish required; Portuguese is a plus.

Leadership & Soft Skills

• Strong decision-making and problem-solving capability under uncertainty.

• Ability to operate effectively in a complex, matrixed organization.

• Influencing and stakeholder management across functions and regions.

• Strategic thinking with strong execution focus.

• Effective communication across technical and non-technical audiences.

• High attention to detail with a risk-based mindset.

What We Can Do for You 

• Purpose Driven: Purpose driven approach that empowers our people to protect the environment and communities we serve while delivering safe & quality products. 

• Global Connections: Allows you to develop, enhance and maintain global connections that allow us to move faster and learn from others. 

• Community of Belonging: We’re an organization that believes in our ability to continually grow and build the right atmosphere where people feel safe and empowered, lets you bring your best self to work.  

Chemistry, Communication, Continual Improvement Process, Data Compilation, Food Safety and Sanitation, Food Safety Management, Food Sciences, Food Technology, Green Solutions, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), Laboratory Testing, Leadership, Microbiological Analysis, Microbiology, Microbiology Laboratory, Quality Control (QC), Specification Reviews, Thermal Processing, Thermal Validation, Validation Processes

Location(s):

Mexico

City/Cities:

Ciudad de Mexico

Travel Required:

00% – 25%

Relocation Provided:

No

Job Posting End Date:

April 17, 2026

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.