Senior Associate Sensory and Consumer Science Excellence (all genders)
Job details
Company
Reckitt
Location
Heidelberg, Germany
Employment type
Other
Seniority
Senior
Primary category
Social & Behavioral Science
Secondary category
Laboratory Science & Pathology
Posted date
24 Apr 2026
Valid through
Job description
We are Reckitt
Home to the world's best loved and trusted hygiene, health, and nutrition brands. Our purpose defines why we exist: to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We are a global team united by this purpose. Join us in our fight to make access to the highest quality hygiene, wellness, and nourishment a right and not a privilege.Research & Development
In Research and Development, we're full of highly skilled talents that include Scientists, Engineers, Medical, Clinical and Regulatory professionals - all working to create a cleaner, healthier world. With nine Centres of Excellence, we continually seek out new opportunities by using science, our entrepreneurial flare and our fearless innovation to develop and enhance our existing portfolio, never compromising on quality or performance.We do the right thing, always, by ensuring we act with responsibility and integrity, by complying with regulatory legislation across the globe, whilst ensuring our products are safe for our consumers and are to the highest quality.
The size of our organisation means you'll have the opportunity to learn and work in different functions within R&D, giving you exposure to different disciplines, teams and environments. You will also have access to our Research and Development Academy, designed to develop our team and allow you to grow in our great organisation.
About the role
As a Senior Associate in Consumer & Sensory Science, you will play a pivotal role in shaping consumer‑centric product innovation within our Automatic Dishwashing portfolio. Acting as a trusted expert, you will lead qualitative, quantitative, and sensory research to generate clear, actionable insights that influence product experiences, innovation decisions, and long‑term strategy.
This is a senior individual contributor role with significant autonomy and visibility. You will partner closely with R&D, Marketing, and Insights teams globally, ensuring the consumer voice is embedded across the end‑to‑end innovation lifecycle.
Your responsibilities
- Design and lead qualitative, quantitative, and sensory consumer research to support product development and innovation.
- Define learning objectives and select the most appropriate research methodologies (e.g. home use tests, central location tests, usability studies, ethnography, sensory panels).
- Own the full research lifecycle, from study design through analysis to clear recommendations.
- Synthesize behavioural, qualitative, quantitative, and sensory data into compelling insight narratives that inform decisions.
- Advise R&D, Marketing, and Insights stakeholders on research approaches and interpretation of results.
- Lead early‑stage consumer exploration to identify unmet needs, behaviours, and usage occasions.
- Manage external research agencies, ensuring quality, timelines, and cost efficiency.
- Contribute to continuous improvement by introducing new methods, sharing best practices, and strengthening consumer science capability globally.
- Ensure all research activities meet quality, safety, regulatory, and compliance standards.
The experience we're looking for
- Solid experience in consumer research within an FMCG, R&D, or innovation‑driven environment, with hands‑on responsibility for designing and delivering qualitative and quantitative studies.
- Strong analytical and statistical capability, with the ability to integrate multiple data sources and translate complex findings into clear, actionable, business‑relevant insights.
- Proven experience working cross‑functionally with R&D, Marketing, and/or Insights teams, influencing decisions through strong storytelling, communication, and presentation skills.
- High level of ownership, independence, and accountability, combined with a structured yet curious, problem‑solving mindset
- .Comfortable operating in a fast‑moving, collaborative, and global environment, balancing rigour with flexibility.
- Fluency in English (additional languages are a plus).