Senior Scientist, Competitive Intelligence

You’re not the person who will settle for just any role. Neither are we. Because we’re out to create Better Care for a Better World, and that takes a certain kind of person and teams who care about making a difference. Here, you’ll bring your professional expertise, talent, and drive to building and managing our portfolio of iconic, ground-breaking brands. In this role, you’ll help us deliver better care for billions of people around the world. It starts with YOU.

The Senior Scientist, Global R&D Competitive Intelligence plays a critical role in advancing Kimberly-Clark’s understanding of the competitive landscape. This role provides technical leadership in benchmarking internal and competitive products, codifying best-in-class design elements, and generating data-supported insights that guide innovation, cost optimization, and consumer-centric design decisions. This is a high-impact role for someone eager to operate at the intersection of data, design, and strategy. The ideal candidate brings experience with data automation and AI-driven analysis to accelerate insight generation, improve benchmarking efficiency, and enable smarter product decisions. You’ll help shape global product direction by delivering analysis that challenges assumptions, identifies opportunities, and influences critical R&D decisions. This role offers broad exposure, cross-functional collaboration, and visibility to senior leadership – ideal for those who are intellectually curious, action – oriented, and passionate about driving meaningful outcomes.

This role is part of a collaborative, purpose-driven team that values intellectual curiosity, analytical excellence, and practical impact. You will report to a Senior Manager known for transparency, growth-minded coaching, and fostering cross-functional alignment to get real results. There is an expectation for global travel of ~ 30% and flexibility to work across global time zones.

In this role you will:

• Execute and support benchmarking programs that evaluate the performance, cost, and consumer perception of competitive and internal products within the Adult & Feminine Care (AFC) and Baby & Child Care (BCC) categories.
• Support the development of the “Mind the Gap” strategic framework by synthesizing data across technical, consumer, and economic dimensions to identify areas of opportunity or advantage.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Marketing, Product Stewardship, Finance, Supply Chain, and Legal to contextualize insights, ensure alignment, and influence key development decisions.
• Integrate consumer feedback, lab testing, and technical analysis to produce compelling, insight-rich reports that are consumable by senior leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Build product, material, and cost understanding to support trade-off decisions that advance product performance, protect the consumer experience, and drive cost transformation.
• Advance continuous improvement of benchmarking processes, tools, and knowledge-sharing platforms to increase speed, repeatability, and value creation.
• Adhere to safety, quality, and regulatory standards and practices while safeguarding K-C intellectual property and confidential information.

What Success Looks Like

• Develop and deliver competitive benchmarking that influences at least 3 major product or cost transformation decisions within the first year.
• Build strong working relationships with segment leaders and R&D partners globally.
• Launch or improve a standardized process or tool to elevate the team's benchmarking efficiency and visibility.
• Drive clarity on key trade-offs between cost, performance, and consumer experience for pipeline innovations.
• Lead and grow the global Competitive Intelligence community of practice, fostering best practice sharing, tool development and collaboration across segment teams to elevate “Mind the Gap” impact and speed.

About Us

Huggies®. Kleenex®. Cottonelle®. Scott®. Kotex®. Poise®. Depend®. Kimberly-Clark Professional®. You already know our legendary brands—and so does the rest of the world. In fact, millions of people use Kimberly-Clark products every day. We know these amazing Kimberly-Clark products wouldn’t exist without talented professionals, like you.

At Kimberly-Clark, you’ll be part of the best team committed to driving innovation, growth and impact. We’re founded on more than 150 years of market leadership, and we’re always looking for new and better ways to perform – so there’s your open door of opportunity. It’s all here for you at Kimberly-Clark.

Led by Purpose. Driven by You.

About You

You perform at the highest level possible, and you appreciate a performance culture fueled by authentic caring. You want to be part of a company actively dedicated to sustainability, inclusion, wellbeing, and career development.

You love what you do, especially when the work you do makes a difference. At Kimberly-Clark, we’re constantly exploring new ideas on how, when, and where we can best achieve results. When you join our team, you’ll experience Flex That Works: flexible (hybrid) work arrangements that empower you to have purposeful time in the office and partner with your leader to make flexibility work for both you and the business.

In one of our professional roles, you’ll focus on winning with consumers and the market, while putting safety, mutual respect, and human dignity at the center. To succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Material Science, Chemistry, or related technical discipline. Advanced degree preferred; a minimum of 7+ years of R&D, Product Development, or Supply Chain experience, preferably in Personal Care or CPG sector experience preferred.
• Prior experience in product testing, performance analysis, or consumer research is highly valued.
• Deep curiosity and technical understanding of product and material design, particularly in absorbency, softness, fit, packaging and other sensory and performance attributes.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize data from multiple sources to generate clear insights and recommendations. Experience with data automation and AI driven analysis is preferred.
• Proficiency with data visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Excel) to develop actionable reporting; Familiarity with LEAN Six Sigma or structured problem-solving methodologies is plus.
• Effective communicator, both written and verbal, with experience presenting to cross-functional stakeholders; Demonstrated collaboration skills and ability to work effectively across global and local teams.

Total Benefits

Here are just a few of the benefits you’d enjoy working in this role for Kimberly-Clark. For a complete overview, see .

Great support for good health with medical, dental, and vision coverage options with no waiting periods or pre-existing condition restrictions. Access to an on-site fitness center, occupational health nurse, and allowances for high-quality safety equipment.

Flexible Savings and spending accounts to maximize health care options and stretch dollars when caring for yourself or dependents.

Diverse income protection insurance options to protect yourself and your family in case of illness, injury, or other unexpected events.

Additional programs and support to continue your education, adopt a child, relocate, or even find temporary childcare.

To Be Considered

Click the Apply button and complete the online application process. A member of our recruiting team will review your application and follow up if you seem like a great fit for this role.

In the meantime, please check out the careers website .

And finally, the fine print….

For Kimberly-Clark to grow and prosper, we must be an inclusive organization that applies the diverse experiences and passions of its team members to brands that make life better for people all around the world, which is why seek to build a workforce that encompasses the experiences of our consumers. When you bring your original thinking to Kimberly-Clark, you fuel the continued success of our enterprise. We are a committed equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification. Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, and DMV check.

Veterans and members of the Reserve and Guard are highly encouraged to apply.

This role is available for local candidates already authorized to work in the role’s country only. Kimberly-Clark will not provide relocation support for this role.

#LI-Hybrid

Grade 9/P3: Grade level and/or compensation may vary based on location

Salary Range: 105,740 – 130,620 USD

At Kimberly-Clark, pay is just one aspect of our total rewards package, which also includes a variety of benefits and opportunities to achieve, thrive and grow. Along with base pay, this position offers eligibility for a target bonus and a comprehensive benefits suite, including our 401(k) and Profit Sharing plan. The anticipated base pay range for this role is provided above for a fully qualified hire. Actual pay will depend on several factors, such as location, role, skills, performance, and experience. Please note that the stated pay range applies to US locations only.