Culinary Innovation Manager - Arby's

Deliver industry-leading product innovation that drives traffic, revenue, and guest satisfaction. Champion consumer-inspired culinary experiences across existing menu, new LTOs, cost optimization, and procedures/operations. Culinary is the heartbeat of the Arby’s brand strategy & business – our equity is based on menu diversity that sets new standards for innovation in QSR.

1.     Culinary innovation & product development, including core menu and LTO innovation. Partner with Category Management team throughout the innovation process, including concept/ideation, product development, in-market testing & commercialization for system launch

a.     Creative culinarian who inspires the team to push boundaries and strives to create the first in class, best in class and/or only products of target category offered in QSR

b.     Responsible for translating culinary briefs into product innovation that drives new guest acquisition and industry-leading guest satisfaction

c.      Work with Insights Team to conduct consumer/guest research to understand consumer needs & product optimization, including execution/preparation of product for testing

d.     Work with vendor partners to develop new products from concept to prototype, prototype to costed commercially viable sample, and through system commercialization process. 

e.     In touch with culinary trends and competitive innovation

f.       Participate & cook in key culinary events:  Inspire & Arby’s Board Meetings, Annual Franchise Conference, Arby’s Foundation, Executive Tastings, Arby’s Foundation  

2. Deliver consistent, high quality guest experiences across the system - ‘Get it done’ by working collaboratively with Marketing, Operations, commercialization (QA) & Supply Chain leaders to align strategy and ensure excellence in execution

• →
  • →Strong program management, operational discipline, and cross functional collaboration to deliver innovation that is consumer-led, financially attractive and executable at scale
  • →New product launch readiness – raw material/formula specifications, new product yield, confirm QA & regulatory / legal approval, establish scalable procedures & validate supplier readiness for system roll-out
  • →Partner with Operations: i) develop training materials to deliver consistent restaurant-level execution, ii) test and refine back/front of house process and procedures, iii) select equipment to improve guest experience and launch new products, iv) improve and optimize packaging to enhance guest satisfaction and reduce cost
  • →Work with Supply Chain (Arby’s Co-op and Inspire) to manage supplier relationships, define sourcing strategy and negotiate cost

3.   Other duties as assigned

• Minimum 2-Year Degree with a Concentration in Culinary Arts or Food Science / Food Technology / closely related scientific discipline
• Preferred 4-Year Degree with a Concentration in Culinary Arts or Food Science / Food Technology / closely related scientific discipline
• 3+ Years of experience Required in Culinary product development and menu strategy
• Experience preferred: Multi-unit Restaurant Chain
• Passion for Food & Culinary mastery – creative menu development, food products, cost, manufacturing, restaurant operations and equipment
• Collaboration – demonstrated ability to work with other functions and external vendors to build trust & deliver results  
• Strategy & program development – ability to take idea to execution, managing multiple priorities and functional engagement
• Strong organization and presentation skills – balance multiple priorities, keep timelines & records, clearly written & verbal communication
• Thrives in ambiguity – ability to multi-task with minimal direct supervision. Move quickly on tight timelines while maintaining strong work product & quality standards
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Travel Required - Approximately 20% including Supplier visits, Industry Events, Research and Culinary Tours