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Little Caesars Enterprises

Carry-out pizza chain focused on value

Director Core Product/Process Innovation

Process EngineeringConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeDetroit, MI, USANo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

  • A bachelor's degree in Bakery Science, Food Science, or Food Engineering is required.
  • 15–20 years of bakery research and development and/or bakery operations work experience is required; supplemental experience in restaurant research and development or quick-service restaurants is preferred.
  • Extensive experience in product and process analysis, design, and commercialization is required.
  • Experience in bakery pilot and production plants, including design, operations, and testing, is required.
  • Proven experience in data analysis and statistical evaluation is required.
  • Knowledge and experience directing product development processes and consumer testing are required.
  • Ability to formulate bakery products in written form to produce food specifications is required.
  • Ability to work with food and operate food-processing equipment in a restaurant environment is required.
  • Ability to work any position in a Little Caesars restaurant is required.
  • Subject-matter expertise in the bakery industry is required.
  • Subject-matter expertise in restaurant operations is required; Little Caesars operations experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

  • Lead innovation initiatives for products, equipment, and processes to simplify restaurant operations, reduce labor, and improve consistency of product and procedure execution.
  • Analyze processes and data to identify innovation opportunities.
  • Collaborate with industry leaders to identify, scale, and commercialize potential solutions.
  • Lead planning and execution, and build business cases to substantiate innovations or capture learnings for future projects.
  • Analyze restaurant operations time-motion data to identify opportunities for simplification, labor savings, and improved consistency of products and execution processes.
  • Initiate projects by developing sell-in models and presentations, presenting them to leadership, and gaining approval and alignment on success metrics.
  • Collaborate with Operations, Suppliers, Finance, Franchisees, Equipment, and Development to deliver economically viable restaurant solutions that reduce labor hours and increase operating income.
  • Develop and recommend suppliers and manufacturers for products, ingredients, restaurant equipment, and supplier production equipment and lines.
  • Lead project management, test-plan development, scale-up, and commercialization, with defined metrics and decision gates for business-case development.
  • Engage with the bakery industry through networking, conferences, supplier visits, trade shows, and trade journals to build and evolve industry knowledge.
  • Plan, operate, and execute testing in bakery pilot and production plants in support of approved projects.
  • Collaborate with Consumer Research to validate consumer response to product changes associated with process, equipment, or production-line changes; identify and communicate metrics and provide leadership updates at key decision points.
  • Develop product and process specifications.
  • Work in Little Caesars restaurants to maintain expertise in restaurant operations.
  • Work in the research and development and innovation office and test kitchen, with fieldwork in manufacturing plants.
  • Travel by car or airplane to stores and other locations domestically and globally for supplier visits and tours, ideation sessions, field food-product testing, competition research, and company business conferences.

Desired Qualifications

  • Supplemental experience in restaurant research and development or quick-service restaurants is preferred.
  • Little Caesars restaurant operations experience is a plus.

About the Company

Little Caesars Enterprises

Carry-out pizza chain focused on value

Little Caesars Enterprises operates a fast-food pizza chain that emphasizes value and convenience through carry-out. It started in 1959 and grew by franchising, focusing on low costs and speed. The core product approach includes large, low-priced pizzas available for immediate carry-out via the Hot-N-Ready model, enabled by high-speed conveyor ovens to speed up production and service. Unlike many peers, Little Caesars remains privately held by the Ilitch family, allowing a long-term, cost-focused strategy and reinvestment into a broader business portfolio, including sports teams. The company aims to offer affordable, quick pizzas and maintain efficient, high-volume operations to stay a dominant player in the fast-food pizza market.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
Not listed
Total funding
Not listed
Headquarters
Detroit, MI
Founded
1959

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