Senior Culinary Manager

Working in a fast paced and dynamic environment, the Sr Manager, Restaurant Culinary Product Development will be responsible for overseeing the Menu Strategy & Innovation for new culinary concepts for 7-Eleven Restaurant group - Laredo Taco Company, Raise the Roost, Speedy Café, TD Deli & other brands. This role is critical in the strategic vision for growth of Restaurant platforms, and this person will ensure product development aligns with brand, consumer preferences, operational feasibility and financial targets

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

• Lead and mentor a team of 3 direct reports, culinary and product development professionals focused on Laredo Taco Company, Raise the Roost & Speedy Café and other platforms.
• Lead the ideation, recipe development, and product applications testing of new and existing food products for Restaurant platforms
• Collaborate cross-functionally with leadership, category management, marketing, quality assurance, learning & development and operations to bring culinary concepts to life and effectively navigate market tests/national product launches.
• Develop multi-year innovation pipeline to support Restaurant brand strategies and goals
• Leads market testing program for innovation & menu changes, partnering with category and operations to build pipeline of validated innovation
• Identify synergies in vendors, products, packaging and process across Restaurant platforms, as well as core fresh food categories in traditional 7-Eleven/Speedway stores.
• Analyze sales data, customer feedback, insights and market trends to inform culinary development and conduct competitive benchmarking/analysis to identify menu, packaging and equipment opportunities
• Partner with consumer insights team on sensory testing design, surveys and paneling of new and core improvement development projects, in store consumer testing, CLT’s.
• Design and implementation all recipe cards, new product training videos, job aids, and user guides for all new products and standard operating procedures for all platforms in partnership with field training team
• Support all marketing photo and video product launch shoots with product, ingredients and formal guidance on prep methods, appearance and how to photograph new culinary concepts
• Lead applications testing for innovation packaging, new back-of-house equipment and operational process simplification.
• Manage vendor partnerships, culinary innovations sessions and new supplier onboarding process for all platforms, as well as supplier approvals, item documentation, product specifications, and nutritional label process with QA team.
• Embody the 7-Eleven leadership principles of Customer Obsession, Challenging the Status Quo, Courageous with Your Point of View, acting like an entrepreneur and having an ‘It Can Be Done’ Attitude.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

EDUCATION: Bachelors/4 Yr Degree

YEARS OF RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE: 8+ years

YEARS OF MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE: 5+ years

CERTIFICATIONS / LICENSES: BSc Food Science, Culinary Science, Culinary Arts

• 8+ years of experience in culinary development, preferably in multi-unit restaurant operations.
• Proven track record of successful product launches and menu innovation.
• Strong leadership, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Deep understanding of food safety regulations, cost control, and kitchen operations.

SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• A problem solver. You love to learn and ask the right questions to derive the best solution possible.
• An experienced people leader
• An analyzer. You love to collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative information and are adept at helping others find clarity through analysis.
• Proven working knowledge of culinary applications testing protocols and concept development methodology and how to utilize efficiently and effectively.
• Strong interpersonal skills. You can build trust and form genuine relationships with a wide range of individuals quickly and enjoy supporting others to do what they do even better.
• Exceptional organizational skills and can keep everyone on track and on target. In addition, you constantly re-evaluate importance and urgency relative to company pivots and moving demands.
• Experience in creating processes and implementing new strategies and procedures that best serve the company.
• Strong research, writing, and oral communication skills.
• A test-and-learn mindset with a desire to leverage insights to improve your work.
• A deep knowledge and passion for food, cooking, flavors, ingredients and a keen ability to discern a wide variety of flavors and odors via sensitive taste buds and a descriptive vocabulary.

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If an hourly or salary range is included in this ad it represents the range 7-Eleven in good faith believes is the range of compensation for this role at the time of this posting. The Company may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in this state. This range may be modified in the future. No amount is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable under the terms and conditions of the applicable policies and plans. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, long-term incentive compensation, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.