Food Innovation Manager

Company: YUM! Brands, Inc.
Location: Plano
Posted on: June 10, 2021

Job Description:

Food Innovation Manager

Description: Seeking a growth mindset, proven relationship builder, and the desire to coach a high-impact team on the Pizza Hut Food Innovation Team. As a brand known for innovation, this position will head the commercialization of a strategic product pipeline for Pizza Hut U.S. In addition to product development, this role will be responsible for leading menu and process simplification to ensure viability in the Pizza Hut system while maintaining high quality expectations of the brand.

• Fosters an innovative, curiosity-inspired, food forward mindset in the organization
• Coaches and grows a team of three high performing product developers
• Accesses emerging food technologies, industry trends and processes, and explores how to apply them to Pizza Hut
• Drives alignment, tracking, processes, and commercialization of US new product pipeline, developing reliable supply inclusive of formulation and scale-up
• Conducts and trains others in product development activities in a planned and effective manner including solid Design of Experiment testing and thorough, robust execution of experiments
• Develops and trains others in writing product specifications and identifies key attribute ranges within process capability for new and/or improved products and concepts, in partnership with QA
• Manage and evolve Pizza Hut Food Committee to ensure brand is aligned and delivers timely on goals set with franchisees

Collaborates effectively with cross-functional partners (QA, Engineering, Operations, Marketing, Consumer Insights, Supply Chain, Finance) to move projects forward and to work through identified issues.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Culinary, or related field (e.g. Sensory Science, Life Sciences, or Behavioral sciences) with 7 years' experience or Masters with 3 years of experience working in product development and/or in food/ beverage industry

EXPERIENCE (and other qualifications)

• High energy, positive, and flexible team player
• Ability to work unsupervised, proactively, and anticipate needs of the organization
• Must be able to work with team members at all levels of the organization
• Solid investigative, diagnostic and troubleshooting skills
• Ability to build and mentor teams
• Proven product development and implementer of multi-functional business projects
• Exceptional communication and relationship building skills to influence food initiatives
• Ability to work closely with suppliers in developing and improving their processes in order to achieve commercial viability for products
• Trains and coaches co-workers and team members on new products/processes
• Demonstrates a practical approach and knowledge of product development & operational systems, supplier food processing, and the impact of distribution chains.
• Experience in top 5 Pizza QSR a plus.
• Proficient in Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint

Keywords: YUM! Brands, Inc., Plano , Food Innovation Manager, Other , Plano, Texas