Culinary Project Manager I - Snacks & Sides

Job Description

Manages Snacks & Sides, Late Night, and New Category Entry Points, supporting innovation and R&D efforts across platform development, product development, testing, and rollout. Partners cross-functionally to ensure concepts are craveable, operationally sound, and aligned with late-night occasions, while supporting execution, training, and operational readiness. Contributes creative input and helps drive bold, indulgent ideas, ensuring concepts transition smoothly from development to launch. KEY DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES: Conceptualizes and develops operational friendly delicious new products with optimized procedures, hold and cook times. • Owns innovation in assigned categories and projects. Engages cross-functional teams through the Product Development process, including stage gates, white papers, PD check in, Category and other meetings. • Provides input on product trends, feasibility, and options for product strategies; monitors product/menu trends, competitor product development activities, and food industry technology developments. Participates in department category update meetings and departmental product idea generation meetings for assigned product categories. • Contributes to, reviews, and/or executes the creation of product prototypes, including product formulation and ingredient sourcing, and manages initial production scale up of product prototypes for consumer research and initial testing. • Contributes on project teams to provide expertise on ingredient, product build, and equipment aspects; recommends best product, procedure, packaging, and/or equipment options based on delivery of concept, operational feasibility, consumer research/sensory panel results, and supplier capabilities. • Authors product specifications and parameters; researches and identifies suppliers; as needed, travels to supplier facilities to observe and approve production process and address critical processing procedures; ensures consistent finished produ…