Concept Development Manager

RecruitMe Plus; Dubai; On-site; AED 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

RecruitMe Plus in Dubai is seeking a Concept Development Manager to lead the strategic creation and guardianship of restaurant brands across the group. You will drive new concepts from ideation to launch and ensure they resonate with guests and deliver commercial growth.

This role blends creative leadership with rigorous planning, collaborating with culinary, design, marketing, and ops teams to shape brand narratives, guest journeys, and scalable rollout plans.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years in restaurant, hospitality, or lifestyle brand development.
• Proven track record in building and repositioning restaurant brands.
• Deep understanding of brand architecture and consumer psychology.
• Experience crafting both physical and digital guest experiences.
• Ability to lead projects from concept to execution with strong creative direction.
• Experience in international or franchise markets is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of new restaurant brands and dining experiences.
• Redevelop existing brands to improve performance and guest appeal.
• Define end-to-end guest experience from brand narrative to touchpoints.
• Act as brand guardian across visual, verbal, physical, and digital.
• Plan multi-year brand strategies aligned with expansion goals.
• Collaborate with development, real estate, and finance teams.
• Lead cross-functional teams through the brand development lifecycle.
• Track brand performance KPIs and guide evolution.

Skills

Brand strategy

Leadership

Creative direction

Commercial acumen

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Brand Strategy, Hospitality, Design, or Business

Job description

About the job Concept Development Manager

Position title: Concept Development Manager

Department: Brand & Experience Development

Reporting to: Chief Brand Officer / Chief Executive Officer

About the Company

Our client is a dynamic hospitality group recognized for creating trendsetting F&B concepts that blend creativity, quality, and experience. With several well-loved brands under its umbrella from artisanal bakeries to lifestyle-driven restaurants the group continues to redefine the casual dining scene across the GCC.

Role Summary

The Brand Development Manager is responsible for the strategic creation, evolution, and guardianship ofrestaurant brands within the groups portfolio. This includes launching new concepts, revitalizing existingbrands, and crafting immersive guest experiences that drive market relevance, brand equity, and businessgrowth. The role balances creative vision with commercial strategy and serves as the brand guardian acrossall initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Brand Creation & Strategic Innovation

• Lead the end-to-end development of new restaurant brands and dining experiences, from ideation tolaunch.
• Identify trends, customer insights, and whitespace opportunities to create brands with clear marketfit and emotional resonance.
• Collaborate with culinary, design, marketing, and operations teams to bring new concepts to lifeholistically.

2. Redevelopment of Existing Brands

• Lead the repositioning, rebranding, or revitalization of existing concepts to improve performance,relevance, and guest appeal.
• Conduct brand audits across visual identity, customer journey, menu, and market performance.
• Define and execute strategic refresh plans, balancing brand heritage with modern expectations.

3. Customer Experience Design

• Define the end-to-end guest experience, from brand narrative to spatial design and digitaltouchpoints.
• Collaborate with designers and architects to ensure physical environments reflect brand personalityand story.
• Develop experience guidelines that elevate emotional connection, engagement, and loyalty.

4. Brand Guardianship

• Act as the brand guardian for both new and existing brands ensuring consistency, quality, andintegrity across all expressions.
• Approve creative materials and brand assets including menus, packaging, signage, uniforms, andmarketing content.
• Ensure each brand lives up to its promise across all touchpoints: visual, verbal, physical, and digital.

5. Strategic Planning & Rollout

• Develop and maintain multi-year brand strategies aligned with commercial goals and marketexpansion.
• Collaborate with development, real estate, and finance teams to match brands with locationopportunities.
• Plan and lead brand rollouts, pilot launches, and scaled growth across regions or channels (dine-in,takeaway, retail, etc.).

6. Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead multi-disciplinary teams throughout the brand development lifecycle.
• Act as the central strategic voice across functions, aligning stakeholders with vision, standards, and timelines.
• Inspire and mentor internal teams in brand thinking and customer-centric innovation.

7. Culinary & Menu Alignment

• Partner with culinary leads to develop food and beverage offerings that reflect each brands positioning and customer promise.
• Ensure consistency between menu innovation, guest expectations, and brand story.

8. Performance Tracking & Continuous Improvement

• Define brand performance KPIs (e.g., guest sentiment, brand awareness, revenue uplift, designfeedback).
• Use insights and market data to continuously improve brand health and relevance.
• Create post-launch reports and recommend brand evolution strategies.

Qualifications

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Brand Strategy, Hospitality, Design, or Business.
• 7-10 years of experience in restaurant, hospitality, or lifestyle brand development.
• Proven track record in building and repositioning restaurant or experiential brands.
• Deep understanding of brand architecture, consumer psychology, and F&B market dynamics.
• Experience crafting both physical and digital guest experiences.
• Ability to lead projects from concept to execution with strong creative direction and commercial discipline.
• Experience in international or franchise markets is a plus.