Senior Manager, Food Innovation Technology

Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC); Vaughan; Hybrid; CAD 150,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Paid vacation

Health and dental benefits

Tuition reimbursement

RRSP/DPSP

Job summary

KFC Canada is seeking a Senior Food Innovation Technology Manager to balance the art and science of innovation, development, and food safety. You will lead the Food Innovation & Technology team across Innovation, Operations, Restaurant Excellence and Supply Chain to commercialize product ideas while upholding brand standards.

With 7+ years in the food industry and a post-secondary Food Science degree, you will drive new menu development, quality improvements, and regulatory compliance,

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in Food Science or related field.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Experience with new product development and QA.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Food Innovation & Technology team to develop and execute short- to mid-term strategies and plans.
• Lead development of menu items and innovation strategies to build the brand and drive profitability through validation and commercialization.
• Lead the product excellence team to deliver quality improvements with poultry emphasis.
• Partner with Marketing Innovation to validate the innovation pipeline via the 4D model.
• Develop specs for ingredients, products and packaging in collaboration with Supply Chain.
• Commercialize products through plant trials and first productions.
• Pursue continuous improvement and explore alternative processing methods.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support marketing and growth plans and advise leadership on decisions.
• Manage and lead the test kitchen operations, tastings and showings.
• Coordinate with Marketing Insights for consumer and sensory research.
• Ensure CFIA compliance and regulatory readiness.
• Conduct competitive product and ingredient research and share findings.
• Help cement KFC Canada as a trusted brand with future-back sustainability initiatives.

Skills

Food Innovation

Project management

Communication skills

Multidisciplinary leadership

Poultry expertise

Regulatory knowledge

Sensory research

Culinary background

Education

Food Science degree

Job description

The Senior Food Innovation Technology Manager is the heart of our business and can balance the art and science of innovation, development, and food safety. They have passion for food and innovation with the technical chops to make it a reality. This role works with Innovation, Operations, Restaurant Excellence and Supply Chain to lead and support strategic initiatives, to develop and commercialize product innovation across our world-famous fried chicken (meeting brand standards), new product development & limited time offers while leading our Food Safety & Quality Assurance team.

• Lead the Food Innovation & Technology team to develop and execute short- to mid-term functional strategies and operational plans, establishing priorities and resources to deliver Annual Operating Plan requirements and develop future talent pipeline
• Lead the development of menu items and innovation strategies that will build the brand over time and deliver on sales, transactions and profitability through validation and commercialization of new and enhanced ingredients, products and packaging
• Leads product excellence team to deliver product & quality improvements, with a key focus on poultry expertise.
• Partner with the Marketing Innovation team to build and validate the innovation pipeline through our 4D product development model
• Develop specifications for all new and enhanced ingredients, products and packaging and partnering with Supply Chain to validate core ingredient contingency plans
• Commercialize products by conducting plant trials, first productions and alternative processing methods and options
• Actively seek and investigate continuous improvement opportunities and alternative processing methods and options
• Partner with the cross-functional team to deliver on marketing and growth strategy and deliver on retail calendar, market test and menu vision plans while serving as a senior Food Innovation & Technology advisor to leadership on product, quality, food safety and commercialization decisions.
• Manage and lead the test kitchen, including the day-to-day test kitchen maintenance and product showings and tastings
• Partner with Marketing Insights and Innovation to conduct and analyze consumer and sensory research
• Manage QA lead to ensure product compliance with CFIA regulations
• Conduct and report competitive product and ingredient research and findings
• Cement KFC Canada's leadership as a loved and trusted brand by leading a future back strategy to unlock 'good' commitments on Food & Planet, developing innovation solutions that live up to Finger Lickin' Good Food & Planet

Required

• Post-secondary Food Science degree or related (Food Innovation and/or Development) program.

Preferred

• Culinary background preferred

Experience

• 7+ years experience within food related industry
• Demonstrated experience and success in new product development, Quality Assurance and product roll-outs
• Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills
• Ability to prioritize and successfully manage multiple projects simultaneously with ambitious timelines
• Passion for all types of food required
• Packaging experience preferred
• Familiarity with the Canadian Packaging & Labeling Act, Canadian Weights & Measurements, Food & Drug Act, CFIA Meat Inspection Act, general CFIA & Health Canada guidelines
• Training in HACCP, SPC, GMPs, Auditing, Microbiology
• Experience partnering on sensory and consumer research

We'd prefer this role to have…

• Familiarity with restaurant operations preferred

What makes KFC a great place to work?

Hybrid work model (2-3 days per week in office)

Paid vacation and personal days, plus 10 paid KFC Canada holidays in addition to statutory holidays.

Comprehensive health and dental benefits, including HSA and PSA options that allow you to personalize your coverage, plus life insurance and disability coverage, with employer-paid premiums

Family-inclusive Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and virtual care

Paid parental leave with salary top-up

RRSP and DPSP retirement programs with employer matching

Annual tuition reimbursement program

Employee referral rewards

And so much more!

Note: remuneration, benefits, and other perks may vary by role, employment status, eligibility, and other relevant factors.

Additional Information

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

The expected hiring range for this role is $150,000 to $195,000 CAD, inclusive of base salary and target annual performance bonus. Final compensation will be based on factors such as skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

KFC Canada uses artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools to support certain aspects of the recruitment process, including application screening and assessment, in accordance with applicable legislation. All final hiring decisions are made by human decision-makers.