Culinary Innovation Manager - Arby's

Inspire Brands, Inc.; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Inspire Brands, Inc. is seeking a senior culinary product developer to drive innovation across Arby’s and other brands. You will lead core menu and LTO concepts, translating briefs into viable products, and partnering with the Category Management and Insights teams.

The role requires 3+ years in culinary product development, multi-unit restaurant experience, and strong collaboration with vendors. Domestic travel up to 20% is expected, with MS Office proficiency and program leadership.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2-year degree with a concentration in Culinary Arts or Food Science / Food Technology / closely related scientific discipline
• Preferred 4-year degree with a concentration in Culinary Arts or Food Science / Food Technology / closely related scientific discipline
• 3+ years of experience required in culinary product development and menu strategy
• Experience preferred: multi-unit restaurant chain
• Passion for food & culinary mastery – creative menu development, cost, manufacturing, restaurant operations and equipment
• Collaboration – demonstrated ability to work with other functions and external vendors to build trust & deliver results
• Strategy & program development – ability to take idea to execution, managing multiple priorities and functional engagement
• Strong organization and presentation skills – balance multiple priorities, keep timelines & records, clearly written & verbal communication
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Travel Required - Approximately 20% including Supplier visits, Industry Events, Research and Culinary Tours

Responsibilities

• Culinary innovation & product development, including core menu and LTO innovation. Partner with Category Management team throughout the innovation process, including concept/ideation, product development, in-market testing & commercialization for system launch
• Creative culinarian who inspires the team to push boundaries and strives to create thefirst in class, best in class and/or only products of target category offered in QSR
• Responsible for translating culinary briefs into product innovation that drives new guest acquisition and industry-leading guest satisfaction
• Work with Insights Team to conduct consumer/guest research to understand consumer needs & product optimization, including execution/preparation of product for testing
• Work with vendor partners to develop new products from concept to prototype, prototype to costed commercially viable sample, and through system commercialization process.
• In touch with culinary trends and competitive innovation
• Participate & cook in key culinary events: Inspire & Arby’s Board Meetings, Annual Franchise Conference, Arby’s Foundation, Executive Tastings, Arby’s Foundation
• Deliver consistent, high quality guest experiences across the system - ‘Get it done’ by working collaboratively with Marketing, Operations, commercialization (QA) & Supply Chain leaders to align strategy and ensure excellence in execution
• Strong program management, operational discipline, and cross functional collaboration to deliver innovation that is consumer-led, financially attractive and executable at scale
• New product launch readiness – raw material/formula specifications, new product yield, confirm QA & regulatory / legal approval, establish scalable procedures & validate supplier readiness for system roll-out
• Partner with Operations: i) develop training materials to deliver consistent restaurant-level execution, ii) test and refine back/front of house process and procedures, iii) select equipment to improve guest experience and launch new products, iv) improve and optimize packaging to enhance guest satisfaction and reduce cost
• Work with Supply Chain (Arby’s Co-op and Inspire) to manage supplier relationships, define sourcing strategy and negotiate cost
• 3. Other duties as assigned

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional collaboration

Culinary product development

Team leadership

Communication skills

Travel readiness

Education

2-year degree in Culinary Arts or related

4-year degree in Culinary Arts or related

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Deliver industry-leading product innovation that drives traffic, revenue, and guest satisfaction. Champion consumer-inspired culinary experiences across existing menu, new LTOs, cost optimization, and procedures/operations. Culinary is the heartbeat of the Arby’s brand strategy & business – our equity is based on menu diversity that sets new standards for innovation in QSR.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Culinary innovation & product development, including core menu and LTO innovation. Partner with Category Management team throughout the innovation process, including concept/ideation, product development, in-market testing & commercialization for system launch

a. Creative culinarian who inspires the team to push boundaries and strives to create thefirst in class, best in class and/or only products of target category offered in QSR

b. Responsible for translating culinary briefs into product innovation that drives new guest acquisition and industry-leading guest satisfaction

c. Work with Insights Team to conduct consumer/guest research to understand consumer needs & product optimization, including execution/preparation of product for testing

d. Work with vendor partners to develop new products from concept to prototype, prototype to costed commercially viable sample, and through system commercialization process.

e. In touch with culinary trends and competitive innovation

f. Participate & cook in key culinary events: Inspire & Arby’s Board Meetings, Annual Franchise Conference, Arby’s Foundation, Executive Tastings, Arby’s Foundation

2. Deliver consistent, high quality guest experiences across the system - ‘Get it done’ by working collaboratively with Marketing, Operations, commercialization (QA) & Supply Chain leaders to align strategy and ensure excellence in execution

• Strong program management, operational discipline, and cross functional collaboration to deliver innovation that is consumer-led, financially attractive and executable at scale
• New product launch readiness – raw material/formula specifications, new product yield, confirm QA & regulatory / legal approval, establish scalable procedures & validate supplier readiness for system roll-out
• Partner with Operations: i) develop training materials to deliver consistent restaurant-level execution, ii) test and refine back/front of house process and procedures, iii) select equipment to improve guest experience and launch new products, iv) improve and optimize packaging to enhance guest satisfaction and reduce cost
• Work with Supply Chain (Arby’s Co-op and Inspire) to manage supplier relationships, define sourcing strategy and negotiate cost

3. Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

• Minimum 2-Year Degree with a Concentration in Culinary Arts or Food Science / Food Technology / closely related scientific discipline
• Preferred 4-Year Degree with a Concentration in Culinary Arts or Food Science / Food Technology / closely related scientific discipline
• 3+ Years of experience Required in Culinary product development and menu strategy
• Experience preferred: Multi-unit Restaurant Chain
• Passion for Food & Culinary mastery – creative menu development, food products, cost, manufacturing, restaurant operations and equipment
• Collaboration – demonstrated ability to work with other functions and external vendors to build trust & deliver results
• Strategy & program development – ability to take idea to execution, managing multiple priorities and functional engagement
• Strong organization and presentation skills – balance multiple priorities, keep timelines & records, clearly written & verbal communication
• Thrives in ambiguity – ability to multi-task with minimal direct supervision. Move quickly on tight timelines while maintaining strong work product & quality standards
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Travel Required - Approximately 20% including Supplier visits, Industry Events, Research and Culinary Tours

Inspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,300 Arby’s, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin’, Jimmy John’s, and SONIC restaurants worldwide. We’re made up of some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands, but we’re much more than just a restaurant company. We’re a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a staple—it’s an experience. At Inspire, that’s our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.