Culinary Innovation Manager (Sonic)

IRB USA Inspire Resources; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

IRB USA Inspire Resources in Atlanta is seeking a Culinary Innovation Manager to lead product development from concept to launch. This role involves collaborating with various teams to create innovative food and beverage concepts that meet operational and financial goals.

The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of experience in the culinary field, particularly in QSR environments, and a strong ability to communicate and manage projects efficiently. The position favors creativity and strategic thinking.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years experience in a culinary or product development role required.
• Experience in QSR culinary development highly preferred.
• Ability to summarize insights into PowerPoint presentations.

Responsibilities

• Support the Product Innovation team in achieving goals.
• Develop new products from concept to commercialization.
• Lead product taste tests and present recommendations.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Creativity in menu development

Excellent communication

Project management

Team collaboration

Education

2 Year Degree in Culinary or Food Related Field

Job description

The Culinary Innovation Manager should bring a creative viewpoint to all new product development, while delivering relevant food and beverage concepts to the SONIC guest. This position will lead and manage product development of new products and execution of strategic initiatives as it relates to all segments and dayparts from concept approval to product launch, including bringing concepts to life through consumer and in-store testing. It will be critical for this role to partner with cross‑functional teams to deliver products that best meet successful criteria for consumer, operations & financial goals.

Responsibilities

• Support the Product Innovation team and Director of Culinary in delivering against organizational and personal goals, objectives, and strategies.
• Work independently on development projects, with check-ins and guidance from supervisor as needed.
• Participate in the creation of new product development objectives while collaborating with cross functional teams including Category Management, Brand Experience, Operations, Procurement, Commercialization, Quality Assurance, and others as appropriate.
• Independently work with vendor partners to develop new products from gold‑standard products to initial benchtop samples and through commercialization process.
• Own development of products.
• Make recommendations for improvements to current prototypes.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams in the development and creation of product specifications on commercialized products with vendor partners, Commercialization Quality Assurance, and other teams as necessary.
• Lead product taste tests and new product showings.
• Present product improvement/change recommendations based on taste test results and/or feedback to Culinary Innovation leadership.
• Partner with Procurement Team to develop accurate food & paper formulas.
• Plan and execute Product Showcase events to (and not limited to) SONIC Senior Management, Board of Directors, Franchise Community, Marketing Leadership, Shareholders & SONIC National Convention.
• Provide guidance and support to other product developers.
• Other duties assigned as needed.

Requirements

• 2 Year Degree Preferred - A culinary or Food related degree is preferred for this position.
• 3-5 years’ experience in a culinary or product development role required.
• Experience in QSR culinary development highly preferred.
• Ability to think strategically, be detail oriented and respond quickly to business needs.
• Bring creativity to menu development and trend dives for the team.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, especially the ability to explain difficult concepts and insights in applicable business terms.
• Ability to summarize insights into PowerPoint presentations in clear and understandable calls to action.
• Ability to collaborate and motivate across the operations, supply chain, field, and marketing teams.
• Self‑starter with the ability to project manage and handle multiple assignments simultaneously and meet all desired deadlines.
• Strong leadership, sales support, project management and training skills.
• Understanding how to take products or programs through a development and testing process.
• Effective problem‑solving skills and ability to listen and translate details accurately.
• Should possess an innate curiosity and growth mindset.