Head of Culinary Innovation & Menu Development

Inspire; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Inspire leads culinary innovation for SONIC and related brands, driving menu strategy and consumer-relevant development. This role partners with senior leadership to deliver a robust pipeline of products and platforms while overseeing a high-performing culinary team.

The candidate will drive strategic menu development, collaborate across departments, and ensure timely launches while maintaining quality and financial objectives. Travel up to 50% may be required.

Qualifications

• 4 Year Degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science or related degree is required for this position
• 10+ Years experience in a culinary or product development role required; QSR experience preferred
• Food storytelling passion and ability to lead a dynamic team
• Strong communication and collaboration across cross-functional partners
• Ability to manage 50-75+ projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic menu development and consumer-relevant innovation across core menu, platforms, beverages, and ingredients
• Own product development from concept through commercialization and launch
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate insights into winning menu solutions
• Lead culinary ideation sessions, tastings, and workshops with internal and external partners
• Manage development priorities, resources, and timelines to ensure on-time delivery
• Partner with Operations, Training, Supply Chain, Commercialization, QA, and Marketing for successful launches
• Balance innovation with operational feasibility, quality, and financial objectives
• Oversee culinary workstreams during testing, validation, and launch readiness
• Develop training materials and procedures for consistent restaurant execution
• Lead and develop a high-performing culinary team and manage department budgets

Skills

Culinary Leadership

Product Development

Menu Innovation

Cross-functional Leadership

Project Management

Food Storytelling

Communication Skills

Strategic Thinking

Budget Management

Education

4 Year Degree in Culinary Arts or Food Science

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Inspire leads culinary innovation for SONIC and related brands, driving menu strategy and consumer-relevant development. This role partners with senior leadership to deliver a robust pipeline of products and platforms while overseeing a high-performing culinary team.

The candidate will drive strategic menu development, collaborate across departments, and ensure timely launches while maintaining quality and financial objectives. Travel up to 50% may be required.