Culinary Development (multiple positions)

Company: Sonic
Location: Atlanta
Posted on: September 22, 2023

Job Description:

Do you truly have a love and passion for food? Are you interested in joining a growing and critical team? Do you get excited about working on product development that will impact and draw customers to restaurants around the world? If so, this role could be the right role for you! The Culinary Development positions 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. This position will also lead the physical development of new products, product builds, and product improvement initiatives, 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 success criteria for consumer, operations & financial goals. By Applying to this posting your resume will be reviewed for the following Positions:Associate Manager, Culinary Development Arbys Manager, Culinary Development Jimmy John's, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Arbys Culinary Innovation Lead SONICAll of these positions will sit in our Atlanta-based Global Support Center.RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the Product Innovation team in delivering against organizational and personal goals, objectives, and strategies
• Work independently on development projects, with check-ins & guidance from supervisors as needed, and participate in the creation of new product development objectives while collaborating with cross-functional teams including New Product Marketing, Operations, Procurement, Commercialization, Quality Assurance, Brand Marketing, and others as appropriate
• Independently work with vendor partners to develop new products from gold-standard products to initial benchtop samples and through the 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 per commercialized product with vendor partner, Commercialization Quality Assurance, and other teams as necessary
• Provide raw material/formula specifications to Agile lead
• 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 the Procurement Team to develop accurate food & paper formulas
• Partner with cross-functional teams to identify enhancements to new product development and product improvement initiatives
• Make recommendations to Culinary Innovation leadership for the best course of action
• Plan and execute Product Showcase events to (and not limited to) SONIC Senior Management, All Management Retreat, Board of Directors, Franchise Community, Marketing Leadership, Shareholders & SONIC National Convention
• Oversee the planning and communication of the Culinary Support Team events/activities EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS
  • A culinary or food-related degree is preferred for all positionsREQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, or ABILITIES
    • True Passion for food!
    • Team player; collegial - good at supporting teams
    • Incorporate a best first mentality and mindset that continues to accelerate our innovation process
    • Excellent oral and written communication skills & presentation capabilities
    • Ability to set goals, determine priorities, plan, organize & follow through on assigned responsibilities
    • Ability to work independently & as a member of a team
    • Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment
    • Accuracy & attention to detail are an absolute must
    • Highly creative with an ability to be flexible & open to new ideas
    • Proven ability to multi-task with little direct supervision
    • Demonstrate effective time & project management skills
    • Strong interpersonal skills & an understanding of the importance of embracing & fitting into company culture to achieve success with the ability to earn the trust of people devoted to the Sonic way of doing things; empowering people to accept intelligent change as a subtle but effective agent of change
    • Excellent communication skills in multiple mediums to multiple audiences including public speaking & written (including electronic communications)
    • Flexibility to work within an open-concept office environment & within established guidelines
    • Proficient in using Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel & other relevant software programsInspire Brands is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes nearly 32,000 Arbys, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin, Jimmy Johns, and SONIC Drive-In restaurants worldwide.Were made up of some of the worlds most iconic restaurant brands, but were much more than just a restaurant company. Were 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 stapleits an experience. At Inspire, thats our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.RequiredPreferredJob Industries

Keywords: Sonic, Atlanta , Culinary Development (multiple positions), Hospitality & Tourism , Atlanta, Georgia