Food Innovation Manager

Yum! Brands
Shanghai
Workplace: OnsiteFull timeFunction: Quality & Regulatory (Non-Software)Experience: 10+ yearsEducation: bachelorsSkills: ["Influencing stakeholders","Strategic thinking","Analytical problem-solving","Organizational skills","Emotional intelligence"]

Lead Taco Bell’s food innovation strategy for China by improving menu item quality and ensuring core ingredients meet brand standards and specifications. Translate consumer insights into an innovation product pipeline and calendar from concept through commercialization. Partner with strategic suppliers to co-develop ingredients, ensure new products meet consumer/finance/operations requirements, and drive packaging sustainability improvements. Manage benchmarking, stakeholder alignment, and R&D leadership across franchisees and global teams.

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Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands
7 months ago

Food Innovation Manager

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Last checked: 14 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Lead Taco Bell’s food innovation strategy for China by improving menu item quality and ensuring core ingredients meet brand standards and specifications. Translate consumer insights into an innovation product pipeline and calendar from concept through commercialization. Partner with strategic suppliers to co-develop ingredients, ensure new products meet consumer/finance/operations requirements, and drive packaging sustainability improvements. Manage benchmarking, stakeholder alignment, and R&D leadership across franchisees and global teams.
Location: Shanghai
Workplace: Onsite
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Quality & Regulatory (Non-Software)
Seniority: Manager level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Lead food innovation and quality improvement across all menu items to enhance local consumer relevance.
  • •Translate consumer insights into an innovative product pipeline and robust product calendars from concept to commercialization.
  • •Co-develop and commercialize new ingredients with strategic suppliers to enable new product launches.
  • •Ensure new products meet consumer, finance, and operations requirements, support restaurant execution, and develop procedures/training materials.
  • •Drive R&D leadership by managing workstreams and timelines, handling multiple stakeholders, and participating in global forums to share know-how.
Travel: High travel

Key Requirements

  • •Bachelor’s degree in food science, chemistry, nutrition, culinary, or related education; Master’s degree preferred.
  • •10+ years’ experience in quick service restaurant, consumer packaged goods, and/or food manufacturing categories with strong culinary skills.
  • •Experience manufacturing food ingredients across categories such as meats, breads, sauces & seasoning, dairy, and produce.
  • •Experience in a test kitchen and/or pilot plant and/or manufacturing environment.
  • •Ability to influence stakeholders and drive strategy, analytical problem-solving, and program execution (including traveling up to 30%).
Experience:10+ yearsQuick service restaurantsConsumer packaged goodsFood manufacturingFood ingredients
Education:Bachelor's in food science, chemistry, nutrition, culinary or related education
Skills:Influencing stakeholdersStrategic thinkingAnalytical problem-solvingOrganizational skillsEmotional intelligence

Company Brief

Yum! Brands
Yum! Brands is a global quick-service restaurant company that develops, franchises and operates KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Habit Burger & Grill, serving tens of thousands of restaurants across more than 150 countries with digital and franchise-led growth strategies.
Industry: Restaurants & Food Service
Company Size: Enterprise (1,001+ employees)
Revenue: USD 1B+
Growth: Public Company
Valuation: Public Company (Market Cap in USD)
Funding: IPO / Publicly Listed
Headquarters: Louisville, United States
Founded: 1997
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Glassdoor: 3.7
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