Sr. Director, Culinary & Commercialization, Burger King, US & Canada

Head Of Culinary Innovation And Commercialization

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Restaurant Brands International Inc. is one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with nearly $45 billion in annual system-wide sales and over 32,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and territories.

RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands TIM HORTONS, BURGER KING, POPEYES, and FIREHOUSE SUBS. These independently operated brands have been serving their respective guests, franchisees and communities for decades. Through its Restaurant Brands for Good framework, RBI is improving sustainable outcomes related to its food, the planet, and people and communities.

RBI is committed to growing the TIM HORTONS, BURGER KING, POPEYES and FIREHOUSE SUBS brands by leveraging their respective core values, employee and franchisee relationships, and long track records of community support. Each brand benefits from the global scale and shared best practices that come from ownership by Restaurant Brands International Inc.

Position Overview :

As Head of Culinary Innovation and Commercialization, this person will have the opportunity to shape and develop the Food Philosophy and Menu Strategy for one of the most iconic global brands. Burger King is a global brand with 19,700 locations across 120 markets. With nearly 7,000 locations in the US, the US Culinary Innovation team plays an integral role in shaping and developing the menus and flavors that make Burger King a beloved consumer brand.

Reporting to the VP of Brand Marketing & Culinary Innovation, the Head of Culinary Innovation and Commercialization will lead the BK menu strategy, driving menu enhancements and developing a 18-to-32-month menu pipeline. This role will lead the creation of our BK food philosophy, developing distinct and leading flavor profiles while ensuring optimized commercialization with our vendors and supply chain partners.

Burger King recently announced its Reclaim The Flame plan, a plan aimed to jumpstart growth and gains in market share. This role is a rare opportunity to join an exciting turnaround and to shape the course of the brand's trajectory.

This position is highly collaborative and partners closely with the Sr. Director, Brand Marketing, Sr. Director, Consumer Insights and Sr. Director, Operations Innovation in addition to external supply chain and vendor partners to ensure that BK delivers strong unit economics and elicits brand love by delivering the best-tasting, flame grilled product experiences in QSR.

Responsibilities :

• Create a thorough and fully developed menu strategy for the Burger King brand leveraging key insights and data about our business and the QSR category.
• Through the menu strategy, create a menu pipeline based on the opportunities within the Burger King burger focus and QSR trends for the next 18-36 months
• Lead and develop a multi-level team of chefs and food scientists, identifying and leading opportunities in org design and cross functional ways of working
• Develop and refine BK food philosophy that delivers on leveraging our history with flame-grilling and ensures best in class flavor and quality.
• Work with the marketing brand team to develop innovative LTO's, on-brand menu items and enhance current menu offerings to meet guests need.
• Create and maintain standard processes to ensure appropriate evaluation of product strategies, including core menu renovations, cost-out initiatives and supply disruption mitigation.
• Lead relationships with key suppliers and leverage relationships to stay ahead of flavor and innovation trends.
• Lead initiatives that enhance BK's quality perception, including ingredient work, spec enhancements, QA partnership, supplier controls, etc.
• Partner with Operations team to develop procedures and smallware recommendations that enhance operations and support in-store execution.
• Oversee the planning and facilitation internal and cross-functional product showings through sample requisition and ingredient preparation.
• Oversee the organization and inventory of the BK test kitchen ensuring safe food handling practices and BK production standards.
• Lead food showings at events such as national conventions, investor day showcases, culinary design dinners, Foundations events, etc.

Qualifications & Skills :

Benefits at all of our global offices are focused on physical, mental and financial wellness. We offer unique and progressive benefits, including a comprehensive global paid parental leave program that supports employees as they expand their families, free telemedicine and mental wellness support.

Restaurant Brands International and all of its affiliated companies (collectively, RBI) are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers that do not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, provincial or federal laws, rules, or regulations. RBI's policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment. Accommodation is available for applicants with disabilities upon request.