Innovation and Product Development Manager

Leads the creation, testing, and implementation of innovative fresh food products and culinary programs that drive customer satisfaction and sales growth across 7-Eleven's retail network. This role combines culinary expertise with business acumen to develop scalable, operationally efficient food solutions that align with consumer trends and brand strategy. The position requires close collaboration with Merchandising, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, and Strategic Sourcing teams to ensure successful product launches from concept through execution. This manager will oversee culinary development projects while managing cross-functional relationships to deliver fresh food innovation that enhances the customer experience and supports business objectives.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lead the development and execution of fresh food innovation strategies, including new product concepts, recipe development, and menu optimization aligned with merchandising goals and consumer insights

Manage the end-to-end culinary development process from ideation through commercialization, including recipe formulation, ingredient sourcing, cost analysis, and operational feasibility testing

Conduct culinary research and competitive analysis to identify emerging food trends, consumer preferences, and market opportunities that inform innovation pipeline priorities

Collaborate with Strategic Sourcing and Supply Chain teams to identify and qualify ingredient suppliers, negotiate specifications, and ensure product quality and cost targets are achieved

Develop and maintain comprehensive product documentation including recipes, preparation procedures, nutritional analysis, allergen information, and food safety protocols

Collaborate with Category Management, Operations, Commercialization, Food Safety, QA, and Regulatory teams to ensure products meet consumer, operational, and quality standards

Lead sensory evaluations, consumer testing, and market trials to validate product concepts and gather feedback for refinement prior to national rollout

Manage relationships with co-manufacturers, commissaries, and bakery partners to ensure product specifications, quality standards, and production capabilities meet business requirements

Monitor product performance post-launch through sales analysis, customer feedback, and store visits to identify optimization opportunities and recommend improvements

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Culinology, Food Science, or related field preferred

YEARS OF RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE: 5-7 years

SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
Must be able to evaluate and taste products across all food categories.

Advanced culinary skills with expertise in multiple cooking techniques, flavor development, and recipe formulation for scalable production environments

Strong understanding of food science principles including ingredient functionality, shelf-life extension, and quality preservation methods

Proficiency in nutritional analysis software and recipe costing tools to ensure products meet nutritional guidelines and margin requirements

Excellent project management abilities with experience managing multiple concurrent initiatives, timelines, and stakeholder expectations

Strong analytical skills to interpret consumer insights, sales data, and market trends to inform innovation strategies and business decisions

Exceptional communication and presentation skills with ability to articulate culinary concepts to non-technical audiences and executive leadership

Ability to translate culinary creativity into operationally feasible, cost-effective solutions that can be executed consistently across thousands of retail locations

Experience with sensory evaluation methodologies and consumer testing protocols to validate product concepts

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite including Excel for PowerPoint for presentations, and project management tools

Strong vendor relationship management skills with experience negotiating specifications, pricing, and quality standards with suppliers

Creative problem-solving abilities with entrepreneurial mindset to identify opportunities and overcome operational challenges

Collaborative leadership style with ability to influence cross-functional teams and build consensus across diverse stakeholder groups.

If an hourly or salary range is included in this ad it represents the range 7-Eleven in good faith believes is the range of compensation for this role at the time of this posting. The Company may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in this state. This range may be modified in the future. No amount is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable under the terms and conditions of the applicable policies and plans. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, long-term incentive compensation, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Companys sole discretion, consistent with the law.

For a general description of all benefits 7-Eleven is offering in the US for the position, please visit this link.

For a general description of all benefits 7-Eleven is offering in Canada for the position, please visit this link.