International Culinary Innovation Manager
Apply nowDubai Dubai
The International Culinary Innovation Manager leads product development and execution of strategic culinary initiatives to strengthen our current business performance and guide future market launches with a focus on Baskin Robbins and other brands as needed. This position will be based in Dubai to support the existing business and future new market growth.
This position will lead and contribute to the development of key Culinary objectives to deliver products that achieve success criteria for consumer, operations & financial goals of the company. This position will play an important part in bringing the International 80/20 strategy to life, including the consumer driven localization of core menu for international markets (80%) and strategic innovation to develop new product platforms (20% when necessary), ensuring International innovation bridges gaps by satisfying consumer needs unmet by existing regional offerings. Additionally, this role will be responsible for developing Baskin-Robbin’s annual flavors of the month and peak season flavors by working with Insights and Brand Experience to create ice cream flavors on the bench and to lead production runs at the local ice cream manufacturer in Dubai.
This individual must be able to navigate and solve for new and complex issues and be able to gain alignment from both internal and franchisee stakeholders as well as communicate effectively with senior and executive leadership. They must excel at converting consumer F&B trends into relevant product opportunities that will drive franchisee profitability. This role will also spend time assisting in Commercialization activities as needed in order to transition menu items from Concept to Consumer
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
New Market Launch: Lead and execute in-country consumer testing. Localize products and collaborate with cross functional team to assist with menu strategy, commercialization and procurement
Core Menu Localization: Work with commercialization, supply chain and regional business teams for core menu item development, localization and optimization requirements
Annual FOM (Baskin) Innovation: Create and commercialize annual flavors of the month and peak season flavors that will be featured on the annual International Marketing Roadmap that incorporates Consumer Insights and addresses business need states
Product Innovation and CPG Support: Support new cake and novelty development for Baskin shops as well as retail CPG products as needed; product improvements and new development
Relationship Management: Both internal and external relationships in order to facilitate alignment and keep engagement high
Assists with ad hoc projects, presentations, and reports to support the Director, International Brand Experience and Vice President, International Marketing
EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimum 4 years Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Culinary or related degree
Minimum 5 years Culinary and commercialization experience required
Restaurant industry relevant experience preferred
International experience preferred
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS or ABILITIES
Global Mindset
Willing and eager to taste and consume a variety of food, including but not limited to seafood, various proteins (beef, poultry, pork), dairy, fruits, nuts, and vegetables
Ability to objectively taste and articulate constructive feedback on food items sampled
Team player - good at supporting teams to reach the greater goal
Experience in recipe creation and have a solid understanding of food safety, supply chain logistics and operations
Excel at creation of MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents that will be shared with Senior Leadership
Excellent oral and written communication skills & presentation capabilities
Ability to change presentation style to suit the audience from both an internal and cultural perspective
Ability to set goals, determine priorities, plan, organize & follow through on assigned responsibilities
Ability to make recommendations & decisions in a timely manner
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 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 Inspire way of doing things; empowering people to accept intelligent change as a subtle but effective agent of change
Flexibility to work within an open concept office environment & within established guidelines
We’re made up of some of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands, but we’re much more than just a restaurant company. We’re 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 staple—it’s an experience. At Inspire, that’s our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences.
Job Details
Job Category
Marketing & Communications
Date Posted
2025-01-16
Job ID
JR34009-Dubai_Support

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