Manager, Menu & Innovation

Job Summary The Manager of Menu & Innovation will lead and drive successful menu strategy, ideation, development, and testing of new menu items and promotional Limited Time Offering menu items for Auntie Anne's and Co-Brands. The Manager of Menu & Innovation must be a strategic partner to the brand and culinary team, providing strategic thought leadership for our current and future menu by leveraging consumer insights, macro trend data, competitive assessments, and financial analyses – weaving all these inputs into recommendations for LTOs, new items, packaging innovation, menu innovation and the menu of the future. This role also requires strong analytical skills, as the Manager of Menu & Innovation will continuously lead in-depth analysis of menu item performance, develop forecasts for new items, as well as analyze data to find opportunities within our existing menu, in partnership with our customer insights and analytics teams. Finally, the Manager of Menu & Innovation must demonstrate strong project management and communication skills stewarding all ideas (inclusive of catering, cobrand, and optimization projects) through the GoTo Foods stages & gates process and collaborating cross-functionally to execute ideas against set deadlines.

Essential Functions

• Business Strategy and Planning

• Analyzes category trends, business performance, and consumer insights to identify business opportunities, informing brand strategy and planning

• Analyzes key initiative performance to evaluate results and drive recommendations

• Owns developing and submitting innovation briefs to ensure clarity in the ‘why’, strategic positioning across business and customer needs, and determining success criteria.

• Menu Strategy

• Develop formal strategic insights and recommendations for Auntie Anne’s and cobrand menu innovation by leveraging trend data, custom research, internal foundational tools, competitive assessments, and financial information

• Steward and drive all ideas through each stage of the innovation funnel: landscape assessment, ideation, innovation briefing, idea screener, sensory test, internal and external CLTs, operations test, market test, and launch

• Lead all testing plans directly with vendors and internal teams (including research vendors, go-to-market brand lead, Operations, Supply Chain, etc.). Responsible for end-to-end implementation of tests and prepares for hand-off to go-to-market team.

• Analyze item-level P&Ls to understand food cost, margin, and overall profitability of various menu changes and recommendations. Works with Revenue Management to set strategic pricing recommendations for testing and national launches.

• Lead annual menu-change process for permanent items, including in-depth analysis of menu performance, recommendations for change, menu design and layout

• Develop working relationships with culinary, operations, training, supply chain, and others to translate into effective ways of working on innovation

• Establish and maintain trust and credibility with franchisees, vendors, and marketing associates

• Voice of the menu through all facets of the business, ensuring ideas and projects align to overall business strategies short and long-term. Owns historical records of menu-related projects.

• Insights

• Leverage qualitative and quantitative research to uncover insights about customers and competition to lead to actionable recommendations

• Partner with Consumer Insights and Analytics teams to leverage and uncover existing and new insights

• Stay up to date on latest research innovative approaches, data sources, as well as consumer trends and needs.

• Provides performance tracking of innovation and promotional menu item performance. Partners with internal analytics team when necessary to ensure reliable cadence.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, consumer insights, communications, business, advertising, or other related field of study preferred

Work Experience

• 5-7 years or more in Business or Marketing, Consumer Insights and/or Analytics, or related field
• 4-5 years or more of experience leveraging primary research, performance data, and consumer insights into actionable business plans and initiatives.
• Restaurant experience preferred.

Skills

• Versed in all areas of brand marketing: Consumer Research, Positioning, Innovation, Menu/Product Development, Insights & Planning, and Marketing Operations
• Understanding of marketing analytics including targeting, positioning, menu management, pricing and marketing product mix
• Working knowledge of how data and analytics shape brand strategy – ability to turn data into insights
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams through influence and form collaborative, cross-functional relationships
• Ability to jump from the creative side of marketing to the analytical side and vice versa
• Ability to communicate complex concepts in clear concise language; to demonstrate active listening while engaging others; and to establish, implement, and clearly communicate strategies that align with business needs and objectives to gain buy-in from stakeholders
• Ability to work directly with culinary teams and translate their ideas into a cohesive menu strategy
• Ability to develop and maintain positive business relationships (e.g., senior management, stakeholders, other departments, etc.) and foster an environment of mutual respect, understanding, trust, and support
• Ability to anticipate and respond to the needs of stakeholders and the business (e.g., internal and external customers, etc.) in a timely manner
• Project Management skills – ability to manage details and multiple partners to drive successful project implementation and on-time execution
• Ability to adapt and adjust planned work through analyzing work demands, competing priorities, and tight deadlines; and to understand the most effective and efficient means to accomplish
• Ability to escalate blockers timely to senior marketing team to ensure we meet deadlines

CertificationsTravel Requirement

• May be required to travel up to 25% of the time