The Senior Manager of Innovation & Culinary for Enterprise Food & Beverage (across Murphy USA QuickChek) will be at the forefront of transforming our innovation and culinary capabilities. This role blends visionary creativity with strategic leadership, driving the development and practical execution of innovative menus, beverage programs, & culinary concepts.

This role involves staying ahead of industry trends, fostering creativity, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver exceptional food & beverage offerings/experiences while aligning with the organization's brand and business goals. You will grow our food & beverage program through cohesive collaboration and communication with cross functional business partners.

The successful candidate will possess both a strategic and execution mindset, able to be a hands-on leader with his/her team which includes our Chef. This individual should possess great attention to detail, high energy, agility, and sound business/ operational skills. This individual will be able to operate in a flexible, fast-paced environment that is highly collaborative and team oriented. This successful candidate will be able to establish the appropriate operational best practices and process improvements, to drive impact across the business.

This is a senior role in the organization with high visibility and opportunity for growth.

Some benefits for this role include:

• 401(k) dollar-for-dollar matching up to 6%, as well as a 3% Annual Retirement Contribution from the Company (Matching vests immediately, ARC after 3 years)
• Annual STI (Short-Term Incentive/Bonus) based on company and individual performance
• Health, Dental, Vision insurance
• Company-paid Life Insurance, with supplemental insurance options available

• Act as an Enterprise leader, with the ability to collaborate across teams/functions.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive culinary innovation strategy that aligns with the company's overall objectives and enhances our Food & Beverage offer.
• Identify emerging trends, market opportunities, and consumer preferences to guide Food & Beverage menu development and beverage programs.
• Offer input into Food & Beverage equipment and tests, to deliver the Food & Beverage offer and an excellent customer experience.
• Stay updated with culinary trends, ingredient innovation, consumer insights on tastes / preferences, and the competitive landscape, serving as a subject matter expert for the organization.
• Partner to create annual strategic plans as well as a 3-year innovation pipeline, leading testing and product development to develop a stable of viable prototypes that can be commercialized into new products.
• Work with existing supplier base and potential / new suppliers to understand culinary trends, drive rapid ideation and prototyping, and manage the development of new products and new ingredients.
• Lead new product prototyping from concept to completion, while collaborating with cross functional teams including Procurement, Training, Operations, Marketing, Category Management, and others as appropriate.
• Recommend improvements to current menu offerings and adaptation of menu items for different dayparts, markets, customers, etc.
• Manage special projects as needed including potential adjustments to existing product builds product procedures and the development of specialized menu items.
• Develop product build recipes, procedures, and food cost calculations/ROI for products.
• Provide support during marketing production and photography shoots, working with food stylists to provide finished product ahead of new product launches.
• Partner with Culinary (Chef) and Marketing to establish food styling and product imagery guidelines.
• Lead product taste tests and sampling programs as needed.
• Manage and grow the Food & Beverage culinary and innovation teams.
• Experiment with new cooking techniques, flavor profiles, and presentation styles.
• Monitor costs and pricing strategies to maintain financial sustainability.
• Act as a partner to the Director of F&B Enablement, Innovation, Culinary
• Expect to travel ~25% of the time.

• A minimum of 7 years of full-time experience - preferably in the quick service restaurant ("QSR"), convenience store, food & beverage, and/or multi-unit retail industry across innovation, culinary, marketing, business development, and/or equivalent functions
• A four-year college degree is required.
• A track record of positive impact in F&B innovation and/or culinary.
• Ability to develop cross-functional partnerships to deliver results.
• Knowledge of the US food & beverage industry; preferably culinary and/or direct experience working with Chefs.
• Excellent written/verbal communication and presentation skills with the ability to create & convey presentations to management.
• Proven experience in persuading others through the use of sound logic and data/insights.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite of products (Powerpoint, Word, Excel).
• High energy with an ownership-mindset and a bias for execution + results.
• An agile, continuous improvement mindset with a strong desire to learn.
• Proactive, with an ability to see things through from start to finish.
• Excellent analytical and organizational skills, and a personal reputation for honesty & integrity.
• Self-aware, humble, and willing to be a player-coach in a fast-growing part of the business.