Vice President, Culinary Innovation & Development

 

 

Application Deadline: We will be accepting applications for this position until April 21, 2024. Interested candidates must submit their applications before the deadline to be considered for this opportunity. We appreciate your continued interest.

 

About You
The Vice President, Culinary Innovation & Development will provide end to end leadership of Culinary Innovation in a scaled environment.  They will oversee an array of culinary operations, including menu engineering, developing new food initiatives, staying abreast of market trends to develop new products and enhance current ones, and ensuring that the products meet quality standards. They are entrusted with the responsibility of designing and implementing the most effective equipment to ensure optimal functionality and future innovation.

Responsible for leading a few key strategic elements for Noodles & Company, specifically:

1. Culinary Innovation: Directly responsible for determining culinary strategy and establishing short and long-term menu vision, this position will spearhead corporate-level Culinary Innovation. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to, culinary department leadership, strategic menu planning, product and menu development, recipe development, testing, and validation. The chosen individual will demonstrate the ability to apply seasoned culinary knowledge and deep operational expertise across multi-unit corporate and franchised stores. They must exhibit strong leadership and coaching skills as well as have the ability to drive cross-functional alignment with other internal team disciplines.
2. Brand Experience: This individual will possess a strong familiarity with and enthusiasm for the brand experience. They will offer strategic guidance on crucial brand touchpoints, including menu layout, food photography, brand campaigns, restaurant design, and digital capabilities. Their expertise will be instrumental in showcasing menu offerings to drive awareness and trial.

About Noodles

At Noodles & Company, our mission is to always nourish and inspire every team member, guest and community we serve. We accomplish this by living our values of We Care, We Show Pride, We are Passionate, and We Love Life! We provide our team members with opportunities to learn culinary skills working with fresh food and the art of personal connection with our guests. Come join our amazing team, make new friends, develop your career and have fun!

 

Benefits
Careers at Noodles are served with a side of:

• Pay range: $170,000 - $200,000 per year
• Eligible for annual performance bonus up to 25%
• Flexible paid time off
• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• 401(k) and stock purchase discounts
• Paid maternity and paternity leaves, adoption and surrogacy benefits
• Discounts through our gift card program
• Scholarship opportunities through Noodles Foundation
• Monthly technology stipend
• Life Wellness Benefits (Noodles’ Balance Bucks and access to LifeWorks)
• Learn more about our benefits: https://www.noodles.com/careers/perks

Your Day in the Life

 

CULINARY INNOVATION:

• Responsible for pioneering and creating new culinary concepts, dishes, and techniques by researching ingredients, experimenting with flavors, and striving to push culinary boundaries. Additionally, work closely with cross-functional teams to identify the requirements and preferences of guests and apply this data to develop contemporary products while staying within budget constraints. Stay informed on market trends by monitoring food industry reports, attending trade shows, networking with culinary professionals, leverage social media and exploring emerging ingredients and techniques.
• Own the creation and refinement of the menu that aligns with the restaurant concept and target guest by considering trends, feedback, and market.
• Generate innovative and distinctive recipe ideas that align with target guest, perform multiple iterations of testing to refine recipes, and balance the cost of ingredients to ensure recipes adhere to budgetary constraints while maintaining quality and craveability.
• Responsible for maintaining comprehensive documentation of all data, identifying potential areas for improvement, and optimizing production strategies and processes to increase efficiency while upholding product excellence. Conduct regular operational inspections through calls or visits to ships in the fleet to ensure the set standards are always maintained.
• Partner with the CMO, cross-functional internal partners, and outside consultants as needed to develop effective culinary strategies rooted in Uncommon Goodness.
• Lead and maintain strategic initiatives that continue to evolve the Noodles & Company culinary identity, “Contemporary Comfort Kitchen”, and ensure initiatives are considering the larger landscape of fast-casual competitors.
• Develop products and strategies drawing on current and emerging culinary trends and Noodles & Company’s evolving consumer needs and behaviors.
• Manage multi-unit corporate and franchise culinary operations while partnering across teams.
• Develop an effective product and price architecture for different product types, affordability, premium products, and dayparts.
• Lead and direct all aspects of Noodles product life cycle, promoting a strong food and innovation culture while keeping core values and food ethos top of mind.
• Build, own, and communicate menu strategy initiatives at Board and franchise meetings, vendor summits and internal company summits as needed.
• Drive successful culinary rollouts of new menu items, specials and/or promotions across corporate and franchise units.
• Maintain a working knowledge of all operational and training materials to support the successful execution of the Noodles menu.
• Participate in regular store visits across the network of franchise and corporate stores.
• Identify opportunities for refinement within the food service systems, ingredients, equipment, layout or design, and work with cross-functional teams to drive this change forward.
• Manage the Culinary budget and perform forecast updates on a monthly cadence.

 

BRAND EXPERIENCE:

• Have a deep understanding of the target guest so that you can craft a culinary experience that resonates with them and their needs.
• Capitalize on, and contribute to, cutting-edge brand, innovation, and food trends.
• Collect and analyze guest feedback to understand food perceptions and identify areas for improvement. Use this data to iterate and enhance the culinary and brand experience continuously.
• Work closely with different departments such as marketing, operations, and franchisees to ensure a unified and consistent brand experience.
• Monitor competitors' brand strategies and experiences to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Use this information to position the menu effectively in the market.

 

TEAM MANAGEMENT:

• Manage a team of inspired culinarians who will support the work of driving Noodles & Co. forward.
• Create an inspiring food-centric work environment for the team, ensuring the Noodles & Co. culinary team is aware of and building off trends as well as changes in the sourcing environment.
• Ensure all newly created menu items are realistic based on sourcing, operational and commercialization guardrails as well as realistic menu items and promotional strategies for seasonal marketing tests.
• Ensure all Culinary development processes including, ideation, online screening, recipe development, CLT taste panels, yield testing, time & temp studies, recipe costing and portion control are being created in accordance with Noodles & Co. standards.

What You Bring to the Team

• In-depth knowledge of culinary arts, including advanced understanding of various cuisines, cooking techniques, and food presentation
• Comprehensive knowledge of food safety regulations, HACCP principles, and maintains a commitment to ensuring a safe and sanitary kitchen environment
• Strong understanding of menu planning, development, and optimization, with the ability to create innovative and appealing culinary offerings that align with market trends and organizational goals
• Experience with menu layout, food photography, brand campaigns, restaurant design, and digital guest experience.
• Ability to deliver a brand experience that showcases menu offerings to drive guest awareness and trial.
• Strategic thinking and planning skills to align culinary operations with overall business objectives, anticipating industry trends and adapting operations accordingly
• Possesses excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, to effectively convey culinary concepts, provide clear instructions, and build strong relationships with both internal teams and external stakeholders
• Capability to introduce innovative culinary concepts and techniques to enhance offerings and stay ahead in the industry
• High level of self-drive, action and results-oriented.
• Demonstrated leadership cultivating and motivating teams of high performing individuals, including effectively leading through managers of managers
• Effective time management skills and the ability to work well under pressure/deadlines.
• Strong operational knowledge from products and equipment to execution.
• Ability to learn/manage inventory management systems (ERS).
• Availability to travel to support test rollouts, training initiatives and publicity events.

 

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 6 to 8 years working in a test kitchen and corporate environment, with at least 4 years of culinary leadership experience for a scaled, multi-unit restaurant group.
• Working knowledge of operations, training, marketing, strategy, supply management, quality assurance, and finance as it relates to menu development and subsequent launches.
• Experience leading and working with multiple suppliers.
• Degree in the Culinary field required.

 

Noodles is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Military Friendly - Veterans & Spouses are encouraged to apply. We are proud to be recognized on Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity and Forbes' Best Employers for Women lists and are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment where Noodlers can bring their full self to work.

USD $170,000.00 - USD $200,000.00 /Yr.
520 Zang Street
Broomfield
CO