Manager, Product Development Commercialization

$111,000 - $154,500/Yr

Chipotle - Newport Beach, CA

Full-time - Senior

Newport Beach, CA

Food Services and Drinking Places

About the position

Chipotle is on a mission to cultivate a better world by changing the fast-food experience. As the Manager of Product Development Commercialization, you will oversee the Culinary Test Kitchen, Consumer Testing, and the Commercialization (Scale-up) Process for menu innovation efforts. This role is crucial in managing both direct and indirect reports who support these activities, ensuring that Chipotle's core menu and innovation efforts are executed effectively. You will be responsible for the end-to-end management of ideation, development, and commercialization of food and beverage products, collaborating with external vendor partners and internal cross-functional teams. In this position, you will be a key partner in supporting all Chipotle Core menu commercial projects, both domestically and internationally. Your responsibilities will include managing new ingredient testing, validation for new menu innovations, and overseeing alternate vendor testing and approval processes. You will lead a team that is accountable for consumer testing and culinary test kitchen management, working closely with Culinary R&D chefs to ensure that core menu items meet Chipotle's standards. Additionally, you will drive innovation sessions, including internal showcases and external presentations, while collaborating with various departments such as Marketing, Supply Chain, FSQA, Training, and Consumer Insight Teams. To succeed in this role, you will need a strong background in the food and beverage industry, with a focus on food manufacturing processes. Your ability to create technical specifications and manage commercialization trials will be essential. A passion for food quality, teamwork, and a service-focused attitude are also critical attributes for this position. You will be expected to travel to vendor facilities and work in back-of-house restaurant environments, ensuring that you maintain a hands-on approach to product development and commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Culinary Test Kitchen and Consumer Testing processes for menu innovation.
• Oversee the Commercialization (Scale-up) Process for Chipotle's core menu and innovation efforts.
• Collaborate with external vendor partners and internal cross-functional teams.
• Support all CMG Core menu commercial projects domestically and internationally.
• Manage new ingredient testing and validation for new menu innovations.
• Accountable for alternate vendor testing and approval for new menu items.
• Lead a team of direct and indirect reports, including consumer testing and culinary test kitchen management.
• Partner with Culinary R&D chefs to ensure core menu items meet CMG standards.
• Drive innovation sessions and manage internal showcases and external presentations.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Supply Chain, FSQA, Training, and Consumer Insight Teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree (BA/BS) from a 4-year college or university required.
• Degree in Food Science or Culinary preferred.
• 8 years of experience in the Food and Beverage Industry required.
• 1-3 years of supervisory experience.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing processes, especially for cooking proteins and sauces.
• Ability to create technical specifications for process controls and organoleptic properties.
• Experience managing commercialization trials at vendor partners.
• Knowledge of service restaurants and their support needs required.
• Project Management Training, Servsafe, and Culinology certification preferred.
• Experience working in back-of-house restaurant environments.

Nice-to-haves

• Project Management Training
• Servsafe certification
• Culinology certification

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• 401(k)
• Vision insurance
• Sick leave
• Vacation time
• Annual cash bonuses
• Equity awards based on performance