Culinary Innovation Manager - Jimmy John's

Inspire•Atlanta, GA

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Culinary Innovation Manager drives the development of new menu items and strategic culinary initiatives for Jimmy John’s, from concept approval through launch. This role leads hands‑on product development across all segments and dayparts, bringing ideas to life through bench work, consumer insights, and in‑store testing, with a strong focus on LTOs, core menu evolution, and product improvements. This role helps shape Jimmy John’s innovation pipeline by influencing product roadmaps, prioritization decisions, and launch readiness across multiple initiatives. This position plays a key role in strengthening current business performance and fueling future growth by turning food and beverage trends into simple, craveable, on‑brand products that drive sales and franchisee profitability. The Culinary Innovation Manager partners closely with Category Management, Marketing, Operations, Procurement, QA, and Commercialization to deliver products that work for our customers, our shops, and our bottom line—fast, focused, and built to win.

Requirements

2 Year or 4 Year Degree in Culinary Science, Food Science or related field
Minimum of 4-6 years of experience culinary innovation, product development, or restaurant menu development with increasing scope and responsibility.
True passion for food, with a willingness and enthusiasm to taste and evaluate a wide variety of foods from different cultures, including seafood, various proteins, dairy, fruits, and vegetables
Ability to objectively taste food and clearly articulate constructive, actionable feedback to vendors
Strong foundation in recipe creation with an understanding of food safety, supply chain logistics, and restaurant operations
Strong business acumen with the ability to evaluate concepts through a commercial, operational and financial lens
Incorporates a “best‑first” mentality that continues to accelerate the innovation process
Highly creative, flexible, and open to new ideas
Team-oriented, collegial, and effective at supporting cross‑functional teams toward shared goals
Excellent oral and written communication skills with strong presentation capabilities
Proficiency in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, with the ability to create executive‑ready documents and presentations
Strong organizational skills with the ability to set goals, determine priorities, plan, organize, and follow through on assigned responsibilities
Ability to make sound recommendations and decisions in a timely manner
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as collaboratively as part of a team
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously
Effective in a fast‑paced, ever‑changing environment
Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail
Flexibility to work within an open‑concept office environment and established organizational guidelines
Ability to lift, carry and move items up to 40 pounds regularly (food cases, equipment, ingredients)
Ability to stand and work on feet for extended periods of time (6-8 hours) in a test kitchen environment
Ability to safely work with knives, slicers and other kitchen equipment and perform repetitive motions (slicing, chopping, plating food)
Must be able to work safely around hot surfaces (ovens, fryers, heated cooking surfaces) sharp equipment (knives, slicers) and tolerate varying temperatures (cold storage, freezer environments)
Ability to work in a fast-paced, test kitchen environment
This is not a fully remote or desk-based role, hands-on execution is a core function of the position

Responsibilities

Own and lead end‑to‑end culinary innovation projects for Jimmy John’s, including LTOs, core menu evolution, and product improvement initiatives, from concept approval through commercialization
Translate consumer insights, business needs, and brand strategy into clear product briefs and development priorities that drive sales, relevance, and franchisee profitability
Lead hands‑on product development, including benchtop builds, gold‑standard development, and iterative refinement based on sensory evaluation, operational feasibility, and financial targets
Partner closely with Category Management, Marketing, Operations, Procurement, Quality Assurance, Commercialization, and vendor partners to deliver on time and on target
Influence key stakeholders across functions and franchise partners to align direction, timelines, and launch decisions
Independently manage vendor development workstreams, including product ideation, formulation refinement, specification development, and readiness for scale
Drive decision‑making through disciplined testing, taste panels, and in‑store trials; clearly synthesize learnings and make recommendations to Culinary Innovation leadership
Influence trade‑offs across consumer appeal, operational simplicity, and cost, ensuring final products meet Jimmy John’s standards for speed, quality, and execution
Partner with Procurement to develop accurate food and paper formulas and support cost targets while maintaining product integrity
Own and manage culinary documentation and processes within the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system to support speed, accuracy, and cross‑functional alignment
Contribute to continuous improvement of the innovation process, incorporating a “best‑first” mindset to accelerate development timelines and improve outcomes
Support broader Culinary Innovation initiatives as needed