Director, Culinary Innovation & Sourcing

Circle K•Charlotte, NC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Culinary Innovation & Sourcing is responsible for defining and delivering Circle K’s culinary vision across Prepared Foods, Fresh Foods, and QSR-adjacent offers. This role leads culinary innovation, recipe and product development, ingredient sourcing strategy, and supplier collaboration to ensure Circle K delivers differentiated, high-quality, and operationally executable food programs at scale. This role partners closely with Food category leadership, Quality Assurance, Procurement, Supply Chain, and Operations to bring innovation from concept through commercialization while maintaining strict standards for food safety, quality, and consistency. Also, any additional duties as assigned. Our mission at Circle K is to make people's lives a little easier every day. Our global family of 130,000 people in over 16,000 stores and 26 countries makes that possible for our millions of clients worldwide, which is why we are committed to helping them achieve their goals and grow with us. We set ourselves apart by our culture of pride: pride in our people and their development, pride in serving others, what we've built and what we are striving to achieve. No matter where you come from or where you are heading in your career, there is a place for you to grow at Circle K. When you grow, we grow - together.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in culinary innovation, product development, or food sourcing
Experience in multi-unit foodservice, QSR, retail food, or CPG environments
Strong understanding of ingredient sourcing and commercialization processes
Proven cross-functional collaboration skills
Experience scaling food programs across large networks
Strong communication and presentation skills
Willingness to travel up to 60%

Nice To Haves

Culinary degree or food science background
Experience with national or global food manufacturers
Private-label or proprietary brand experience
Familiarity with food safety audits and regulatory frameworks

Responsibilities

Define Circle K’s culinary vision and innovation roadmap across Foodservice platforms
Lead ideation, development, and testing of new recipes, products, and menu concepts
Identify emerging culinary trends and translate them into scalable offers
Partner with Food category leaders on long-term portfolio evolution
Oversee end-to-end product development from concept through commercialization
Develop standardized recipes, specifications, and preparation methods
Ensure products meet taste, quality, cost, shelf-life, and execution requirements
Lead product cuttings, sensory evaluations, and operator feedback sessions
Partner with Procurement to define ingredient and supplier sourcing strategies
Collaborate with suppliers on ingredient selection, reformulation, and innovation
Support cost optimization while maintaining culinary integrity
Evaluate and approve new suppliers and ingredients with QA and FSQA partners
Partner with Category, Training, and Operations teams to support execution
Support development of preparation guides, training materials, and tools
Participate in pilots, tests, and phased rollouts
Conduct field visits to validate product quality and execution
Ensure compliance with FSQA, HACCP, and regulatory requirements
Partner with QA to maintain safety, quality, and supplier compliance
Embed safety and quality into all stages of innovation and sourcing