Director - Insights & Analytics (Menu Strategy)

The Wendy's Company•Dublin, OH

5d•Onsite

About The Position

When our square shaped burgers made their first sizzle on the scene more than 50 years ago, people knew our approach wasn’t like any other. Same goes for the way we support our employees. Our culture of openness, flexibility, and inclusiveness allows everybody to flourish in their own way. If you’re looking for a career where you can be part of the action as we continue to grow our iconic brand – We got you! Overview: Leads Insights/Analytics in support of Wendy’s consumer-facing offerings: Menu strategy, innovation pipeline, and value/promotional offerings. Directs development and execution of initiatives, leveraging consumer insights, sensory research, and forecasting tools to deliver craveable, operationally feasible products. Oversees research processes, toolkit development, and capability building to ensure data-driven decisions that optimize menu performance and align with brand positioning.

Requirements

Bachelors Degree in Marketing, Analytics, Finance, or related field is required; MBA preferred.
10+ years in consumer insights and/or business intelligence.
Strong communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
Strong people-management background.
Creative thinker with ability to achieve results in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

Menu and Innovation Insights Guide consumer strategy for menu and promotional activities, including innovation pipeline, core menu optimization, and partnerships/collaborations.
Lead end-to-end research processes with standardized testing protocols (stimuli, questionnaires, success criteria, regionality), sequencing (ideation, naming, concept, positioning, sensory), and reporting (templates, metrics, benchmarks).
Toolkit Optimization Evolve current suite of research tools to enable greater agility, impact, and measurement.
Establish always-on qualitative research and data democratization (dashboards, self-serve tools, training).
Build and operationalize knowledge-management systems.
Develop pillar forecasting and partnership evaluation capabilities.
Organizational Leadership Inspire, develop, and lead a team of Insights professionals.
Manage financial and human resources to maximize quality and impact.
Foster a culture of curiosity, rigor, innovation, and continuous improvement
Serve on Insights & Innovation leadership team.
Partner with senior leaders in Brand, R&D, Finance, and Operations to ensure innovation aligns with consumer needs and operational feasibility.
Drive supplier strategy, roster management, and RFP processes.