Food Program & Innovation Director

Sodexo • Atlanta, GA

2d

About The Position

The Food Program & Innovation Director shapes the future of food and workplace experience for one of Sodexo’s most strategic global clients. This role sits at the intersection of program design, innovation, sustainability, storytelling, and user engagement, ensuring great ideas are clearly designed, well understood, and adopted at scale. You’ll play a key role in shaping how thousands of people experience food every day. That means exploring emerging trends, translating insights into scalable programs, and partnering closely with chefs, operators, and client teams to bring bold ideas to life. You’ll look at the full ecosystem — cafés, micro‑kitchens, specialty concepts, sustainability initiatives, and guest experience touchpoints — and identify opportunities to elevate, streamline, and innovate.
As part of our team, you’ll champion new ideas, elevate the guest experience, and introduce fresh thinking that reimagines how people connect with food at work. Your work will influence everything from menu strategy to service models to the way our culinary identity shows up across the client’s operations. It’s a chance to make a meaningful impact in an environment that values creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
This is a strategic, creative leadership role — not an operational one. You’ll bring design thinking, visual storytelling, and program clarity to a complex, multi‑region environment.

Requirements

• A design‑minded creative leader who can visualize strategy, storyboard ideas, and turn concepts into clear, compelling programs
• Proven experience shaping innovation or experience‑led programs across complex, multi‑site or multi‑country environments
• Exceptional storytelling ability — visual, written, and conceptual — with a talent for making the complex simple and the strategic tangible
• A global mindset that connects high‑level vision to regional realities with clarity and empathy
• Confidence and presence in senior‑level conversations, with the ability to influence, align, and inspire high‑expectation stakeholders
• A user‑centric approach that ensures programs resonate with the people who experience them every day
• A practical, delivery‑oriented perspective that ensures ideas are not only imaginative but adoptable, scalable, and grounded in operational reality
• A collaborative spirit that thrives in cross‑functional environments — culinary, operations, sustainability, marketing, and clients
• Minimum Education Requirement - Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Minimum Management Experience - 5 years
• Minimum Functional Experience - 3 years of experience in program management or a related field

Responsibilities

• Lead global program design and evolution aligned to client priorities
• Develop user‑led innovation pilots that are practical and scalable
• Shape sustainability initiatives into clear, experience‑led programs
• Storyboard strategies and programs to communicate intent and impact
• Translate complex ideas into compelling narratives that drive adoption
• Partner with marketing and UX teams to enhance engagement and user experience
• Create toolkits and playbooks that help teams bring programs to life
• Enable regional teams with clear frameworks that support consistent rollout
• Build strong relationships with senior stakeholders across Sodexo and with the client

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision Care and Wellness Programs
• 401(k) Plan with Matching Contributions
• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
• Career Growth Opportunities and Tuition Reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level