About the position
The Culinary Solutions team supports the development and profitability of the business in North America. The scope of the department is to manage our existing internal brands as well as our key national partners, and to develop retail and non-retail services as identified by the Marketing Offer Board. The creation of promotions and limited time offers to support sales growth and profitability across all divisions is also the responsibility of this team as well as systems and processes to support deployment and the generation of data to track performance. Our overall approach to service development is to deliver innovation and to differentiate Sodexo in the marketplace. Sodexo Healthcare is hiring a Senior Director of Brand and Service Development. This position is responsible for leading the strategic vision, innovation, and execution of brand and service development within the food service sector. This role requires a dynamic leader with deep expertise in food services/concept innovation, market trends, and brand strategy to drive growth and differentiation in a competitive landscape. The position will provide leadership and mentorship to a high-performing team. This is a remote opportunity. Candidate must reside east coast with a preference for the New York or Bethesda, MD area.
Responsibilities
- Oversee the end-to-end service development process, from ideation to commercialization, ensuring alignment with market demands and business objectives.
- Develop and/or refresh brands that enhance market presence, customer engagement, profitability, differentiation, and competitive advantage.
- Analyze industry trends, customer preferences, and competitive landscapes to inform brand and service development.
- Collaborate with culinary, design, marketing, sales, supply chain, and operations teams to ensure seamless execution of the service development process.
- Manage and mentor a team of three direct reports, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and professional growth.
- Build and nurture key internal executive stakeholder relationships.
- Manage vendor partner relationships to support brand and service development, including but not limited to, creative agencies, uniforms providers, signage vendors, etc.
- Manage the development of branded services that align to the go-to-market strategies of multiple business sectors (ex. Higher Education, Healthcare, K-12, Seniors, B&I, etc.) across varying categories, including (coffee, convenience, retail, non-retail, catering, etc.)
- Align service development to business segment financial and performance targets.
- Manage a variety of dashboards and reporting tools to effectively communicate status of projects.
Requirements
- 10+ years in brand/concept development, marketing, or brand management within the food service industry.
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field (MBA preferred).
- Strong leadership, problem solving, collaboration, strategic thinking, analytical abilities, and excellent communication skills.
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
