1,751 Food Innovation jobs in the United States

• Drive high-priority, cross-functional global initiatives from planning through execution.
• Design, manage, and continuously improve the global innovation process, including governance frameworks and tools.
• Develop detailed program plans, milestones, stakeholder engagement maps, and reporting systems.
• Monitor progress, identify challenges, and remove barriers to ensure timely delivery.
• Provide strategic clarity and innovative solutions in complex or ambiguous situations.
• Make informed decisions autonomously to maintain momentum on priority initiatives.

• Serve as the primary connector for the global FIT community, encouraging collaboration and sharing best practices.
• Organize global summits, working groups, and community sessions to enhance alignment.
• Develop tools, newsletters, and dashboards to increase visibility and transparency.
• Mentor emerging leaders and advise senior stakeholders on strategic matters.

• Manage strategic engagement with key innovation and ingredient suppliers worldwide.
• Maintain effective business relationships, ensuring accountability for timelines, innovation inputs, and issue resolution.
• Collaborate with Procurement and cross-functional teams to align the innovation pipeline with supplier capabilities.
• Act as the global liaison for internal executives and external partners, building trust and influencing shared goals.

• Manage the operations and planning of the Global Brand Standards Council.
• Facilitate timely reviews and alignment on brand direction, product strategy, and system standards.
• Prepare meeting agendas, summarize outcomes, and track action items across markets.
• Serve as a SME in global food innovation and governance, providing guidance beyond immediate responsibilities.

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Business Administration, Innovation Management, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• Advanced degrees or certifications (e.g., PMP, Lean Six Sigma) are advantageous but not required.

• Minimum 10 years in program management, innovation strategy, or governance within QSR, foodservice, or CPG industries.
• Direct experience in the QSR food industry with a proven expertise of operational and franchise models.
• Proven success managing complex, cross-functional global initiatives.
• Experience leading governance forums, supplier partnerships, and global innovation programs.

• Excellent organizational and leadership abilities.
• Excellent communication and influence skills across cultures and organizational levels.
• Collaborative mindset with cultural awareness and facilitation expertise.
• Proficient in project/program management software and enterprise reporting tools.
• Expertise of global brand standards and food innovation culture.

• This role requires global travel to support strategic planning, summits, supplier visits, and program reviews.

What You'll Be Serving Up:

Senior Program Manager will lead and coordinate the strategic and operation activities of KFC's global food innovation and brand governance functions. This role is key to ensuring brand consistency, driving strategic initiatives, and fostering strong supplier partnerships worldwide. You will play a central role in shaping KFC's global innovation ecosystem, maintaining alignment through effective governance and communication.

Here's How You'll Spice Things Up:

Strategic Program Management

• Drive high-priority, cross-functional global initiatives from planning through execution.
• Design, manage, and continuously improve the global innovation process, including governance frameworks and tools.
• Develop detailed program plans, milestones, stakeholder engagement maps, and reporting systems.
• Monitor progress, identify challenges, and remove barriers to ensure timely delivery.
• Provide strategic clarity and innovative solutions in complex or ambiguous situations.
• Make informed decisions autonomously to maintain momentum on priority initiatives.

Global Food Innovation & Technology (FIT) Community Engagement

• Serve as the primary connector for the global FIT community, encouraging collaboration and sharing best practices.
• Organize global summits, working groups, and community sessions to enhance alignment.
• Develop tools, newsletters, and dashboards to increase visibility and transparency.
• Mentor emerging leaders and advise senior stakeholders on strategic matters.

Supplier Relationship & Stakeholder Management

• Manage strategic engagement with key innovation and ingredient suppliers worldwide.
• Maintain effective business relationships, ensuring accountability for timelines, innovation inputs, and issue resolution.
• Collaborate with Procurement and cross-functional teams to align the innovation pipeline with supplier capabilities.
• Act as the global liaison for internal executives and external partners, building trust and influencing shared goals.

Brand Standards Governance & Council Leadership

• Manage the operations and planning of the Global Brand Standards Council.
• Facilitate timely reviews and alignment on brand direction, product strategy, and system standards.
• Prepare meeting agendas, summarize outcomes, and track action items across markets.
• Serve as a SME in global food innovation and governance, providing guidance beyond immediate responsibilities.

What You Bring to the Table:

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Business Administration, Innovation Management, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• Advanced degrees or certifications (e.g., PMP, Lean Six Sigma) are advantageous but not required.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years in program management, innovation strategy, or governance within QSR, foodservice, or CPG industries.
• Direct experience in the QSR food industry with a proven expertise of operational and franchise models.
• Proven success managing complex, cross-functional global initiatives.
• Experience leading governance forums, supplier partnerships, and global innovation programs.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent organizational and leadership abilities.
• Excellent communication and influence skills across cultures and organizational levels.
• Collaborative mindset with cultural awareness and facilitation expertise.
• Proficient in project/program management software and enterprise reporting tools.
• Expertise of global brand standards and food innovation culture.

Additional Information

• This role requires global travel to support strategic planning, summits, supplier visits, and program reviews.

An employer is looking for a Project Manager in the Plano, TX area to help lead initiatives in the food innovation and R&D space. You will be joining the local team to support a global project to optimize one of their key ingredients and help drive the implementation of a new, global R&D process. You will build/ manage the project schedule for the ingredient optimization project, clarify key workstreams, track activities/ deliverables and remove bottlenecks. You will hold weekly status meetings, track project budget and ensure project is on the agreed upon timeline. Additional tasks will include implementing the new stage gate process by supporting the related stakeholders/ tools and host kick-offs to facilitate project meetings.

We are a company committed to creating diverse and inclusive environments where people can bring their full, authentic selves to work every day. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that believes everyone matters. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment regardless of their race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, genetic factors, age, disability, protected veteran status, military or uniformed service member status, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to com.

To learn more about how we collect, keep, and process your private information, please review Insight Global's Workforce Privacy Policy: .

Food innovation or R&D experience
Sensory science knowledge
5+ years experience in project management- Ideally CPG, retail, food service, or related industry
Background working with food/ ingredient suppliers and vendor management
Process improvement and optimization experience
Monday. com experience or similar project management software
Strong Excel, PowerPoint skills

• Lead the ideation and development of new food products from concept to commercialization.
• Conduct extensive research on ingredients, formulations, processing techniques, and packaging solutions.
• Optimize existing product formulations for improved taste, texture, nutritional profile, and cost-effectiveness.
• Perform sensory evaluations and analyze consumer feedback to guide product development.
• Develop and validate laboratory and pilot-scale manufacturing processes.
• Ensure all product development activities comply with food safety regulations (e.g., HACCP, FDA) and quality standards.
• Collaborate closely with marketing, sales, operations, and regulatory affairs teams.
• Prepare technical documentation, including product specifications, batch records, and ingredient statements.
• Stay current with industry trends, scientific advancements, and competitor product offerings.
• Mentor junior scientists and technicians in the R&D department.

• Master's or Ph.D. in Food Science, Food Technology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of hands-on experience in food product development within the FMCG industry.
• Expertise in formulation, ingredient functionality, and food processing technologies.
• Strong understanding of sensory science, consumer testing methodologies, and statistical analysis.
• Demonstrated experience with regulatory compliance in the food industry.
• Proficiency in laboratory techniques and equipment relevant to food analysis.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication abilities.
• Creative problem-solving skills and a passion for food innovation.
• Experience with specific product categories such as dairy, bakery, or savory snacks is a plus.

About Us  

SharkNinja is a global product design and technology company, with a diversified portfolio of 5-star rated lifestyle solutions that positively impact people’s lives in homes around the world. Powered by two trusted, global brands, Shark and Ninja , the company has a proven track record of bringing disruptive innovation to market, and developing one consumer product after another has allowed SharkNinja to enter multiple product categories, driving significant growth and market share gains. Headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts with more than 3,600+ associates, the company’s products are sold at key retailers, online and offline, and through distributors around the world .    

A detailed-oriented, passionate and dynamic individual is needed to be an integral part of our post launch quality team, ensuring that we are continuously analyzing marketplace learnings to drive product and process improvements. In this position, you’ll experience unparalleled collaboration with many functions of the organization – Engineering, Customer Excellence, Marketing, Supply Chain, Creative, ID, Quality, Manufacturing and Senior Executives, offering you exposure and interaction rarely found in other roles in the organization. You’ll play a pivotal role in leading product and data analysis to determine reasons for returns, leveraging your learnings to drive sustainable solutions that provide measurable long-term improvements.  

Responsibilities:  

• Analyze customer complaints and investigate field failures – translate learnings into actionable engineering and consumer-facing initiatives. You will represent the voice of the consumer and will coordinate corrective actions, follow-up, and reporting  

• Assist in driving continuous improvement of product quality, through reduction and prevention of non-conformances while defining and implementing metrics to evaluate the impact of continuous improvement initiatives  

• Support suppliers in 8D responses and regular quality resolution update meetings, including written investigation reports and review supplier corrective actions  

• Participate in design reviews, DFMEA, safety reviews, and review the manufacturing and test documentation to ensure customer quality requirements are met or exceeded  

• View the entire consumer experience at a macro level to identify experience detractors and track product performance, communicating key learnings and developments to appropriate work flows for action  

• Partner with SharkNinja’s Customer Excellence team to monitor consumer reception and sentiment in field.  

• Help lead input tracker meetings with cross functional teams. Discuss top issues and delegate actions to cross functional team  

• Conduct critical analysis on engineering changes (ECN) to make sure changes have no impact on degradation of quality of product  

• Tracks digital escalations and create accurate responses for customers to better understand our product  

• Manage product health reporting and push for continuous five-star experience via iterative design improvements.  

• Always strive for process efficiency – we value a go-getter who can make the most out of any situation and deliver impactful results  

• Act as a product “expert” for cross-functional team member questions and concerns  
• Present status of activities and special projects to senior management regularly  

Qualifications:  

• Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience) in mechanical engineering, quality, product development, human factors engineering, or a related field, preferably at a consumer goods company  

• 2+ years of related engineering experience, preferably at a consumer goods company  

• Exceptional analytical, problem solving, and root-cause analysis skills  

• Ability to multi-task and handle tasks with competing priorities effectively.  

• Excellent oral communication & report, business correspondence & procedure-writing skills.  

• Ability to be a team player and work independently   

• Change agent with energy, passion, and enthusiasm to drive change.  

• Demonstrated expertise to effectively communicate within all levels of the organization around design verification and validation activities; production &process controls; Corrective & Preventive Action (CAPA), consumer complaints, and product improvement activities.  

• Demonstrated collaboration, negotiation & conflict resolution skills, ability to lead, acknowledge, develop, communicate & implement a strategy to ensure compliance.  

• Demonstrated understanding of product development lifecycles, design change and document change control, product and process verification and validation methodologies, and manufacturing / production process control methodologies.  

• External Focus: Understanding customer needs, marketplace dynamics, industry trends, and the competitive landscape in the industry/function - Clear thinker: Simplifying strategy into specific actions with clear accountability, making decisions with speed & accuracy based on best available information & communicating priorities clearly & concisely.  

• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint; knowledge of SharePoint a plus  

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline driven, high impact environment  

• Strong verbal, presentation, and written communication skills  

• Resourceful, well organized, highly dependable, efficient and detail oriented  

• Ability to be a team player and work independently  
• Ability to travel  

Our Culture

At SharkNinja, we don’t just raise the bar—we push past it every single day.   Our Outrageously Extraordinary mindset drives us to tackle the impossible, push boundaries, and deliver results that others only dream of. If you thrive on breaking out of your swim lane, you’ll be right at home.

What We Offer

We offer competitive health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, employee stock purchase options, wellness programs, SharkNinja product discounts, and more.  We empower your personal and professional growth with high impact Learning Programs featuring bold voices redefining what’s possible. When you join, you’re not just part of a company—you’re part of an outrageously extraordinary community. To gether, we won’t just launch products— we’ll disrupt entire markets.    

At SharkNinja, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are vital to our global success. Valuing each unique voice and blending all of our diverse skills strengthens SharkNinja’s innovation every day. We support ALL associates in bringing their authentic selves to work, making an impact, and having the opportunity for career acceleration. With help from our leadership, associates, and our community, we aim to have equity be a key component of the SharkNinja DNA.  

Learn more about us:    
Life At SharkNinja  
Outrageously Extraordinary  

SharkNinja's Candidate Privacy Notice can be found here:   

For candidates based in China, please visit:

For candidates based in Vietnam, please visit:

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other class protected by legislation, and local law. SharkNinja will consider reasonable accommodations consistent with legislation, and local law. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact SharkNinja People & Culture at