Food Innovation Jobs in Texas (NOW HIRING)

Pizza Hut is looking for a Senior Manager - Global Food Excellence, Portfolio and Process to join our team in Plano, TX. In this role, the successful candidate will provide leadership for complex programs and projects in the areas of Innovation, Productivity, and Global Food Excellence that involve cross-functional teams. In addition to leading the Food Innovation portfolio and project management function, this role serves as a strategic thought partner and Chief of Staff to the Head of Food Innovation Team (FIT), driving business operations, strategic planning, governance, and leadership team effectiveness.

• Bachelor's degree required
• 8-10 years of progressive R&D portfolio, project management or innovation leadership experience in a global, food-forward, multiunit restaurant/retail brand. 
• Proven track record of implementing and optimizing Stage-Gate or similar project governance processes
• Project Management Certificate (PMP) is strongly desired with experience in PM tools (RACI, Microsoft Project, Stage Gate)
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and leadership across all organizational levels. 
• Proven expertise in portfolio and project management, including strategic planning, prioritization, resource allocation, and execution of complex global initiatives. 
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, negotiation, and decision-making capabilities with a data-driven and business-impact mindset. 
• Demonstrated leadership and stakeholder management skills in cross-functional, matrixed, and multinational environments. 
• Ability to manage ambiguity, adapt to changing priorities, and thrive in fast-paced environments with a strong bias for action. 
• Skilled at building collaborative relationships, aligning diverse stakeholders, and facilitating progress toward shared outcomes. 
• Enterprise mindset with end-to-end business understanding and the ability to assess broader organizational impacts of decisions. 
• Process-oriented thinker with the ability to establish scalable, sustainable systems and drive continuous improvement. 
• Strong technical curiosity and innovative mindset to explore new approaches, tools, and solutions. 
• Flexible to support global teams across time zones and travel as needed.

Salary Range: $142,500 to $167,600 annually + bonus eligibility. This is the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining pay, we'll consider the successful candidate's location, experience, and other job-related factors.

Portfolio & Project Management

• Lead and manage the Global Food Innovation & Food Safety & Quality (FSQ) project portfolio, ensuring alignment with global business strategy and organizational priorities. 
• Drive cross-functional global initiatives from concept through launch, including new product, process, and packaging innovation. 
• Develop and manage project scope, timelines, budgets, resource plans, risk mitigation strategies, and success metrics for complex programs. 
• Provide leadership to cross-functional teams, ensuring effective execution, stakeholder alignment, and achievement of project objectives. 
• Establish, implement, and continuously improve global stage-gate and project management processes, including governance, decision-making frameworks, and collaboration models. 
• Coordinate with key functions including Marketing, Supply Chain, Strategic Planning, and Franchise markets to ensure integrated and compliant project execution. 
• Develop and maintain project tracking systems, dashboards, KPIs, and reporting tools (e.g., Monday.com) to monitor portfolio performance and project status. 
• Ensure consistent use of project management best practices, tools, and documentation, including risk registers, RACI models, communication plans, and project reporting. 
• Support global market execution by defining frameworks, guardrails, and compliance processes related to menu, ingredients, and LTO initiatives. 
• Maintain a strong understanding of food, process, and packaging technologies and their business implications across global markets.
• Provide coaching and training to enhance project and process management capabilities across the organization.

Chief of Staff, Food Leadership Team

• Provide thought partnership to Head of FIT and Food Leadership Team (FLT).
• Lead strategic and business operations across the 60+ person Global Food Innovation & Food Safety and Quality teams. 
• Demonstrate strong leadership and influence skills, building credibility with senior leaders.
• Develop executive-ready presentations, briefs, and strategic communications for the Head of FIT and Food Leadership Team.
• Coordinate recurring initiatives and communications: Annual Operating Plan, Budget, Quarterly Business Planning, Strategic Presentations, etc.
• Maintain an external mindset, including staying on top of consumer, competitive and macroeconomic/geopolitical trends.
• Lead key department meetings, events and offsites.