Senior Manager Global Food Excellence, Portfolio and Process

Job Summary

Pizza Hut is seeking a Senior Manager – Global Food Excellence, Portfolio and Process to lead complex programs and projects in innovation, productivity, and global food excellence.

About the Role

Provide leadership for complex programs and projects involving cross-functional teams. Serve 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Cook up 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.
• Provide coaching and training to enhance project and process management capabilities across the organization.

Qualifications

• 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

Benefits

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.

Schedule

Full-time, permanent position based in Plano, TX.

Pay

$142,500 to $167,600 annually + bonus eligibility.