Senior Technical R&D Manager, Private Brands

Senior Manager, Technical Food Research and Development7-Eleven is an iconic family of brands with over 86,000 locations, surpassing every retailer in the world. We revolutionize convenience, restaurants and fuel through cutting edge innovation — working hard to be the customer's first choice. 7-Eleven empowers our employees to 'activate awesome' and make a meaningful impact in their stores and communities every day. If you're ready to grow, lead and make a difference, come join our team and help shape the future of convenience.The Senior Manager, Technical Food Research and Development provides technical leadership across the Private Brands portfolio, ensuring products are developed, commercialized, and maintained with scientific rigor. This role is responsible for ensuring all products meet regulatory and brand QA standards while performing consistently over their intended shelf life. The position requires close collaboration with cross-functional internal teams and external suppliers to drive technical excellence and support long-term growth and operational excellence.Key Duties and Responsibilities:Lead end-to-end technical research and development and commercialization for innovation, renovation, and maintenance initiatives across the Private Brands portfolioApply and continuously improve technical development and commercialization systems that embed food safety, regulatory compliance, QA standards, and shelf-life considerationsTranslate product concepts into scalable, manufacturable formulations and processes, ensuring technical readiness for launchOwn product performance over shelf life, including defining test strategies, validating assumptions, and managing technical risk for formulation, process, and supplier changesEnsure all products comply with applicable food regulations and brand QA standardsPartner closely with QA, Regulatory, Legal, and Sensory to support approvals, audits, testing, and ongoing complianceServe as a primary technical partner to co-manufacturers, establishing expectations for quality, performance, and complianceIdentify opportunities for continuous improvement and lead implementation with suppliers and internal teamsSupport supplier performance management, including technical input to scorecards, corrective actions, and continuous improvementPartner with Strategic Sourcing to identify, qualify, and onboard new suppliers through technical evaluations and capability assessmentsDevelop, govern, and maintain technical specifications and standards, including formulations, ingredients, processes, and shelf-life assumptionsLead technical change management, ensuring changes are evaluated, documented, approved, and executed in a controlled mannerEducation and Experience:Education: Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or related fieldYears of Relevant Work Experience: 8+Years of Project Management Experience: 8+Specific Knowledge and Skills:Strong technical knowledge of food chemistry, microbiology, and processing technologiesExpertise in formulation development, ingredient functionality, and food product optimizationProficiency in experimental design, product testing methodologies, and data analysisUnderstanding of food safety principles, HACCP, and regulatory requirements for food productsExperience with sensory evaluation techniques and consumer testing methodologiesStrong project management skills with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneouslyExcellent problem-solving abilities with a solutions-oriented approachEffective communication and documentation skills to present technical information to various audiencesAbility to translate consumer insights and market trends into viable product conceptsStrong supplier relationship management skills with experience in technical oversightCollaborative mindset with demonstrated success working in cross-functional environmentsProficiency with R&D documentation systems and product lifecycle management tools*Position not eligible for sponsorship*#LI-KA2This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the individuals assigned to this job. This is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change the duties and responsibilities of this job to meet business and organizational needs, as necessary.