Senior Manager, Food Systems Engineering

7-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.JOB SUMMARY: The Senior Manager, Equipment, Packaging & System Design leads the technical innovation strategy for 7-Eleven's Fresh Food & Beverage operations, driving the development and optimization of equipment, packaging, and operational systems across the entire store network. This role owns the end-to-end technical solution lifecycle from concept through commercialization, ensuring seamless integration of product, equipment, and packaging requirements that enable consistent, efficient, and profitable delivery of food and beverage products. The position requires strategic partnership with Product Development, Operations, Design, Supply Chain, and external manufacturers to deliver scalable solutions that transform store operations and enhance customer experience. This leader will build organizational capability while establishing technical standards and driving automation opportunities that redefine convenience retail foodservice. KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: • Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team of engineers and technical specialists in creating innovative equipment, packaging, and system solutions for fresh food and beverage operations across all store formats • Own the complete technical solution lifecycle including concept development, prototyping, testing protocols, pilot validation, commercialization planning, and post-launch optimization to ensure successful implementation • Establish and maintain comprehensive technical standards, specifications, testing protocols, and qualification processes that ensure seamless integration of product, equipment, packaging, and system requirements • Partner strategically with Product Development, Store Operations, Design, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, and external equipment manufacturers to deliver scalable solutions that improve consumer experience, product quality, store implementation, and operational execution • Drive the strategic roadmap for Food & Beverage equipment engineering and operational innovation, identifying and evaluating emerging technologies, automation platforms, and smart kitchen solutions that transform the store operating model • Manage capital project budgets, vendor partnerships, and equipment procurement processes while ensuring cost-effective solutions that deliver strong return on investment and operational efficiency • Conduct comprehensive equipment specification, testing, and validation activities across complex, multi-site operational environments to ensure reliability, food safety compliance, and operational scalability • Build organizational capability by coaching talent, setting team priorities, allocating resources effectively, and fostering a culture of innovation, technical rigor, and continuous improvement • Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to translate business objectives into technical requirements and actionable implementation plans that drive enterprise-scale transformation • Monitor and analyze equipment performance data, store feedback, and operational metrics to identify optimization opportunities and drive continuous improvement initiatives • Ensure all equipment and packaging solutions comply with food safety regulations, health codes, environmental standards, and corporate quality requirements • Present technical recommendations, project updates, and strategic initiatives to senior leadership and executive stakeholders with clear business impact analysis EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Industrial Engineering, Food Engineering, Packaging Engineering, Food Science, or related technical field required YEARS OF RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE: 10+ years YEARS OF MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE: 5+ years SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:• Advanced knowledge of foodservice equipment design, specification, and integration including cooking equipment, refrigeration systems, food preparation tools, and packaging machinery• Expertise in packaging engineering principles including material selection, sustainability considerations, food safety requirements, and supply chain optimization• Proficiency in technical testing protocols, validation methodologies, and quality assurance processes for food contact equipment and packaging materials• Strong understanding of food safety regulations, health codes, HACCP principles, and compliance requirements for retail foodservice operations• Experience with automation technologies, IoT-enabled equipment, smart kitchen systems, and emerging foodservice innovations• Exceptional project management skills with ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously while meeting deadlines and budget constraints• Advanced analytical and problem-solving abilities with experience using data-driven decision making to optimize equipment performance and operational efficiency• Excellent communication and presentation skills with ability to influence and build consensus across all organizational levels including executive leadership• Strategic thinking capability with ability to translate business objectives into technical solutions and actionable implementation roadmaps• Strong vendor management and negotiation skills with experience building productive partnerships with equipment manufacturers and suppliers• Demonstrated ability to foster innovation, drive organizational change, and build high-performing technical teams in dynamic business environmentsThis 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.If an hourly or salary range is included in this ad it represents the range 7-Eleven in good faith believes is the range of compensation for this role at the time of this posting. The Company may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in this state. This range may be modified in the future. No amount is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable under the terms and conditions of the applicable policies and plans. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, long-term incentive compensation, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.For a general description of all benefits 7-Eleven is offering in the US for the position, please visit this link.For a general description of all benefits 7-Eleven is offering in Canada for the position, please visit this link.