Sr Scientist – Innovation Chef

You will play a critical role in fueling KFC US’ pipeline of finger lickin’ good innovations by helping develop new menu items that deliver crave-worthy, guest-delighting experiences. Your mission is to support and lead portions of the innovation process—from early concept development to testing and validation—by contributing technical expertise, coordinating cross-functional input, and advancing new products toward commercialization. You will help ensure that every new menu item meets KFC’s high standards for taste, quality, operational ease, and brand relevance.

• Advance menu and ingredient innovation by leading hands-on product development, structured testing, data analysis, and sensory evaluation to ensure flavors perform from kitchen to restaurant.
• Enable strong supplier partnerships by gathering and translating technical inputs, validating compliance to specs, and coordinating ingredients to support scalable, craveable, commercially viable solutions.
• Evaluate consumer, operational, and cost data to identify opportunities that improve product quality, consistency, executional ease, and overall value.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Ops, QA, Supply Chain, and Finance; synthesize findings into clear recommendations, trial readouts, and storytelling materials that support decision-making.
• Track culinary, menu, and ingredient trends—both within QSR and adjacent segments—to inform forward-looking menu evolution and ingredient strategy.
• Represent the FIT team as a culinary subject-matter expert in cross-functional forums by sharing progress, surfacing risks, resolving roadblocks, and guiding solutions.
• Drive transformative impact for KFC US by owning end-to-end innovation workstreams—from concept ideation through initial commercialization—ensuring ideas translate into real, executable menu wins.

Education:

• You will be required to attend the Plano, TX office 3 days a week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited 4-year university, Culinary Degree or relevant work experience

Experience:

• 5-7+ years of professional culinary experience. 
• Experience in New Product Development/Food Innovation in the restaurant industry is required. 
• QSR experience is preferred but not required

Skills:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills to engage and align cross-functional stakeholders; ability to present effectively.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data and form action-able recommendations.
• Proven project management capabilities, including driving great outcomes in a fast-paced environment.

Mindset:

• Passion for creating craveable, high-quality food experiences.
• Curious, resourceful, and energized by innovation and experimentation.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and iterating quickly to move ideas forward.
• Collaborative team player who inspires others and contributes positively to team culture.
• Resilient and persistent in driving development work through technical and operational challenges.

Salary Range: $99,200 to $105,030 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.