Sr. Manager Fresh Kitchen Menu Strategy

Req ID: 464741 

     Benefits: * Fuel Your Growth with Love's - company funded tuition assistance * Paid Time Off * 401(k) – 100% Match up to 5% * Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance after 30 days * Competitive Pay * Career Development *

Welcome to Love's: At Love’s, our values go beyond our name. We look for those values in our people. The Senior Manager, Fresh Kitchen Menu Strategy at Love’s Travel Stops is a critical element to the success of our long-term business strategy within our Love’s Fresh Kitchen proprietary food & beverage offering. This leadership role is responsible for the further development of the LFK brand inclusive of creating and implementing menu and category strategies that are aligned with the broader foodservice vision. This role leads all category management functions for the Love’s Fresh Kitchen offering. 

Job Functions:

Fresh Kitchen Menu & Category Strategy

• Leads category management team in creating the Love’s Fresh Kitchen menu & assortment strategy by category that complements the branded concept offering
• Provide leadership to category managers as they develop the tactics in support of their respective businesses to align with broader foodservice goals
• Collaborates with Foodservice Department leadership in developing long-term menu and packaging strategy

Annual Business Planning Process

• Responsible for budgeting process and ensuring the business delivers on its commitments
• Leads team in development of annual category plans that align with the vision/strategy of the LFK offer
• Plans include assortment, positioning, product improvements, and promotional planning

Financial Responsibility 

• Accountable for financial results of the entire proprietary Fresh Food & Beverage program at Love’s
• Oversees rebate and marketing funds process to ensure they are collected and allocated properly

Product & Promotional Calendar

• Leads category team in the development of a calendar of activity that includes new products launches LTOs
• Works closely with Innovation Manager to prioritize product development work to meet business objectives
• Collaborates with Merchandising category leadership to cross-promote whenever possible
• In collaboration with the Marketing Strategy team, sets priorities for product messaging

Business Review Process

• Collaborates with foodservice analytics team to provide timely P&L analysis each month
• Leads team in preparation of regular business updates on category performance and KPIs
• Presents quarterly business update to foodservice leadership team

Assortment & Pricing Reviews

• Leverages sales data, market research, and customer feedback to improve the offer
• Completes regular SKU rationalization reviews to ensure we have the right offers in the right places
• Collaborates with Pricing Analytics Team to validate pricing & promotional strategies are aligned in delivering a good value for our guests.

Vendor Relationships

• Establishes and maintains relationships with strategic partners, suppliers, and vendors
• Negotiates terms, pricing, and agreements with vendors to optimize costs and maintain product quality

Leadership:

• Foster a positive and collaborative work environment, promoting teamwork and professional development
• Provide direct leadership to category management team as they develop category plans
• Ensure team has individual development plans and are actively working on professional goals
• Promotes communication, collaboration, and curiosity within team

Experience and Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in business or marketing preferred
• Minimum 5 years foodservice category management experience required
• Menu strategy and/or marketing experience preferred

Skills and Physcial Demands: 

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Highly collaborative with ability to build solid working partnerships across functional groups
• Proven success in influencing at multiple levels across an organization
• Comfortable and confident presenting content/ strategy to multiple levels of leadership
• Ability to synthesize internal and external business insights to interpret data
• Highly self-motivated and able to work both collaboratively as well as independently
• Strong desire to learn industry trends
• Sense of urgency
• Requires standing and walking, with some bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, climbing and ladder use
• Occasional lifting of up to 25 lbs
• Occasional travel regionally/nationally will be required

Our Culture: 

Fueling customers' journeys since 1964, innovation leads the way for this family-owned and operated business headquartered in Oklahoma City. With nearly 40,000 team members, travel stops are the core business along with products and services that provide value for professional drivers, fleets, traveling public, RVers, alternative energy and wholesale fuel customers. Giving back to communities and an inclusive workplace are hallmarks of the award-winning culture.

Love’s is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Veterans encouraged to apply.

Job Category: Operations