Associate Manager, Food Innovation & Supply Chain Strategy

At Saucy! by KFC, we’re building more than restaurants—we’re designing unforgettable experiences, pioneering operational excellence, and scaling a bold new brand. As Associate Manager, Food Innovation & Supply Chain Strategy you’ll play a critical execution-focused role supporting the movement of new products, packaging, and supply chain needs from concept to restaurant. 

This role acts as a connector and coordinator—shepherding the process, tracking dependencies, and holding internal and external partners accountable for results. You’ll play a critical strategic support role focused on cross-functional coordination and analysis across innovation and supply chain workstream, ensuring there’s visibility, momentum, and clarity at every stage of the process. You’ll serve as the critical liaison between Saucy Ops and RSCS (Restaurant Supply Chain Solutions), ensuring we have the right equipment, tech, decor, and packaging in place—on time, and on point. 

While RSCS owns sourcing, procurement, and supplier management, and Food Innovation drives product creation, this role will help keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes. This role requires strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills—and a "get-it-done" energy. This role is for someone who thrives in high-growth environments and brings a dynamic mix of people leadership, operational mastery, and project management who can guide cross-functional workstreams to successful, scalable outcomes. 

YOUR DAY-TO-DAY MISSION:

Supply Chain Coordination  

Act as Saucy!’s internal supply chain point of contact—coordinating with RSCS to monitor timelines in procurement, planning, and distribution. 

Ensure internal teams are aligned on sourcing schedules, packaging transitions, and vendor coordination. 

Facilitate internal feedback loops and ensure consistent alignment with key stakeholders.  

Escalate gaps or delays to leadership and help maintain clear visibility across functions. 

Support execution accountability by ensuring roles, timing, and deliverables are clear. 

Analytics & Internal Visibility  

Analyze and organize supply chain visibility tools, including spreadsheets to break down product components, delivery status, and sourcing variables. 

Conduct analysis on cost impacts, vendor lead times, packaging changes, and ingredient complexity 

Maintain reporting frameworks that help identify supply risks and flag where additional support is needed. 

Partner with Finance to keep store-level teams aware of packaging, COGS, and operational impacts related to rollouts. 

Recommend adjustments to plans based on data, trends, or field feedback—informing leadership decision-making.  

Food Innovation Process Support  

Support the operational side of the food innovation process, managing timelines, tools, and meeting rhythms. 

Coordinate cross-functional input (Ops, Marketing, Training) and consolidate requirements for the food innovation team. 

Work closely with Food Innovation to operationalize new menu items, test product launches, and give field-driven feedback on prep, execution, and equipment needs. 

Support restaurant and Saucy! Area Coaches and Experience Directors in understanding the why behind initiatives—and track adoption and results. 

Provide launch readiness support to ensure equipment, packaging, and food specs are communicated clearly and arrive on time. 

Oversee post-opening support: troubleshoot issues, support restaurant leadership, and ensure alignment to brand standards and guest experience. 

Help tweak the process over time—suggesting refinements to improve clarity, speed, and scale. 

YOUR TEAM COUNTERPARTS:

In this highly cross-functional role, you’ll collaborate with a range of internal and external partners to bring store launches, product rollouts, and operational excellence to life. 

Your key counterparts include Field Operations, Development & Construction, Culinary & Food Innovation, Finance, Training & HR, IT & Systems Support, RSCS, Vendors & Suppliers 

YOUR PROFILE: 

Education 

Bachelor’s degree preferred in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, or a related field 

Experience 

5+ years in restaurant operations, new unit openings, supply chain coordination or field-based leadership/support roles 

Proven success in multi-unit restaurant or retail management 

Direct experience in site launches, procurement, or vendor/equipment coordination 

Background in cross-functional project management (Ops, Supply Chain, Culinary) 

Skilled in supporting fast-growth, high-change