Managing Director, Supply Chain Innovation & Product Development

Managing Director, Supply Chain Innovation & Product Development, Nando’s USA

 

WHO WE ARE

At Nando’s, we want to be the most loved restaurant brand in North America, sharing the spirit of Nando’s PERi-PERi with everyone who chooses to access it. We will redesign and build a business that thrives as it answers fully, it is consumers’ needs -and endures over time through genuinely putting people at the heart of what we do.  We will lead our values and act with care, compassion, and kindness. By doing this, we will Change Lives Together, every day and everywhere.

 

Nando’s Peri-Peri USA is a growing restaurant group currently seeking to add a full-time Managing Director, Supply Chain Innovation & Product Development to our Restaurant Support family. Known best for our marinated and flame grilled chicken basted to your liking with our famous PERi-PERi sauce, our casual and culturally diverse company has deep roots as global brand originating in South Africa. 

 

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Managing Director, Supply Chain Innovation & Product Development is an integral member of the Nando’s USA Commercial and procurement team, leading long-term strategic supplier and network planning and associated execution for the Nando’s commercial team. This position oversees the process of bringing new or improved food products to restaurant operations—from initial idea to final distribution—with a focus on ingredient integrity, manufacturing, and operational implementation.

 

This role manages a structured process of idea generation, concept development, concept testing, and food show execution with key stakeholders. A successful performer in this role considers key factors such as ingredient sourcing, production scalability, food safety, regulatory compliance, and menu engineering requirements. Strategic focus is placed on idea generation, screening, product development, commercialization, and product launch.

 

As with all members of the Nando’s Restaurant Support team, the Managing Director, Supply Chain Innovation & Product Development is expected to wear multiple hats, seek out opportunities to make Nando’s and their work better every day, and, in general, be a good team player!

 

The essential functions of this position are mapped out below:

Key Responsibilities

Supply Chain Innovation & Product Development

• Lead the end-to-end process of bringing new or improved food products to market—from concept to commercialization—ensuring alignment with Nando’s brand standards and guest experience.
• Drive ideation, innovation, concept development, testing, and food show execution with cross-functional teams.
• Partner with culinary, operations, and marketing to ensure new products are feasible and scalable for full-service and casual dining environments.
• Champion ingredient integrity and sourcing strategies that support quality, sustainability, and brand differentiation.
• Identify emerging trends, technologies, and supplier capabilities to fuel innovation and menu evolution.

 

Supplier Collaboration & Commercialization

• Build strong, strategic partnerships with suppliers to enable rapid innovation and seamless product launches.
• Collaborate with suppliers and internal teams to ensure ingredient integrity, scalability, and operational feasibility for new products.
• Oversee product specifications and compliance during development, first production runs, and commercialization phases.
• Develop and implement commercialization protocols that balance creativity with operational practicality, ensuring smooth integration into restaurant operations.
• Introduce new systems and processes to accelerate speed-to-market for menu innovations, leveraging technology and data for efficiency.
• Negotiate and manage supplier agreements that support innovation, quality, and long-term brand objectives.
• Monitor supplier performance and proactively address challenges to maintain consistency and reliability throughout the supply chain.

 

Food Safety & Quality Leadersh