Director of Menu Strategy & Innovation - P.F. Chang's : Job Details

Location Requirements: The candidate selected for this role must be based in greater Phoenix metro AZ or Los Angeles CA area.

P.F. Chang's is hiring a Director of Menu Strategy & Innovation to drive the evolution of our food and beverage offerings. This cross-functional leader will oversee all aspects of menu strategy, innovation, implementation, and performance across both food and beverage categories—including alcoholic and non-alcoholic programs. The ideal candidate will combine consumer and operational insights with a strong analytical approach to shape a menu that is relevant, profitable, and aligned with our brand.

What You'll Do:

• Work collaboratively with Culinary to lead end-to-end menu strategy and innovation across food and beverage, ensuring alignment with brand positioning, guest preferences, and business goals.
• Conduct ongoing menu analysis to identify gaps, trends, and performance opportunities, using insights, guest feedback, and market data to inform roadmap decisions.
• Build and maintain a robust innovation pipeline and strategic menu calendar informed by guest insights, menu gaps, and emerging trends to drive relevance and operational success.
• Collaborate with Finance and Insights teams to evaluate pricing, mix, margin, and promotional performance, continuously optimizing based on results.
• Drive innovation from concept to launch, managing the RFP process, testing, and implementation while ensuring operational feasibility, culinary quality, and guest appeal.
• Monitor industry and global trends to inspire future offerings and anticipate shifts in consumer behavior.
• Cultivate and manage strategic vendor and partner relationships to support innovation, efficiency, and execution across food and beverage.
• Work cross-functionally with Culinary, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and Marketing to align on timelines, training, rollout strategies, and promotional planning.
• Serve as the strategic leader and owner of menu development and calendar planning.
• Manage and mentor the Brand Manager, fostering growth and setting clear priorities.
• Track performance metrics and optimize menu strategy to ensure measurable business impact.
• Oversee the beverage (non-alc & alc) budget, focusing on cost efficiency, ROI, and maximizing vendor support for key initiatives.
• Be fully familiar with the menu printing process, including paper specs, distribution sheets, and ensuring cost-effectiveness in production and distribution, while maintaining consistency and accuracy across all locations.
• Execute guest intercepts and in-field research, gathering direct consumer feedback to inform menu strategy, innovation, and overall guest experience improvements.

What We're Looking For:

• Minimum of 10+ years of experience in menu strategy or category management within the restaurant industry
• Proven success leading both food and beverage innovation, including alcoholic beverage programs
• Analytical mindset with strong business acumen and understanding of margin, pricing, and mix
• Excellent project management and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Strong leadership presence and experience developing high-performing teams
• A passion for food, the guest experience, and bringing bold ideas to life

Working Conditions:

• Hybrid work with up to 25% travel

Benefits:

• Health Benefits:Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plan options available starting the 1st of the month following the hire date.
• Paid Vacation and Sick Time:20 days per calendar year for full-time Global Support Center team members, prorated for new hires.
• Paid Holidays:12 company-selected holidays plus 2 floating holidays per year.
• Lucky Cat Meal Card:Preloaded meal card for use at any corporate-owned P.F. Chang's location.

Pay Range: $165-180k + annual bonus eligible