VP, Culinary

Based inPasadena, California,Dine Brands Global, Inc.(NYSE: DIN), through its subsidiaries, franchises restaurants under Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar, IHOP and Fuzzy's Taco Shop brands. With over 3,500 restaurants combined in 18 countries and 354 franchisees as of December 31, 2023, Dine Brands is one of the largest full-service restaurant companies in the world. For more information on Dine Brands, visit the Company's website located atwww.dinebrands.com.

The Vice President, Culinary is a critical role in the guest dining experience and is responsible for the overall culinary vision and strategy. This role blends creative leadership, strategic planning, and operational oversight, to ensure that our menu delivers on the Applebee's Brand promise.

The VP, Culinary reports to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), and collaborates cross-functionally and leads the integrated strategic direction and innovation of menu development and product improvement to increase overall guest satisfaction while understanding the core brand attributes that guests expect from an Applebee's menu.

The VP, Culinary demonstrates strategic leadership and innovation, fosters collaboration across Applebee's with key stakeholders, guides the culinary team to consistently achieve operational excellence and models uncompromising passion for quality.

Key areas of focus include, but are not limited to:

• Culinary Strategy - develops and implements a cohesive culinary vision, including menu concepts and brand standards, that align with business goals
• Menu Development & Innovation - create new core and seasonal menu items that delivers the brand promise, drives distinction from competition and resonates with generational guests
• Product Mix Management - ensures menu offerings are optimized and balanced to maximize guest expectations, achieve maximum impact in marketing and optimize business returns
• Operations & Efficiency - ensure menu offerings are created in such a way that leads to a consistency in execution and delivery
• Budgeting & Cost Management - analyzes and provides guidance to ensure financial viability of menu items, profitability, cost effectiveness, and guest satisfaction
• Quality Control & Standards - establish and enforce high standards for food preparation, presentation and service
• Team Leadership & Development - recruit, train and mentor culinary staff, fostering a strong culinary team with career development and succession plans
• Franchise Partners - presents to various Franchisee Committees to provide competitive, current, and compelling menu items that satisfy franchise partners expectations.
• Vendors - maximizes the effectiveness of the partnerships for both parties.

Responsibilities:

• Establish short and long-term culinary and menu strategies that build upon and support the Applebee's brand promise, and align closely with brand positioning, consumer insights, and operational and financial business needs.
• Oversee, at a strategic level, the development, testing, and deployment of a continuous pipeline of new menu items, while addressing relevant issues in nutrition, wellness, taste, brand strategy, and business objectives.
• Partner with Marketing, Operations and Insights to determine how new menu items are best promoted nationally and to ensure consistent execution in Applebee's restaurants.
• Ensure the financial viability of all new and existing products through the accurate estimation and management of food cost, waste, labor and inventory and SKU management.
• Effectively communicate culinary innovation strategies across the organization, building relationships and relaying department and organizational opportunities and objectives.
• Build, retain and motivate a team to support bench strength and future growth and development of the culinary division.
• Build effective relationships with senior management in operations, finance, brand management, training, purchasing, quality assurance, supply management and the vendor community ensure open, honest communication, mutual respect and strong teamwork.
• Build effective relationships with franchisees through strong communication and appropriate participation.

Skills & Requirements:

• Industry Experience - 10+ years progressive professional experience in a highly creative product development multi-unit environment that includes kitchen management/culinary experience, restaurant operations and systems knowledge
• Culinary Expertise - Deep knowledge and passion for culinary trends, ingredients, cooking techniques and nutrition
• Innovation - Proven track record of leading innovation and product development, including the successful launch of new products or concepts that set trends, rather than follow them. Curiosity of competitive food and beverage landscape to deliver timely innovation to maintain market leadership and deepen brand love
• Financial Acumen - Strong skills in budgeting, cost analysis, cost management and financial management
• Strategic Thinking - Ability to develop and execute strategic plans to achieve culinary, marketing and business goals
• Leadership & Management - Experience leading diverse teams focused on strategy and execution, identifying, and retaining strong talent. Experience motivating teams and building consensus with clear objectives.
• Communication Skills - Excellent verbal and written communication skills to interact effectively with various stakeholders, both internally and externally
• Operational Skills - Experience managing multi-unit food service operations, ideally large chains, in partnership with franchisee community
• Education - Bachelor's or Master's degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality, Food Science or equivalent professional experience

Leadership & Management Behavioral Competencies

• Results Driven - Sets high personal standards of excellence; continuously looks for ways to improve performance; sets and works to achieve stretch goals; invests and takes appropriate risks evaluating the potential return.
• Coach & Mentor - Communicates positive expectations; readily shares knowledge and advice; provides candid, balanced and regular feedback; provides opportunities to enhance professional growth.
• Analytical Thinking - Thinks and plans logically, making sure issues are thoroughly evaluated. Probes problems and issues in-depth, seeking subtle, but important causes and considerations.
• Character & Integrity - Communicates with honesty, directness and candor; words and actions are aligned with Dine Brands Global, Inc. values; actively seeks and incorporates feedback; speaks up and acts on values, even when unpopular or personally inconvenient.
• Relationship Building - Builds relationships with franchisees and other stakeholders to foster listening and understanding and facilitates decision-making consistent with brand strategy. Respects others; actively seeks and shares ideas; takes the initiative to collaborate with others.
• Commitment to Future Excellence - Takes personal responsibility for service excellence; views restaurants from guests' perspective; identifies unmet needs of guests and works to meet them; identifies future needs, desires and trends of current and potential guests.
• Effective decision-making - Executes plans vigorously and with flexibility; acts proactively to avoid potential problems; identifies and addresses long-term opportunities.
• Effective Communicator - Listens proactively; persuades using logical arguments; understands the "informal" organization and adapts strategy to influence; demonstrates an understanding of the Dine Brands Global, Inc. culture. Responds with urgency.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Dine Brands Global strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, veteran status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act and/or other applicable laws and regulations in other jurisdictions.

Dine Brands reviews criminal history in connection with a conditional offer of employment. The following is a list of all material job duties which Dine Brands reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment: conduct necessary due diligence on business opportunities and transactions; analyze and handle confidential, proprietary, trade secret and non-public financial information belonging to the company and third parties.

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