Sr. Scientist – Food Safety & Quality

Lead the execution and continuous improvement of Pizza Hut's Product Quality Programs, ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality products across assigned ingredient and finished product categories. This role is responsible for managing product quality initiatives, overseeing a comprehensive product evaluation and cutting program, and driving food safety and quality performance throughout the product lifecycle. Strategic Leadership Lead and continuously improve the Food Safety & Quality Product Evaluation Program, ensuring consistent product quality and food safety across assigned product categories. Manage day-to-day Food Safety & Quality responsibilities for assigned categories, including supplier performance, product evaluations, specification management, risk assessment, and continuous improvement initiatives. Partner with cross-functional teams to support long-term food safety and quality strategies while ensuring business objectives are achieved. Serve as the technical leader for assigned product categories and provide sound, data-driven recommendations that protect the Pizza Hut brand. Product Quality Management Oversee the quality performance of assigned ingredient and finished product categories, including but not limited to meats, dairy, grains, produce, sauces, seasonings, beverages, oils, desserts, and dough. Conduct routine supplier and restaurant field visits (monthly to quarterly) to evaluate product quality, manufacturing execution, restaurant preparation, and finished product performance, ensuring Pizza Hut standards are consistently achieved with an emphasis on pizza dough quality. Plan, conduct, and evaluate product cuttings/evaluations, manufacturing evaluations, product testing, and quality assessments to verify compliance with product specifications and identify opportunities for improvement. Lead non-conformance investigations, root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventive actions in partnership with suppliers and cross-functional teams. Demonstrate flexibility to manage evolving product categories and business priorities as organizational needs change. Supplier & Food Safety Oversight Monitor supplier food safety and quality performance through product evaluations, manufacturing reviews, supplier data, specifications, audits, and key performance indicators. Build strong technical partnerships through regular on-site supplier visits to observe manufacturing processes, evaluate product consistency, validate corrective actions, and identify continuous improvement opportunities. Partner with suppliers to strengthen food safety systems, manufacturing practices, process capability, product consistency, field performance, animal welfare, distribution practices, and continuous improvement initiatives. Lead product quality investigations and support product incidents, risk assessments, withdrawals, recoveries, and crisis management activities for assigned categories. Support supplier qualifications, new supplier onboarding, and commercialization activities to ensure products consistently meet Pizza Hut quality expectations. Continuous Improvement Utilize observations from supplier manufacturing facilities and Pizza Hut restaurants to identify product quality trends, validate operational execution, and prioritize continuous improvement initiatives. Analyze product evaluation data, consumer complaints, supplier performance metrics, and quality trends to identify risks and opportunities. Identify, lead, and track continuous improvement initiatives, supplier transitions, cost savings, and quality enhancement projects. Documentation & Systems Maintain accurate product specifications, food safety documentation, quality standards, corrective actions, and product evaluation records. Support the ongoing development and continuous improvement of Food Safety & Quality systems, databases, reporting tools, and digital platforms. Ensure data integrity and effective utilization of Food Safety & Quality systems, including serving as a backup system administrator when needed. Cross Functional Collaboration Support cross-functional business initiatives including supplier meetings, innovation summits, product evaluations, commercialization activities, and customer events. Remain flexible to support emerging business priorities, special projects, product investigations, and other Food Safety & Quality initiatives as assigned. Working Relationships Develop collaborative partnerships and influence cross-functional teams including Innovation, FIT, Operations, RSCS, Procurement, Purchasing, Supply Chain, Restaurant Excellence, Yum! Global QA, Product Development, Manufacturing Partners, and Suppliers. Build trusted relationships by demonstrating Heart, Smart, and Courage while driving alignment and delivering business results. Collaboration & Culture Fit Demonstrates Pizza Hut's How We Win Together behaviors by leading with Heart, Smart, and Courage. Leads with Heart, Smart, and Courage, inspiring positivity and trust. Strong customer service orientation with a passion for food safety and quality. Skilled in building and sustaining effective relationships across diverse teams, suppliers, and external partners. Adaptable to various leadership styles and capable of influencing without authority Education Bachelor's degree in Food Science , Food Engineering, Microbiology, Animal Science, Poultry Science, Dairy Science, Biology, Chemistry, or a related scientific discipline required. Advanced degree preferred. Experience 7+ years of experience in Food Safety, Quality Assurance, Food Manufacturing, Product Development, Supplier Quality, or a related technical field. Candidates with Dough/bread experience a plus . Demonstrated experience managing supplier quality programs, food safety systems, and product evaluations. Strong understanding of food manufacturing processes, HACCP, Preventive Controls, GMPs, GFSI standards, and regulatory requirements. Experience leading cross-functional projects and driving continuous improvement initiatives. Experience conducting product quality investigations, supplier corrective actions, and root cause analysis. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization. Self-motivated with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Travel domestically (approximately 50–75%) to supplier manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and Pizza Hut restaurants to conduct product evaluations, manufacturing assessments, commercialization activities, and quality improvement initiatives. Salary Range: $99,200 to $151,600 annually + bonus eligibility. This is the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining pay , we'll consider the successful candidate’s location, experience, and other job-related factors