Restaurant Innovation Production Owner

Take your career further with McLane!
McLane teammates, the driving force behind our success, are diverse professionals who work together seamlessly to keep our operations running smoothly. As a teammate, you will pair your dedication, expertise, and collaborative spirit with your fellow teammates to serve America's most beloved brands. McLane leaders think long-term, act with purpose, and inspire high performance. They lead with accountability, communicate clearly, and drive results through collaboration, innovation, and continuous growth. They empower each teammate to learn from industry leaders, develop their skills, and build lasting connections nationwide.

The Restaurant Innovation Production Owner is responsible for defining, delivering, and driving adoption of AI-powered products and data-driven solutions that enhance restaurant operations and customer experience. This role partners closely with Restaurant leadership, engineering, and data science teams to build scalable AI capabilities, prioritize high-impact initiatives, and ensure successful execution within a matrixed organization.

This is a hybrid position which will require the candidate to report and work from the office at least four days a week.

Benefits you can count on:

• Day 1 Benefits: medical, dental, and vision insurance, FSA/HSA, and company-paid life insurance
• Paid time off begins day one.
• 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan after 90 days.
• Additional benefits: pet insurance, maternity/paternity leave, employee assistance programs, discount programs, tuition reimbursement program, and more!

What You'll Do

• Define and manage the AI product roadmap, prioritizing initiatives such as Customer Order Quality Scoring and other data-driven applications built on data lakes and AI models
• Lead platform initiatives, including the Artemis Program, to drive AI adoption and integration across business units
  Partner with Restaurant division leaders to identify opportunities for AI, expand use cases, and guide development of AI agents and automation workflows
• Translate business needs into clear technical requirements for engineering and data science teams
• Own product execution including backlog management, sprint planning, and delivery milestones
• Drive stakeholder alignment across a shared-services environment, influencing priorities without direct authority
• Evangelize AI capabilities across the organization through demos, training sessions, and ongoing engagement
• Ensure solutions align with enterprise platforms and data strategies to maximize scalability and impact

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree required (Business, Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or related field preferred)
• 10+ years of product management experience, including at least 2 years focused on AI/ML products, data platforms, or analytics solutions
• Strong understanding of AI/ML concepts, including data lakes, large language models (LLMs), and agentic AI architectures
• Experience working with enterprise platforms such as Palantir, Databricks, Snowflake, or similar technologies
• Proven ability to operate effectively in a matrixed organization and influence without direct authority
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with experience partnering across business, engineering, and data teams
• Excellent communication skills with strong executive presence
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex business needs into scalable technical solutions
• This position requires the ability to read, write, and understand English at a level sufficient to perform job-related tasks effectively and safely. This includes understanding work instructions, safety protocols, and communications essential to the role. The requirement is directly related to the nature of the job and ensures compliance with workplace safety and operational standards.

Candidates may be subject to a background check and drug screen, in accordance with applicable laws.
All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.
For our complete EEO and Pay Transparency statement, please visit https://www.mclaneco.com/legal/employment/