End-to-End Planning: Manage and oversee the entire planning process for all food products, from manufacturers to distributors and into stores.
Supply Chain Coordination: Collaborate with supplier to ensure timely production and delivery of food products. Work closely with distributors to manage inventory levels and ensure efficient distribution to stores. Monitor and manage inventory levels to prevent shortages or overstock situations. Implement inventory control measures to optimize stock levels.
Forecasting and Demand Planning: Develop and maintain accurate demand forecasts to ensure the right products are available at the right time. Analyze sales data and market trends to adjust forecasts as needed.
Quality Assurance: Ensure that all food products meet Starbucks' quality standards. Coordinate with FSQA teams to address any issues that arise.
Process Improvement: Identify opportunities for process improvements within the supply chain. Implement best practices to enhance efficiency and reduce costs.
Reporting and Analysis: Prepare regular reports on inventory levels, sales performance, and supply chain metrics. Use data analysis to drive decision-making and improve planning processes.
Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, operations, and store managers, to ensure alignment on product availability and promotions.
Consumer Research and Market Intelligence: Planning and Executing Consumer Panels in Markets
The Food Executive will take primary responsibility for designing, coordinating, and executing comprehensive consumer panel research within the KSA network. This critical function involves creating detailed survey forms that capture meaningful consumer feedback on existing and potential food products. The role requires careful consideration of demographic factors, regional preferences, and cultural considerations specific to the Saudi Arabian market.
Market Analysis and Competitive Intelligence
The Food Executive will be responsible for monitoring market trends, competitor activities, and emerging consumer preferences in the Saudi Arabian food service sector. This involves regular visits to competitor locations, analysis of industry reports, and staying current with food trends that may impact Starbucks' food category strategy.
The role requires developing relationships with industry contacts, suppliers, and market research providers to ensure access to relevant market intelligence.
Quality Assurance and Product Development - Conducting Comprehensive Shelf-life & Heating Trials
One of the most critical responsibilities of the Food Executive involves conducting thorough shelf-life & heating trials for upcoming products to ensure they meet Starbucks' quality standards throughout their intended shelf life. This process begins with developing detailed testing protocols that account for various storage conditions, temperature variations, and handling procedures that products may encounter in the retail environment.
The compilation of shelf-life trial results into comprehensive reports represents a critical deliverable that informs product launch decisions and operational procedures. These reports must present findings clearly and include recommendations for optimal storage conditions, handling procedures, and shelf-life parameters.
Weekly Food Panels and Quality Monitoring
The Food Executive will conduct weekly food panels in collaboration with the AF team to maintain ongoing quality monitoring of existing products. This systematic approach to quality assurance involves selecting five products each week for comprehensive evaluation, ensuring that all menu items receive regular quality assessment over time.
Documentation and reporting of weekly panel results must be systematic and actionable, providing insights that support continuous improvement in food quality and operational procedures. The Food Executive must identify trends, potential issues, and opportunities for enhancement, presenting findings to relevant stakeholders in formats that facilitate prompt corrective action when necessary.
Visual Merchandising and Store Presentation - Developing and Updating Display Guidelines
The Food Executive plays a crucial role in developing and maintaining comprehensive display guidelines that ensure consistent and appealing food presentation across all Starbucks KSA locations. This responsibility involves creating detailed planograms for display cases that optimise product visibility, accessibility, and visual appeal whilst maintaining food safety and quality standards.
The development of display guidelines requires understanding of visual merchandising principles, consumer behaviour, and the specific requirements of food service environments. The Food Executive must consider factors such as product rotation requirements, temperature control needs, and accessibility for both customers and staff when designing display configurations.
The definition of "what good looks like" for each campaign involves creating detailed visual standards that can be consistently implemented across all locations. This includes specifications for product arrangement and signage placement. The Food Executive must develop training materials and communication tools that enable store teams to implement display guidelines effectively.
The role requires developing relationships with ops & store managers to ensure that display guidelines are understood and consistently implemented. This may involve conducting training sessions, providing ongoing support, and addressing challenges that arise in implementing display standards.
Cross-Functional Collaboration and Project Support - Supporting Food Category Strategy Implementation
The Food Executive serves as a key liaison between the food category management team and operational teams throughout the organisation. This involves translating strategic initiatives into actionable operational procedures and ensuring that category objectives are effectively implemented at the store level.
The role requires regular communication with multiple stakeholders including procurement teams, operations managers, marketing personnel, and store-level staff. The Food Executive must be able to communicate effectively across different organizational levels and functional areas, ensuring that food category initiatives are well-coordinated and successfully executed.
Project support responsibilities will include coordinating product launches, managing promotional campaigns, and supporting new store openings. The Food Executive must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously whilst maintaining attention to detail and ensuring that all deliverables meet quality standards and deadlines.
Data Management and Reporting
The Food Executive is responsible for maintaining comprehensive databases of consumer research results, quality assessment data, and operational performance metrics. This requires proficiency in data management systems and the ability to analyse trends and patterns that inform strategic decision-making.
Regular reporting responsibilities include preparing weekly, monthly, and quarterly summaries of food category performance, quality metrics, and consumer feedback. These reports must be tailored to different audiences and present complex information in accessible formats that support decision-making at various organisational levels.