Apply on Employer Site

CAVA · 21 hours ago

Sr. Project Manager, Category Management & Culinary Innovation

DC-Baltimore Area

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$160K/yr - $175K/yr

7+ years exp

CAVA is a company that emphasizes a Mediterranean heritage in its approach to food and culture. They are seeking a Senior Project Manager for Category Management & Culinary Innovation to lead large-scale initiatives that align with the company's culinary vision and operational excellence.

Food and BeverageFood ProcessingHospitalityRestaurants

No H1B

Hiring Manager

Beth McCrea (Zboran)

Responsibilities

Own and evolve Cava’s commercialization strategy, process and roadmap, ensuring alignment with brand, culinary, operational, and financial goals

Lead high-visibility, enterprise-level programs that impact multiple functions, regions, and hundreds of restaurant units

Drive strategic prioritization, portfolio planning, resource allocation, and risk governance for all commercialization initiatives

Serve as the senior commercialization subject matter expert and advisor to executive leadership

Oversee the full lifecycle of major menu launches, core operational initiatives, equipment rollouts, and guest-experience enhancements

Set standards for project planning, milestone tracking, KPIs, risk management, financial impact modeling, and launch readiness

Manage and mentor project managers, cross-functional contributors, and external partners to ensure flawless execution

Partner closely with Culinary, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing, Training, IT, and FSQA to ensure enterprise-wide alignment

Facilitate steering committees, executive reviews, resource negotiations, and decision-making forums

Provide executive-ready reporting, dashboards, and communications, translating complexity into clear, actionable insights

Lead systemwide launch planning, including pilot management, risk mitigation, training, change management, supply chain validation, and FSQA readiness

Work with Category leads to establish and oversee a post-launch performance evaluation framework—identifying wins, gaps, cost impacts, operational outcomes, and process improvements

Develop, implement, and continuously improve Cava’s commercialization playbook, processes, tools, and best practices

Champion adoption of project management tools (Asana, Smartsheet, Jira, etc.) and elevate project management maturity across the organization

Serve as a culture leader who models collaboration, accountability, and Cava’s hospitality-driven values

Qualification

Commercialization StrategyProject ManagementCross-Functional LeadershipPM Software ProficiencyFinancial AcumenFoodservice Industry ExperiencePMP CertificationLean CertificationAgile CertificationSix Sigma CertificationExecutive CommunicationLeadership Skills