Manager, R&D Dough Platforms

Papa Johns•Louisville, KY

About The Position

What’s Unique About You Is What Makes Us Better! Diversity is our strength and competitive advantage. Bring your flavor to the Papa John's team today! Job Summary The Manager, Research & Development – Dough Platforms is the enterprise technical owner for dough systems across Papa Johns’ supply chain and manufacturing network. This role is accountable for dough formulation, processing performance, and technology enablement from ingredient specification through plant execution and restaurant performance. This position blends deep dough science with manufacturing execution. Success is defined by scalable, repeatable performance in the field—consistent quality, reduced variability, and strong alignment with culinary intent and customer expectations. The role works cross-functionally across R&D, FSQA, Supply Chain, Culinary, and Operations, serving as the technical bridge between product design and real-world execution. Everybody loves pizza, which means they also love the people who are behind the scenes working to deliver it. This is complex and challenging work – but let’s face it – it’s also pizza! If you want a fulfilling career with a company that’s always moving forward, we’re the right place. Papa John's is a Federal Contract employer who participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility for each new team member. For more information please view the following PDFs: E-Verify Poster (English) - Right to Work Poster (English) - E-Verify Poster (Spanish) - Right to Work Poster (Spanish) Papa John's is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. For more information please click on the following PDF. See terms & conditions for site use. At Papa John's, we LOVE pizza. It brings people together and brings out the best in all of us. Just like our ingredients and toppings, we combine in unique ways to deliver a truly tantalizing result. Here, you're a valued team member right from the start. We want you to contribute your best ideas, collaborate and keep building your skills.

Responsibilities

Dough Platform Ownership Own and continuously improve dough formulations, ingredient specifications, and process standards across the supply chain.
Lead formulation enhancements focused on quality, consistency, cost, scalability, and manufacturability.
Serve as the primary dough subject-matter expert for supply chain plants nationwide.
Testing, Validation & Commercialization Design and lead bench, pilot, plant, and field trials for formulation, ingredient, and process changes.
Support Beginning–Middle–End (BME) testing and data-driven commercialization decisions.
Translate technical findings into executable standards, training, and plant guidance.
Manufacturing & Field Support Support manufacturing sites through troubleshooting, process optimization, recalibration sessions, compliance reviews, and technical audits.
Lead field-level technical training for plant, QA, and operations teams.
Partner with plant leadership to resolve chronic dough performance issues and elevate technical capability.
Cross-Functional & Culinary Collaboration Partner with Culinary to ensure customer expectations and brand intent are embedded in dough development decisions.
Support culinary-led innovation initiatives with technical feasibility assessments and manufacturing pathways.
Participate in sensory testing and data interpretation.
Additional Responsibilities Lead a cross-functional supplier ecosystem across ingredients, equipment, and packaging.
Evaluate emerging technologies and ingredients with a Design-to-Value (DtV) mindset.
Support supplier qualification, capability assessments, and performance optimization.
Support development and commercialization of new dough platforms, including frozen dough balls and par-baked products.
Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives tied to yield, waste reduction, and process stability.
Develop technical documentation, standards, and training materials.
Present technical findings and recommendations to senior leadership.