Concept Development Manager

Position title: Concept Development Manager

Department: Brand & Experience Development

Reporting to: Chief Brand Officer / Chief Executive Officer

About the Company

Our client is a dynamic hospitality group recognized for creating trendsetting F&B concepts that blend creativity, quality, and experience. With several well-loved brands under its umbrella from artisanal bakeries to lifestyle-driven restaurants the group continues to redefine the casual dining scene across the GCC.

Role Summary

The Brand Development Manager is responsible for the strategic creation, evolution, and guardianship of restaurant brands within the groups portfolio. This includes launching new concepts, revitalizing existing brands, and crafting immersive guest experiences that drive market relevance, brand equity, and business growth. The role balances creative vision with commercial strategy and serves as the brand guardian across all initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Brand Creation & Strategic Innovation

• Lead the end-to-end development of new restaurant brands and dining experiences, from ideation to launch.
• Identify trends, customer insights, and whitespace opportunities to create brands with clear market fit and emotional resonance.
• Collaborate with culinary, design, marketing, and operations teams to bring new concepts to life holistically.

2. Redevelopment of Existing Brands

• Lead the repositioning, rebranding, or revitalization of existing concepts to improve performance, relevance, and guest appeal.
• Conduct brand audits across visual identity, customer journey, menu, and market performance.
• Define and execute strategic refresh plans, balancing brand heritage with modern expectations.

3. Customer Experience Design

• Define the end-to-end guest experience, from brand narrative to spatial design and digital touchpoints.
• Collaborate with designers and architects to ensure physical environments reflect brand personality and story.
• Develop experience guidelines that elevate emotional connection, engagement, and loyalty.

4. Brand Guardianship

• Act as the brand guardian for both new and existing brands ensuring consistency, quality, and integrity across all expressions.
• Approve creative materials and brand assets including menus, packaging, signage, uniforms, and marketing content.
• Ensure each brand lives up to its promise across all touchpoints: visual, verbal, physical, and digital.

5. Strategic Planning & Rollout

• Develop and maintain multi-year brand strategies aligned with commercial goals and market expansion.
• Collaborate with development, real estate, and finance teams to match brands with location opportunities.
• Plan and lead brand rollouts, pilot launches, and scaled growth across regions or channels (dine-in, takeaway, retail, etc.).

6. Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead multi-disciplinary teams throughout the brand development lifecycle.
• Act as the central strategic voice across functions, aligning stakeholders with vision, standards, and timelines.
• Inspire and mentor internal teams in brand thinking and customer-centric innovation.

7. Culinary & Menu Alignment

• Partner with culinary leads to develop food and beverage offerings that reflect each brands positioning and customer promise.
• Ensure consistency between menu innovation, guest expectations, and brand story.

8. Performance Tracking & Continuous Improvement

• Define brand performance KPIs (e.g., guest sentiment, brand awareness, revenue uplift, design feedback).
• Use insights and market data to continuously improve brand health and relevance.
• Create post-launch reports and recommend brand evolution strategies.

Qualifications

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Brand Strategy, Hospitality, Design, or Business.
• 7-10 years of experience in restaurant, hospitality, or lifestyle brand development.
• Proven track record in building and repositioning restaurant or experiential brands.
• Deep understanding of brand architecture, consumer psychology, and F&B market dynamics.
• Experience crafting both physical and digital guest experiences.
• Ability to lead projects from concept to execution with strong creative direction and commercial discipline.
• Experience in international or franchise markets is a plus.