Sebastian Nava

Experience

• 

  Five dot ranch

  Mar 2011 - Aug 2012

  Assistant Manager

  Provide sustainable and responsibly raised beef to Napa Valley and the Bay Area in retail and wholesale capacities. Management responsibilities include sustainable practice implementation, employee oversight, scheduling, ordering, prepared food production, menu design and cost analysis.

• 

  OTTO Portland

  Oct 2012 - Jan 2014

  Executive Chef

  New menu item research and development for a multi-unit QSR and fast casual pizza restaurant. Train managers on quality control standards and efficiency. Lead kitchen managers in controlling inventory, food budgets, and labor cost. Development of company-wide training materials. Lead team trainings on food safety practices, allergy awareness, product knowledge, and quality standards.

• 

  Cambridge Center for Adult Education

  Feb 2013 - Nov 2013

  Culinary Arts Instructor and Kitchen Operations Consultant - Part Time

  Culinary Arts Instructor - Provide a welcoming and supportive learning environment for community oriented cooking classes. Develop course curriculum. Lead classes.Kitchen Operations Consultant - Facilitate the opening of a new education oriented teaching kitchen and develop standard operating procedures for maintaining kitchen cleanliness, food safety standards, ordering, inventory, and equipment maintenance. Development of orientation/training materials for new instructors.

• 

  America's Test Kitchen

  Jan 2014 - Sept 2015

  Editor - Cookbooks

  - Wrote, edited, and produced 10 nationally published books as part of America’s Test Kitchen’s NYT Best Selling cookbook series.- Performed comprehensive and incisive consumer testing and user data analysis, leading to a 70%+ “make-again” score from test users for all recipes; utilized rapid recipe iteration to exceed benchmark.- Contributed extensively to pioneering efforts across more than 7 specialty cooking topics, including baking, gluten-free, pickling and fermentation, grilling, Mexican cuisine, paleo, slow cooker, and more.- Interfaced directly with Design, Production, and Kitchen teams in the creation and production of innovative cookbooks and execution of scientific recipe testing. Show less

• 

  Newbury College

  Sept 2014 - Aug 2015

  Chef Instructor - Part Time

  Develop and instruct hands-on cooking classes for bachelor degree, associate degree, and certificate seeking students. Prepare students for leadership and management roles in the hospitality industry, as well as graduate study.

• 

  Chew

  Sept 2015 - Nov 2016

  Innovation Lead - Snacks and Bakery

  - Provided insight-driven and innovative product development services to publicly traded CPG clients with over $20B in annual sales, leveraging rapid prototyping and consumer testing to quickly deliver new products loved by customers. - Oversaw all aspects of end-to-end product development for more than 26 products annually, including ideation and formulation, administering trials, and leading scale-up, achieving 62% faster time-to-market.- Closely collaborated with client supply chain teams to validate and source more than 40 ingredients annually, guaranteeing compliance with non-GMO and organic certifications.- Operated in a pivotal capacity by conceptualizing, developing, and executing product sensory acceptance tests, JAR assessments, and in-home use trials, leading to a 41% improvement in customer satisfaction. Show less

• 

  Boulder Brands

  Nov 2016 - Feb 2020

  R&D Manager - Culinary, Frozen, Plant Based, and Bakery

  - Presided over and spearheaded end-to-end innovation activities across five natural food brands (Udi’s Gluten Free, Gardein, Evol, Earth Balance, and Glutino), resulting in a 4.5% ($16.5M) annual sales increase to $98.9M.- Provided leadership and direction to the innovation lab, including supervising a technical team of 6 food scientists and chefs supporting the broader R&D team.- Coordinated more than 14 innovation events annually, presenting to strategic partners, key customers, and board members. - Administered extensive analysis into market trends, sales data, and technical data before leading the design of a robust five-year innovation pipeline to drive new product development across plant-based, gluten-free, and clean convenience categories.- Pioneered and implemented a stage gate process to gain cross-functional input and business alignment on new product development initiatives and priorities.- Established and fostered close and lasting vendor relationships with 5+ key suppliers, enabling a 12% reduction in development timelines by leveraging vendor capabilities, expertise, and core competencies.- Partnered closely and collaboratively with Regulatory, Legal, and Marketing teams to ensure 100% compliance for on-pack claims. Show less

• 

  Amazon

  Mar 2020 - Jan 2025

  - Oversaw and directed key product management activities across private brands for Amazon Fresh, representing a multi-million-dollar portfolio of CPG and QSR products. Categories included fresh prepared foods, hot foods, soups, salads, sandwiches, burritos, breakfast, bowls, quick-service restaurant, and foodservice.- P&L management and business ownership. Ongoing analysis and reporting of business performance metrics to cross-functional partners and senior leaders.Orchestrated and coordinated all elements of the creation and launch of new programs, generating 112% growth for Amazon Go.- Led the creation, development, and implementation of a 3-year roadmap by performing analysis of category insights, sales data, and market research; aligned with cross-functional team and oversaw roadmap execution.- Conducted analysis of market trends and other data to generate key insights, enabling informed and strategic decision-making.- Vendor management and contract negotiation for key suppliers, distributors, and third-party logistics.- Served in an integral role by spearheading the development and implementation of AI tools to empower fellow product managers with bridging performance data and meeting notes, achieving 73%-time savings. Show less - Pioneered the development of new CPG and QSR products and foodservice programs for the private label brand Amazon Kitchen, resulting in over 100% growth across multiple years.- Established new product lines and food programs for different Amazon e-commerce and physical retail formats, including cashier-less grocery stores, convenience stores, and grocery delivery.- Product trials and commercialization in manufacturing and QSR settings.- Conceptualized, developed, and implemented an Amazon-first made-to-order QSR food program tailored for Amazon Go’s suburban stores, leading to top performance rankings for multiple stores.- Menu development and sensory testing based on deep consumer insights, industry insights, and culinary trends.- Operational planning, associate training, and foodservice equipment sourcing.- Continuous improvement projects to maintain or improve product quality and customer experience while improving profitability, consistency, and customer reviews. Show less

  • Senior Product Manager - Private Label, Prepared Foods, and Food Service

    Feb 2022 - Jan 2025

  • Senior Product Developer, Amazon Kitchen - Private Label, Prepared Foods, and Food Service

    Mar 2020 - Feb 2022
• 

  Starbucks

  Sept 2025 - now

  Senior Product Developer, Food R&D - Optimization

  - Lead the development, optimization, and commercialization of food products across multiple platforms, ensuring alignment with brand strategy and portfolio objectives. - Manage a diverse project pipeline from concept through scale-up, leveraging consumer insights, culinary trends, and technical expertise to deliver innovative, operationally viable solutions. - Drive portfolio optimization by improving product performance, reducing complexity, and implementing cost savings initiatives that strengthen supply chain resiliency. - Apply deep knowledge of ingredient functionality, formulation, and food processes to enhance quality and consistency while accelerating speed-to-market. - Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Supply Chain, and Operations to influence strategic decisions and deliver business results, while authoring plant trial protocols and product specifications to ensure compliance and excellence. Show less