
Panera Bread: Artisan Bakery To Fast Casual Leader
Panera Bread has grown from a humble St. Louis bakery founded in 1987 into one of America's most beloved fast-casual restaurant chains, operating across 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. With over 10,000 team members nationwide, Panera honors its artisanal heritage by using the same San Francisco sourdough starter from its founding day, ensuring every loaf maintains the authentic quality that built the brand's reputation. Today, Panera operates as part of Panera Brands, one of the largest fast-casual platforms in the U.S., alongside Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Fresh Food Philosophy and Craft
At Panera, freshly baked goods and clean food remain at the heart of daily operations. Trained bakers fill bakery shelves each morning with handcrafted cookies, pastries, bagels, and artisan breads ranging from focaccia to classic baguettes. The menu, developed by professional chefs and bakers, features comfort food classics with innovative twists-all prepared with carefully selected ingredients that team members are proud to serve their own families. This commitment to quality extends beyond food to environmental responsibility and community support.
Culture of Warmth and Growth
Panera's workplace culture emphasizes warmth, kindness, and respect for both guests and associates. Team members are encouraged to make people smile, learn and grow together, find solutions, take initiative, work as a team, and celebrate success. The company invests significantly in technology innovations including mobile ordering, Rapid Pick-Up(R), curbside service, and delivery options, creating a dynamic work environment where team members can develop skills while serving their communities.
Career Opportunities and Benefits
- Competitive compensation with eligible team tips and free on-shift meals
- Flexible scheduling with paid vacation, sick time, and holidays for full-time team members
- Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, pet insurance, and 401(k) with match
- Career advancement and leadership development opportunities across restaurant operations, corporate functions, and bakery production
- Tuition discounts and team member assistance programs
- Mission-driven work contributing to "One Panera for a Healthier and Happier World"
Headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri, and privately held by JAB Holding Company, Panera offers stable, growth-oriented career paths where team members can develop professionally while helping their communities thrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jobs for Panera Bread in United States
Panera Bread$207.7K/yr - $290.8K/yr02165 Newton, MA

Director Security Operations
Description
Job Purpose
Provide strategic leadership and oversight for Panera's Security Operations function, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of enterprise systems and data. Drive the development and execution of security operations strategies, threat management programs, and incident response capabilities to protect Panera's digital ecosystem. Serve as a key advisor on security posture and risk mitigation to third party SOC solutions.
Duties & Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of this job include, but are not limited to:
- Define and execute the vision and roadmap for Security Operations, aligning with enterprise security strategy and business objectives.
- Lead and mentor a team of security analysts and engineers, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Establish KPIs and metrics to measure operational effectiveness and report progress to leadership.
- Oversee advanced threat detection, monitoring, and response capabilities across Panera's digital and internal assets.
- Serve as the escalation point for major security incidents, ensuring timely containment, remediation, and communication.
- Implement and optimize internal and external Security Operations Center (SOC) processes, leveraging automation and orchestration tools (SIEM, SOAR, EDR).
- Drive vulnerability management programs and coordinate remediation efforts across technology teams.
- Partner with Security Engineering, IT, and business units to integrate security into technology initiatives and operational workflows.
- Act as an escalation with legal, compliance, and audit teams for investigations, litigation holds, and regulatory inquiries.
- Champion security awareness programs and briefings on emerging threats and risk trends.
- Represent Panera in external security forums, industry groups, and vendor partnerships.
Qualifications (Education & Experience)
Qualifications Include
- Bachelor's degree in Information Security, Computer Science, or related field.
- 10+ years of progressive experience in information security, with at least 5 years in leadership roles.
- Proven expertise in Security Operations, threat management, and incident response at enterprise scale.
- Strong knowledge of security frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001), risk assessment methodologies, and regulatory compliance.
- Experience managing SOC operations and implementing advanced security technologies (SIEM, SOAR, EDR, threat intelligence platforms).
- Exceptional communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence at all organizational levels.
- Relevant certifications (CISSP, CISM, GIAC) strongly preferred. Practical experience with PC, Server and LAN Security.
- Strong understanding of Security Architecture and Design, Information Security Standards and Technical Security Risk Assessment methodologies
- Demonstrated experience in managing incident response and in working with internal and external parties on problem resolution.
Working Conditions
- Minimal travel required
- Remote work is possible
Physical Requirements
- Standard office environment; ability to use computer and communication tools effectively.
Direct Reports
- This position will have 4 direct reports
Equal Opportunity Employer: Disabled/Veterans
The compensation range for this position is $207,723-$290,812. The actual pay offered will be determined by multiple factors, including but not limited to the candidate's relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and geographical location. Individual compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.
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