Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Food Technology, or related field.
Extensive experience in food applications, culinary innovation, or technical sales within the food ingredients industry.
Proven leadership experience managing teams and customer-facing innovation programs.
Strong understanding of food manufacturing processes and ingredient functionality.
Experience leading customer workshops and co-creation activities.
Responsibilities
Lead the North America Customer Innovation Center as a hub for customer engagement and technical innovation.
Transform customer needs and market trends into actionable business opportunities.
Drive commercial growth through collaboration and application expertise.
Strengthen customer relationships via co-creation workshops and technical consultations.
Create trend-driven food concepts across multiple application categories.
Lead product demonstrations and prototype development.
Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
Benefits
Opportunity to shape the future of food innovation.
Collaborative work environment with a focus on creativity and technical expertise.
Hands-on involvement in product development and customer engagement.
Support for professional development and team growth.
Engagement with diverse food categories and market trends.
Full Job Description
Culinary Innovation Manager
Shape the Future of Food Innovation with Ohly
At Ohly, we bring together science, creativity, and deep customer understanding to deliver innovative food solutions that help our customers succeed. We are looking for an inspiring and commercially minded Culinary Innovation Manager to lead our North America Customer Innovation Center (CIC) and transform customer challenges, market trends, and emerging opportunities into differentiated food concepts and business growth.
This role is ideal for a passionate food innovator who thrives at the intersection of culinary creativity, technical expertise, customer engagement, and commercial impact. You will lead and execute customer co-creation initiatives, drive application development, build strategic partnerships, and inspire a high-performing team while positioning Ohly as a trusted innovation partner across the food industry.
Your Impact
As Culinary Innovation Manager, you will:
Lead the North America Customer Innovation Center (CIC) as a strategic hub for customer engagement, technical innovation, and solution development.
Transform customer needs, market trends, and consumer insights into actionable business opportunities and winning food concepts.
Drive commercial growth by connecting application expertise, customer insights, and cross-functional collaboration.
Strengthen customer relationships through co-creation workshops, technical consultations, demonstrations, and solution development projects.
Build and expand culinary and application capabilities across existing and emerging food categories.
Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, safety, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Customer Innovation & Commercial Growth
Lead customer engagement activities at the CIC, including workshops, innovation sessions, tastings, demonstrations, and technical consultations.
Partner with Sales, Marketing, Innovation, and Technical Services teams to identify opportunities and accelerate commercial growth.
Develop customer-centric food concepts and application solutions that showcase Ohly's capabilities and create differentiated value.
Translate market and consumer trends into commercially relevant products, concepts, and technical solutions.
Support pipeline development and opportunity advancement through customer-focused innovation initiatives.
Culinary Innovation & Application Development
Create trend-driven, culinary-inspired food concepts across multiple application categories.
Lead product demonstrations, prototype development, and customer sample creation.
Design and facilitate ideation sessions, troubleshooting workshops, and co-development projects.
Develop technical knowledge, best practices, application tools, and customer-facing application guidance.
Collaborate with global application teams to share insights, concepts, and scalable innovation platforms.
Leadership & Team Development
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of application and culinary professionals in customer engagement, technical problem-solving, innovation methodologies, and solution-oriented selling.
Promote a collaborative culture across functions, geographies, and disciplines.
Support KPI management, customer feedback programs, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Lead through visible commitment to Ohly's values and leadership principles.
Safety & Operational Excellence
Champion a proactive safety culture and ensure compliance with all food safety, laboratory, and regulatory requirements.
Conduct risk assessments and maintain a safe working environment within the CIC.
Ensure operational excellence through effective project prioritization, resource planning, and execution.
Drive improvements in sample turnaround, workshop effectiveness, and innovation project delivery.
What You Bring
Education & Experience
Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Food Technology, or a related field.
Extensive experience in food applications, culinary innovation, product development, or technical sales within the food ingredients industry.
Proven leadership experience managing teams, projects, and customer-facing innovation programs.
Strong understanding of food manufacturing processes, ingredient functionality, and commercial product development.
Experience leading customer workshops, demonstrations, and co-creation activities.
Technical & Commercial Expertise
Deep passion for food, culinary trends, and customer-focused innovation.
Ability to translate technical capabilities into compelling customer value propositions.
Strong understanding of consumer insights, market trends, and commercialization processes.
Knowledge of FDA regulations, food safety requirements, and quality standards.
Commercial mindset with a strong understanding of how innovation activities contribute to business growth and customer success.
Leadership & Interpersonal Skills
Exceptional communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
Proven ability to influence stakeholders across functions and organizational levels.
Strong project management and prioritization capabilities.
Entrepreneurial mindset with a high degree of ownership and accountability.
Ability to thrive in dynamic environments and balance short-term customer needs with long-term strategic objectives.
Fluent English required; Spanish and/or German are considered an advantage.
Working Environment
Food application laboratories, culinary test kitchens, office environments, manufacturing sites, and customer locations.
Frequent travel throughout North America to support customers, industry events, workshops, and business initiatives.
Hands-on involvement in product development, demonstrations, and customer engagements.
Ability to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs and safely work with laboratory and food processing equipment.
What Success Looks Like
Within this role, success will be measured by:
Growth of qualified opportunities generated through CIC-led customer engagement and innovation activities.
Increased revenue and customer adoption from CIC-supported projects.
Successful execution of strategic innovation and commercial initiatives.
Enhanced customer engagement, satisfaction, and brand recognition.
Development and commercialization of differentiated food concepts and application solutions.
Strong team development, capability building, and cross-functional collaboration.
Continuous improvement of operational performance, innovation effectiveness, and safety excellence.
