Professional culinary training from an accredited culinary program required
Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Hospitality Management, or related field preferred
5+ years of culinary experience in food manufacturing, ingredient solutions, food services, or CPG environments
Strong culinary techniques with expertise in food applications
Excellent communication and presentation skills for interaction with leadership and cross-functional teams
Experience collaborating with Sales, Marketing, and Product Development teams
Established knowledge of restaurant, foodservice, and retail trends
Ability to manage multiple customer projects simultaneously
Responsibilities
Develop innovative food concepts and recipes that meet customer needs and market trends
Partner closely with the Sales team to support meetings and presentations as a culinary expert
Monitor emerging food trends to identify opportunities for innovation
Conduct culinary presentations and product demonstrations for customers
Provide application expertise to enhance customers' product portfolios
Represent the company as a culinary ambassador at events and customer visits
Translate marketplace insights into valuable new product concepts
Analyze competitive products and food categories to inform innovation strategies
Support product optimization related to flavor, texture, and cost
Benefits
Opportunity for professional growth and advancement
Collaborative work environment with cross-functional teams
Travel opportunities to engage with various customers and industry events
Exposure to emerging trends in culinary arts and product development
Direct involvement in shaping innovative food solutions
Full Job Description
Sr. Manager, Customer Innovation & Culinary
We are looking for a Sr. Manager, Customer Innovation & Culinary to be a key partner to the Sales, Marketing, and Product Development teams by providing culinary expertise that helps drive innovation and business growth across retail and foodservice channels. This role is responsible for developing customer-focused culinary solutions, creating new product concepts, conducting product demonstrations, and translating consumer and industry trends into commercially viable food products. The Culinary Chef works directly with customers to identify opportunities, solve product challenges, and support strategic growth initiatives.
Ideally, this individual will be located in ornear Denver, CO; Boston, MA; Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; or Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Develop innovative food concepts, applications, and recipes that align with customer needs and market trends.
Partner closely with the Sales team to support customer meetings, presentations, innovation sessions, and business reviews, serving as the culinary subject matter expert.
Evaluate and monitor emerging food, flavor, ingredient, and menu trends to identify innovation and growth opportunities.
Conduct culinary presentations, product demonstrations, and ideation workshops for current and prospective customers.
Provide application expertise and recommendations to help customers enhance their product portfolios.
Serve as a culinary ambassador for the company, promoting innovation capabilities and product excellence at strategic customer visits, trade shows, and industry events.
Translate marketplace insights into new product concepts that deliver customer value.
Analyze competitive products and emerging food categories to support innovation strategies.
Support product optimization efforts related to flavor, texture, functionality, cost, and manufacturability.
Champion efficiency and consistency in product development process, recipe management, and documentation.
QUALIFICATIONS
Professional culinary training from an accredited culinary program required
Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, Hospitality Management, or related field preferred.
5+ years of culinary experience within food manufacturing, ingredient solutions, foodservices, or CPG environments
Strong culinary techniques and food application expertise
Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to interact with executive leadership, key customers, and cross-functional teams
Experience working cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, and Product Development teams
Established knowledge of restaurant, foodservice, and retail trends
Ability to manage multiple customer projects simultaneously
Ability to travel to and navigate customers and manufacturing facilities within North America up to 70%
Ability to work in typical kitchens and food manufacturing facilities, and the ability to lift up to 50 pounds and stand/walk for greater than 4 hours
