Corporate Chef / Culinologist - Alsip IL

Griffith Foods is a global manufacturer of food products.  We provide a wide range of taste and texture components for food industry customers throughout the world.  Our products include seasoning blends, dry mixes, coating systems, dough blends, crumbs, flavors, sauces and food bases that are used in an extensive variety of application from snack foods and processed meat and poultry to ready meals. Our customers include food processors, restaurant operators and grocery retailers.  While our name may not be familiar to consumers, our products are key components of foods offered by many of the world’s best-known companies.

Location: Alsip, IL

Summary: Leads in the culinary development of concepts and products with applications based on innovation and marketplace insights for commercialization purposes. Driving new business opportunities in a designated grow aggressing segment through culinary leadership and culinology expertise. Curates the development of differentiating food products that support our Customers’

success while exemplifying Griffith Foods’ 2030 Aspirations and valued behaviors.

Pro-active in the creation of a portfolio of products, which can be successfully launched in cooperation with R&D and Insights. Be a contributory force behind creating a strong culinary culture both internally and externally. Elevate culinary by driving new business opportunities in a designated grow aggressing segment(s) through culinary leadership and fundamental food science knowledge.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Working with local R&D and Product Category teams to create new products via reactive and proactive briefs for all segments within the unit.
• Culinary Account Management: Identify and execute acquisition, penetration, or innovation opportunities through collaboration with key teams and other supplier partners.
• Active leadership in customer account planning through the lens of culinary.
• Manufacturing and Operations Knowledge: Utilize understanding of food manufacturing equipment and back-of-house foodservice/retail operations to elevate development expertise. Well versed in industrial processing procedures, equipment, and manufacturing processes.
• Culinary Commercial Prototyping: Utilizing Culinary expertise and understanding of customers manufacturing and operations while participating in customer ideation sessions and developing 80% ready commercialized concepts.
• Culinary-Driven Product Evaluation: Lead, from a Culinary perspective, in daily product evaluations and tastings with Culinary, Sensory and R&D team members as needed. Undergo formal Sensory training to become a panelist within Griffith Foods.
• Culinology Expertise: Well-developed understanding of functional ingredients and their application within developed formulations or as needed for Culinary Concept Development and Customer Product Prototyping and applications.
• Business Opportunity Requests (BORs): Responsible for the use of culinary techniques and expertise to plan, lead and execute culinary aspects of business opportunities.
• Presentations: Work as part of a cross-functional team. The chef will lead the ideation, development, coordination, and execution of product-based presentations that showcase culinary innovation and business solutions, both internally and externally.
• Innovation Enablement: Work closely with the Product Category Insight team to support the application and commercialization of new technologies as part of the product and concept development process.
• Culinary Trends: Collaborate with Marketing and Consumer Insights teams to identify, apply, and communicate culinary trends to daily business activities or initiatives. Ability to translate marketing and consumer insights information into targeted communication (culinary demo videos, presentations, etc.).
• Partner with (local) culinary agencies and industry associations to increase reach and optimize resources; keep up to date on culinary skills, create leadership opportunities within these institutions that have an impact on Griffith´s brand awareness, innovation commercialization & customer acquisition.
• Execute ¨go-to-market¨ plans aligned with company strategy, leveraging, and adapting provided tools to suit customer opportunities for the specific business unit.
• Plan and deliver proactive culinary workshops with our customers to drive customer success.

Qualifications:

• Minimum (2) year AOS degree of Culinary Arts from an accredited institution or graduated from a 4-year cooking apprenticeship or equivalent.
• Minimum 1-year as Corporate Chef of multi-member Culinary Team and/or Commercial Team.
• Minimum 1-year professional experience in a commercial kitchen for food service operations or an industrial organization specializing in new product development.
• Experience and proven success in Culinary Product Development.
• Former or current member of Research Chefs Association with a CCS or CRC preferred.
• Must be able to travel up to 30%.

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