Culinary Innovation Lead, North America CIC

Ohly; Villa Park (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ohly seeks a Culinary Innovation Manager to lead the North America Customer Innovation Center (CIC), translating customer needs and market trends into differentiated food concepts and business growth. You will drive application development, manage a high-performing team, and partner across Sales, Marketing, Innovation, and Technical Services to deliver innovative food solutions.

You will collaborate with global teams, guide co-creation workshops, and ensure safety and regulatory compliance while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Food Technology or related field.
• Extensive experience in food applications, culinary innovation, product development, or technical sales in 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Leadership

Customer collaboration

Project management

Commercial acumen

Communication

Culinary innovation

Food science knowledge

Trend analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science / Culinary Arts / Food Technology

Job description

Ohly seeks a Culinary Innovation Manager to lead the North America Customer Innovation Center (CIC), translating customer needs and market trends into differentiated food concepts and business growth. You will drive application development, manage a high-performing team, and partner across Sales, Marketing, Innovation, and Technical Services to deliver innovative food solutions.

You will collaborate with global teams, guide co-creation workshops, and ensure safety and regulatory compliance while