Culinary R&D Director for Client Success

ADP, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Acxion Foodservice Inc. is seeking a dynamic Director of Culinary, Connections to lead our R&D and client success initiatives in Chicago.

You will steer culinary innovation while building lasting client relationships and managing a talented R&D team. The role combines creative kitchen leadership with strategic business development, requiring travel as needed and a proven track record in high-pressure environments.

Qualifications

• Degree from a nationally recognized culinary school.
• 10+ years in progressive culinary roles—R&D, sales, or corporate settings.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and client relationship skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities.
• Deep understanding of restaurant operations, manufacturing, and food safety.
• Self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Ability to travel, as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage a team of direct reports, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment.
• Maintain positive, productive relationships with clients assigned directly to you and to your team.
• Oversee and approve all concepts, recipes, documents, and client communications produced by direct reports.
• Provide training, guidance, and opportunities for professional growth to your team members.
• Lead and/or oversee client presentations and interactions—securing menu placements on behalf of manufacturer clients.
• Cultivate relationships with top 250 national accounts, manufacturers, and existing clients to identify and secure new business opportunities.
• Maintain ongoing consultative services to ensure client satisfaction.
• Collaborate with leadership to identify additional marketing or culinary business opportunities.
• Resolve client and team challenges to achieve positive outcomes.
• Deliver regular activity and progress reports to the VP of Culinary Services.
• Direct all culinary aspects of projects, from concept creation and trend research to product development and final specifications.
• Monitor and apply emerging culinary, consumer, and restaurant trends in all projects.
• Manage specialized initiatives including international business, culinary center activities, and new business development.
• Test and recommend new methods, ingredients, and applications for both new and existing products.
• Maintain strong affiliations with culinary institutes, restaurants, and industry associations.
• Uphold strict food safety standards and procedures.

Skills

Leadership

Client relationship management

Communication

Presentation skills

Food safety knowledge

Education

Culinary degree

Job description

Acxion Foodservice Inc. is seeking a dynamic Director of Culinary, Connections to lead our R&D and client success initiatives in Chicago.

You will steer culinary innovation while building lasting client relationships and managing a talented R&D team. The role combines creative kitchen leadership with strategic business development, requiring travel as needed and a proven track record in high-pressure environments.