Culinary Strategy Lead & Brand Ambassador

Sysco (Canada); Ontario (CA); On-site; USD 74,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The Culinary Specialist at Sysco will act as an ambassador for Sysco brand and culinary innovation, driving category strategies and sales growth across regions. You will engage at culinary events, train teams, and work closely with stakeholders to deliver data-driven, customer-focused solutions.

You will manage test kitchen operations, collaborate on menu planning, and execute market insights to optimize customer outcomes, while maintaining safety and quality standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years in Foodservice management and 3+ years as Executive Chef.
• Post-secondary education required; Red Seal Chef with Diploma preferred.
• Culinary, restaurant operations, and food trends proficiency required.
• Strong financial acumen; ability to plan and execute business plans.
• Proven success in consultative selling and networking.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to influence stakeholders.
• Experience building trust with prospective customers and securing new business.
• Self-directed with ability to structure weekly schedule for success.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and deliver high-quality results.
• Strong restaurant operations acumen to manage sophisticated customers.
• Willingness to learn proprietary CRM tools for planning and forecasting sales growth.
• Proficient with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute targeted culinary strategies to meet annual business goals and drive profitable growth across categories.
• Coordinate with leadership to identify top opportunities for business reviews using data.
• Collaborate with sales to understand customer needs and deliver creative, productive solutions.
• Track activities and results; champion team-selling processes using Salesforce CRM.
• Leverage sampling to close sales in a solutions-oriented manner.
• Stay informed about market trends, product innovations, and competitors; share insights with customers.
• Plan and support internal/external culinary events, shows, and catering.
• Coordinate kitchen logistics for internal and external culinary events.
• Lead and deploy the Revolution Vendor program.
• Assist with employee training and demonstrations with the sales team.
• Manage test kitchen/culinary center operations, including sanitation and costs within budget.
• Support menu planning services and regulatory inspections.
• Uphold a Customers First mindset in daily duties and food safety compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Sales

Communication

Networking

Time management

Culinary knowledge

Analytical thinking

Team collaboration

CRM proficiency

Education

Red Seal Chef

Diploma in Culinary Management

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Culinary Specialist at Sysco will act as an ambassador for Sysco brand and culinary innovation, driving category strategies and sales growth across regions. You will engage at culinary events, train teams, and work closely with stakeholders to deliver data-driven, customer-focused solutions.

You will manage test kitchen operations, collaborate on menu planning, and execute market insights to optimize customer outcomes, while maintaining safety and quality standards.