Director of Culinary Innovation & Client Partnerships

Acxion; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Acxion is seeking a dynamic Director of R&D Chef to lead culinary innovation and client success in Chicago. You will manage a team of R&D chefs, oversee key accounts, and collaborate with the VP of Culinary Services to deliver outstanding results and grow the business.

You will direct all culinary aspects of projects, monitor trends, and maintain affiliations with culinary institutes and industry associations while upholding strict food safety standards.

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.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Client relationships

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Travel flexibility

Education

Degree from a nationally recognized culinary school

Job description

Acxion is seeking a dynamic Director of R&D Chef to lead culinary innovation and client success in Chicago. You will manage a team of R&D chefs, oversee key accounts, and collaborate with the VP of Culinary Services to deliver outstanding results and grow the business.

You will direct all culinary aspects of projects, monitor trends, and maintain affiliations with culinary institutes and industry associations while upholding strict food safety standards.