Senior Innovation Chef

Kraft Heinz Company; Mayo (MD); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading food company as a Senior R&D Innovation Chef, driving culinary innovation and strategic projects within a dynamic international team. Leverage your culinary expertise to develop prototypes and deliver actionable insights that enhance our product portfolio. Collaborate with cross-functional teams while advocating for culinary excellence and sustainability. This role offers a fast career track and a competitive salary in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Excellent bonus structure

Fast career track

Room for new ideas

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ work experience in food service and corporate R&D environment.
• Strong knowledge of Kraft Heinz portfolio and culinary testing methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Drive strategic projects and culinary experiences to support company growth.
• Lead complex innovation projects and develop prototypes.
• Update kitchen operations and ensure compliance with safety policies.

Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Problem Solving

Attention to Detail

Education

Culinary degree

Job description

Job Description

What's on the Menu:

We have an excellent opportunity for a Senior R&D Innovation Chef to make a difference in our International R&D organization here at Kraft Heinz! This role will be part of the Consumer & Culinary Experience international team, playing a role in delivering relevant and actionable recipes, prototypes and gold standards to drive the success of our existing portfolio as well as our future innovations within the International Zone.

Your primary responsibility will be to drive strategic projects from understanding business needs to delivering culinary experiences to support our company growth. You will be working alongside passionate culinary professionals striving to achieve daring goals, under the direction of the R&D Culinary Innovation Manager. In your role you will be partnering closely and effectively with Consumer Experience, Consumer Market Insights, R&D and Marketing teams, within the Central Team, as well as in the Local BUs.

Key Ingredients:

• Play a leadership role in communicating our IZ culinary strategy within the company
• Provide a strong business perspective and international mindset within all the projects under your scope of responsibilities. Understand business needs and translate them into a culinary strategy
• Lead complex innovation projects, delivering prototypes with recommendations based on key findings from existing data as well as insights delivered by primary and secondary sensory and consumer research
• Lead culinary programs linked to our culinary strategic platforms to proactively inspire the next generation of innovations for KH IZ in specific categories of products.
• Prototype products and develop content/recipes and map and test developed prototypes with matching host foods
• Advocate and integrate a culinary ESG mindset combined with culinary expertise and creativity to emphasis on nutritional awareness to drive our ESG company agenda
• Proactively bring in new culinary driven business opportunities towards the team and business thanks to a strong understanding of the BUs and IZ strategies. Independently improve/build new culinary platforms (strategic or technological)
• Be the go-to expert on your specific product category (TK, Mayo, Condiments, Meals, …), ensuring all knowledge, best practices, education is communicated in a consistent way
• Lead in multidisciplinary work levels as a professional culinary brand ambassador for Kraft Heinz collaborating with different external marketplaces and interacting with relevant business partners.
• Proactively identify strategic external partners of interest in collaboration with our ecosystem management team and represent Kraft Heinz in professional organizations and meetings
• Responsibility for updating daily kitchen operations and HACCP rules in the building’s kitchen facilities and ensure they are applied
• Responsible for the coordination of culinary data management. Ensure compliance with the Kraft Heinz Code of Business Principles- all safety and hygiene policies required by local law.
• Be an active member of the global KHC Culinary network community by sharing trends and recipe ideas, building best practice capabilities. Connecting regularly with other chefs in other regions to ensure one chefs’ team
• Coaching of more junior chefs

Recipe for Success: Apply if it sounds like you

• Culinary degree (i.e. Certificates from hospitality school- apprenticeship- Bachelors diploma)
• 5+ years’ work experience (international or specific region) in food service (applicable channels: hotels- FSR- QSR- pubs- catering- industry- or institutional) and in a corporate R&D environment is expected
• Knowledge and appreciation of the Kraft Heinz portfolio
• Must have excellent communication and presentation skills: highly developed soft skills required for effective data presentation and business influence based on results.
• Strong generalized knowledge and experience of an innovation kitchen and testing methodologies including
• Strong collaboration and networking skills in complex matrix organization. Strong interpersonal and team skills (organization, prioritization and flexibility)
• Deep involvement into culinary social media as well as experiences on the use of digital tools for impactful communications.
• Excellent English language skills- spoken and written
• Must demonstrate an enthusiastic passion for food
• Strong problem solving and attention to detail skills
• Strong consultation and influencing capability
• Ability to simplify complex information to actionable, easy to understand outcomes.

What we offer you / You deserve

• An ambitious employer; we want to the best for you;
• A fast career track like only few other companies can match;
• A competitive salary and excellent bonus structure (above market);
• Always room for new ideas; if you have an excellent idea, please let us know, and we can set it in action!

We hope you find a seat at our table!

Location(s)

Nijmegen

Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Underrepresented Ethnic Minority Groups/Women/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity and other protected classes.