Culinary Specialist

Culinary Specialist

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED and 3+ years executive chef experience in the foodservice industry
• Proficiency in culinary, restaurant operations, and food trends required
• Ability to express information in terms of profit and loss, food cost and expense ratio
• Strong financial acumen and ability to properly plan and execute business plans
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills and ability to work with and influence a variety of key stakeholders
• Proficiency in basic level math
• Ability to learn the use of proprietary CRM tools for planning and forecasting sales growth
• Proficient in Microsoft Applications Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute targeted culinary strategies to achieve individual and region annual business goals, delivering profitable sales growth and penetration across categories, specialty segments, and Sysco brand
• Coordinate with Director of Business Resources, leveraging data to identify top opportunities for business reviews
• Collaborate with sales team partners to clearly identify customer challenges, needs, or opportunities and deliver creative and productive solutions to help grow customer business and drive case growth
• Track activities and results, collaborate on opportunities, and champion the team selling process through use of Salesforce (Sysco’s CRM tool)
• Leverage sampling in a solutions-oriented manner to close sales
• Be informed of market conditions and trends, product innovations, and competitors’ products, prices, and sales; share information with customers as part of value-added services provided
• Facilitate internal/external food shows, catering and event planning activities
• Coordinate kitchen logistics in support of internal/external culinary events
• Develop and maintain relationships with customers, chefs and sales teams through cooperative participation in local events, culinary competitions, culinary schools and other relevant opportunities
• Advise sales team on product specifications. Serve as an expert on Cutting Edge Solutions/innovation items, Sysco Brand and CatMan products
• Assist with employee training by working with sales to facilitate training sessions and complete demonstrations
• Manage all operations of the test kitchen/culinary center including sanitation, product rotation, laundry service and the organization and upkeep of equipment, displays and the general appearance of the culinary facility.
• Manage test kitchen food and supply costs within budgetary parameters
• Comply with all local and state food safety and health code regulations
• Accompany and respond to regulatory agency kitchen/culinary center inspections
• Provide work direction to additional culinary staff, third party vendors, sanitation staff as necessary

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent culinary degree
• 3+ years of foodservice sales experience