Culinary Innovation and Research Chef

For over 50 years, Home Market Foods has provided superior quality food products -- from our beginnings as a purveyor of fresh meats, to our current position as a major specialty provider of fully cooked and frozen, meals, appetizers, and snacks for both retail and foodservice customers.

We are looking for a Culinary Innovation & Research Chef to support the product development team from ideation, to education, to sell-in with the customer. Priority areas of support will include identifying and educating the organization on current/future food trends, driving a food-forward culture and supporting internal and external corporate events. The position will also assist with new product development projects and will work closely with a cross-functional teams to bring innovation to life.

* Participate & contribute in cross-functional teams to drive new product innovation * Act as the culinary expert for corporate events, trends presentations, and product innovation * Drive innovation through research on all platforms, including trends within food industry, menu development and in-market analysis * Identify and communicate food trends and bring thoese trends to life across the organization through tasting, presentations, etc. * Support various groups including sales, marketing, communications, regulatory, supply chain and procurement on culinary-focused initiatives to provide the proper culinary lenses to drive the success of these projects * Execute culinary cuttings with key stakeholders including Senior Leadership team and external customers * Support all corporate events, internal and external * Other duties as required

**Position Requirements** * Associates degree in culinary arts or science required; Bachelor's degree in culinary arts or science or related field preferred * Strong culinary background and skills required; restaurant experience preferred * Ability to identify food trends and bring to life with food experiences * Experience on front-end innovation, particularly in culinary design preferred * Experience in trends identification and development * A minimum of 3 years related experience in a food manufacturing environment * Basic understanding of food science and technical application * Excellent verbal and written communication skills * Proficient in Microsoft Office applications * Analytical & logical problem solving ability * Ability to travel up to 30% to support operating groups and customer needs * Ability to collaborate with all levels of the organization * Ability to manage multiple projects at one time * Sound time management skills * Sound creative ability **Physical Requirements** * Ability to safely and comfortably lift 25 pounds frequently, up to 50 pounds occasionally * Ability to stand and work on feet for extended periods of time up to 8 hours * Work in a kitchen setting on various surface types * Exposure to microwaves and testing equipment