Position Summary:

To Provide culinary, product and restaurant expertise and resources to all Ventura customers.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Position will require up to 10% travel.

Provide Culinary Team of Chefs with support and assistance with all culinary efforts:

• Organize and mise en place product cutting tastings product testing, events and meetings.
• Organizes and supports customer culinary demonstrations and ideations.
• Support and collaborate with chefs with all customer and Ventura culinary needs.

In conjunction with L&D, Marketing and Culinary - support the development of the Ventura Toolbox and Ventura Tech:

• Digital and virtual tools to support Sales in positioning of Ventura products and resources to customers.
• Provide expertise to support Culinary L&D curriculum development.
• Provide all mise en place for training events including: planning, execution, and completion.

Recipe and food inspirations support of Ventura and Customer Branded product as well as Recipe and menu support of Ventura website and "Ready to Go"/Exclusive Products:

• Brings a deep understanding of menu strategy, including food costs, consumer value and utilization of ingredients, to ensure strategic fit for customer recipes and concepts.
• Conducts menu research and develops on-trend culinary concepts, prototypes, recipes, and finished products suitable for our customer’s applications and operations.
• Partner with Marketing and sales for new product introductions.
• Provides recipe development, food styling, video creation, photoshoots, etc.

Culinary support for events and shows requiring culinary execution, presentation and showings:

• Event coordination with Sales, Marketing and Venues.
• Menu and recipe development for event.
• Responsible for managing all aspects of the menu and food.

Manage the upkeep and schedule of the Ventura Culinary Facilities: Kitchen Manager:

• Keeping the pantry stocked with fresh ingredients.
• Upkeep and maintenance of kitchen equipment.
• All kitchen certifications are up tp date and protocols are followed.
• Maintain kitchen schedule.

Customer and Ventura Branded product development: (RTG and Exclusive Products):

• Produce gold standards and formula direction to chefs and R&D Developers.
• Assist in ingredient and supplier search for flavor ingredients.
• Preparation of bench samples.
• Analytical testing of bench samples and ingredients.
• Package and ship samples per Ventura protocols.

Education and Experience:

Required:

• Culinary degree or equivalent experience.
• 1-3 years food service operation and/or menu and product development experience.
• Experience with commercial kitchen tools and kitchen fundamentals.
• Experience with basic video recording, and post- production editing steps.

Preferred:

• Food service Operations, Product and Menu development, Manufacturing experience.
• Certified Research Chef (CRC) or Certified Culinary Scientist (CCS).
• Current ServSafe Certification.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Mastery of culinary skills.
• Excellent Palate.
• Social Media Savvy.
• Proven ability to style food in photography and video.
• Self-starter and the ability to anticipate the next steps.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Ability to roll up your sleeves and do whatever needs to be done.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (PowerPoint, Word, Excel).