• Location:   Lynn, MA
• Position Type:   Full-Time

Job Summary

Kettle Cuisine is seeking a strong, dynamic Innovation/Culinary leader to drive the next chapter of growth for the Business. The Vice President of Innovation & Culinary Development will be a customer-first advocate responsible for leading innovation, culinary and menu R&D for Business in alignment with the Brand and business strategy to achieve customer, sales, and growth targets.  He/she will be responsible for developing differentiated and customer-focused culinary strategies that improve Kettle’s perception and maximize long-term sales growth, while driving increased brand equity and customer lifetime value. This role will join the Sales & Marketing leadership team and oversee the Culinary Team, Continuous Product/Recipe Improvement, and Innovative Platform Development.

Duties and Responsibilities (other duties as assigned)

• Create an environment that inspires innovation and consistent execution while addressing the needs of the business.
• Be recognized as a culinary subject matter expert with an insatiable appetite for culinary innovation and recipe development, always staying ahead of culinary trends.  
• Serve as a primary leader of culinary direction for the company by continually evolving our brand through recipe optimization, revitalization, and innovation.
• Ensure Kettle Cuisine can grow, evolve, and connect with new and existing consumers by focusing on craveable food with our marketable differentiation across all Plants, Platforms and Capabilities.
• Lead the development of Kettle Cuisine’s product pipeline (concepts & product platforms) that is grounded in the Company Values and strategic business framework. Working closely with the VP of Sales & Marketing, he/she will support Kettle’s Stage Gate/New Product Development process.
• Act as the culinary ambassador representing Kettle’s culinary principles and values; provide leadership and creative thinking in concept design, food trends, development and implementation of new products and services.
• Manage consistent standards around recipes development and culinary training.
• Lead the design and deployment of culinary standards, concepts, and standard recipe development that will ensure optimized costs, financial performance, operational consistency, as well as customer resonance.
• Work with supply chain to identify quality products that meet business needs and leverage volume.
• Lead on existing product improvements, formulary changes or enhancements, and cost improvement initiatives, this includes complete product evaluations, refinements, and documentation.
• Align with Marketing to lead the connectivity between consumer insights, innovation, strategic prioritization, and execution.
• Understand current and future trends in the industry to ensure the company stays ahead of trends and leads with innovation and change.

The Qualifications:

• Enterprise Culinary leadership experience with a professional reputation for innovation.
• Proven experience utilizing data from multiple sources to drive clear culinary and new product/platform objectives.
• Proven leadership experience, with keen self-awareness and the ability to lead by example.  
• Ability to command respect through leadership presence and professional maturity.
• Impeccable judgment and ability to make sound decisions in a fast-paced, dynamic setting.
• Executive-level presentation skills and ability to handle high-level internal and external communications.
• Highly persuasive leader, and a natural relationship builder with strong interpersonal, relationship-building, and negotiating skills.
• Strong financial performance tracking skills & operations mindset. 
• High level of proficiency with culinary systems, programs & digital tools.
• Demonstrated perseverance when faced with challenges and a commitment to the highest standards in the industry. 

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to maintain a stationary position to be able to operate a computer and other office equipment
• Must be able to identify, analyze and assess details.
• For certain positions, one must be able to occasionally move or transport items up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to communicate with others and exchange information accurately and effectively.
• Constantly positions self and move about to support ordinary restaurant or food production support or office operations, as applicable.
• Ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner.  
• Travel 40%+

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Kettle Cuisine complies with all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws.  This means we will not discriminate against qualified individuals with a disability in any phase of the employment relationship including application for employment, hiring, promotions and/or advancement opportunities, termination, compensation, training and any other conditions or privileges of employment.

CORE VALUES

Kettle Cuisine takes the utmost pride in its people, products and reputation. Each employee is expected to understand and live our Core Values every day.

• Honor Food – We create and produce the best tasting, safest, all-natural recipes that strive for perfection in every batch, from bench to kettle
• Honor Each Other – We seek to develop trusting, respectful and mutually rewarding relationships with all our team members and business partners
• Honor Development – We recognize and nurture each other’s talents, strengths, and interests in order to further strengthen and grow our team 
• Honor Innovation – We continually strive for creative and sustainable ways to achieve excellence

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