Executive Development Chef

Job Introduction

Executive Development Chef 

As an Executive development chef working mainly from home with occasional visits required to Sodexo/Client bases you are passionate, creative and a real foodie who will set the strategic direction for food cross our restaurant business to deliver market leading innovation.

The successful candidate will be supporting £250m retail sales across restaurant brands and working collaboratively with 7 segments and be very much seen as the Subject Matter Expert.  You will work closely with Supply management to ensure we bring value, retaining quality and innovation and be critical within the development and implementation of activities to inspire the craft community including training, mentorship, food innovation, competitions.  

Join Sodexo and be part of something greater. You belong in a team where you can act with purpose and thrive in your own way.

Role Responsibility

Define and deliver the annual menu development and seasonal NPD plan interpreting the group strategy, working cross functionally with Brand, Commercial, Operations, Supply Management ensuring optimal ranges.  

• Use market and consumer data to define health and sustainable eating plan 

• Menu engineering to mitigate inflation headwinds.  

• Menu aligned to commercial parameters and menu architecture  

• Responsible for ensuring all menus are set up on Sodexo’s Food Management System DRIVE  

• Ability to share best practice and learnings from each project to develop oneself as well as immediate colleagues in addition to colleagues in other Food Platforms worldwide 

• SME for Plant based dish development  

The Ideal Candidate

A passionate foodie who is bursting with innovative ideas and ‘knowhow’ to translate emerging trends into commercial opportunities  

• Extensive experience in product innovation putting the customer and brand values at the heart of development  

• Interest and background in plant based culinary dish development 

• Good knowledge of retail/high street operations  

• Strong understanding of commercial menu management 

• Proven experience delivering innovation and product development within retail or food service sector  

• Computer literacy  

Package Description

This is A fixed Term opportunity for 18 months

In return for your hard work and commitment, you’ll be rewarded with a competitive salary plus access to range of benefits, including:

• Flexible benefits fund
• Excellent career opportunities
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Volunteering days via our charity partner STOP HUNGER
• Numerous voluntary benefits, including dental care, gym discounts, retail / hospitality, and many more
• We also offer Sodexo Discounts site promoting discounted mobile phone tariffs, savings across restaurant chains and days out, where you and your family can save money on everything from your weekly food shop to the latest cinema blockbuster and much more.

We also offer Sodexo Discounts site promoting discounted mobile phone tariffs, savings across restaurant chains and days out, where you and your family can save money on everything from your weekly food shop to the latest cinema blockbuster and much more

About the Company

In the UK and Ireland, Sodexo employs around 30,000 people, and partners with clients in many sectors across business and industry; schools and universities; sports and leisure; energy and resources; government and agencies; healthcare; justice and defence.

Sodexo’s connected; people-centric approach brings together a diverse range of expertise. The breadth of services it offers ranges from food and hospitality; cleaning; reception; concierge (Circles); security; property management and technical services through to data driven workplace strategy and design (Wx); employee engagement and recognition services (Sodexo Engage) and personal home services through Prestige Nursing + Care and the Good Care Group.  

Vital Spaces is Sodexo’s value proposition that puts people at the heart of everything we do, bringing together services and solutions and focusing on the productivity and wellbeing of people wherever they are.

Sodexo is committed to being an inclusive employer; we welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds and identities.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations. 

We are building on our support to the Armed Forces community through the development of specific pathways within our recruitment process to  support ex-forces personnel and reservists, those applying for jobs with us who meet the ideal candidate criteria for the role advertised are guaranteed to progress to the selection process