Executive Development Chef

Job Introduction

If you’re passionate about creating innovative, exciting and delicious culinary concepts read on…

we’re looking for a Executive Development Chef who is a passionate, creative foodie with strategic direction for food cross our restaurant business to deliver market leading innovation.

You’ll need to be up to speed with culinary trends across multiple categories, you’ll have a keen eye for what’s on the high street and how this could be reflected into the differing Sodexo brands.

You’ll play an influential role in driving change and creativity, bringing commercial awareness as well as creativity to the menu management of all of the brands within Sodexo. You’ll engage and interact with our supply chain on cost and inflationary issues, new product innovation and supplier relationships.

You’ll partner with key service developer and brand managers within the central Food Platform and Sodexo segments in ensuring the food offers developed are on trend, in line with brand ethos, operationally and commercially viable

To be truly successful in this role you’ll be a creative influencer and leader with financial acumen, you’ll bring exceptional attention to detail, a high level of focus and concentration and an extensive culinary knowledge enabling you to interpret and translate industry trends. You’ll be adaptable and feel at home in a kitchen but also comfortable working in an office environment.

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

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

Desirable 

• Interest and background in plant based culinary dish development  

Package Description

In return for your commitment and hard work, you will be rewarded with an attractive salary, plus access to our extensive benefits package, which includes:

• Contributory pension scheme of up to 6%
• G1 grade car
• £1,300 Flexible benefit fund
• upto 15% Performance-related annual bonus
• 23 days holiday (FTE) – including bank holidays – rising to 26 days after 5 years
• A buy and sell holiday scheme of up to 3 days (FTE)
• Volunteering days via our charity partner STOP HUNGER
• Numerous voluntary benefits, including dental care, gym discounts, retail / hospitality, and many 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