Project Manager - Berkeley

Whitsons Culinary Group•Berkeley, IL

17h•$85,000 - $100,000

About The Position

The Project Manager for Culinary Services is responsible for leading cross-functional initiatives that support program quality, operational consistency, and successful delivery of Culinary Services programs across Whitsons. This role ensures that new program launches, menu rollouts, culinary innovations, service enhancements, and client-facing initiatives are executed with precision, alignment, and operational excellence. The position serves as a key connector between Culinary, Operations, R&D, Production, Procurement, Sales, and Customer Care teams—managing timelines, workflows, and deliverables that impact program success and client satisfaction. The Project Manager develops tools, tracks performance, gathers feedback, and drives continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen Whitsons’ Culinary Services offerings and brand.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, Business Administration, Foodservice Management, Marketing, or a related field required.
3–5 years of experience in project management, foodservice operations, culinary management, or a related discipline.
Demonstrated success managing multiple projects across cross-functional teams.
Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
Excellent organizational and time management abilities.
Ability to lead initiatives and influence stakeholders without formal authority.
Working knowledge of culinary concepts, menu development, and food production processes.
Analytical skills to interpret performance data, trends, and operational metrics.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with project management tools (Asana, Monday.com, Smartsheet, or similar).
Strong problem-solving, attention to detail, and execution focus.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree or industry certification (PMP or similar) preferred.
Experience in culinary, food manufacturing, or large-scale foodservice environments strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead initiatives that enhance program consistency, quality, and effectiveness across Culinary Services.
Serve as the primary project liaison between culinary production teams, operations, and internal and external stakeholders.
Develop and maintain program standards, service expectations, and communication protocols.
Manage end-to-end project plans for new program launches, menu rollouts, recipe changes, and culinary innovation initiatives.
Coordinate timelines, deliverables, resources, and communications across multiple departments.
Track and report project status, risks, dependencies, and completion metrics to leadership.
Ensure all client-facing materials (menus, spec sheets, marketing content, product information) are accurate and delivered on schedule.
Support Culinary Services leadership with client-facing presentations, tastings, product demonstrations, and business reviews.
Collect, track, and respond to client feedback related to menu performance, product quality, packaging, and overall program execution.
Assist in resolving client issues by coordinating with Production, R&D, Operations, QA, and Customer Service to drive timely resolution.
Monitor key performance indicators including product quality trends, service issues, complaint themes, and operational KPIs.
Identify improvement opportunities and escalate risks or issues to appropriate cross-functional teams.
Conduct root-cause reviews for product or service deviations and support implementation of corrective actions.
Support Culinary and R&D teams with menu calendar planning, recipe updates, market research, and program enhancements.
Ensure client needs, operational requirements, and market trends are incorporated into culinary innovation and production planning.
Partner with QA and Operations to ensure recipes and program standards are consistently executed at scale.
Partner with Sales and Account Management on client onboarding, contract transitions, and program optimization.
Work closely with Production, Procurement, and Logistics to ensure program requirements are operationally feasible and cost-effective.
Collaborate with Marketing to ensure client-facing communications and materials align with program expectations and brand standards.
Maintain organized project documentation, timelines, briefs, and reference materials.
Support the development and maintenance of project trackers, dashboards, and reporting tools.
Ensure updates are accurately reflected in internal systems and communication channels.
Support client visits, facility tours, audits, and culinary demonstrations as needed.
Assist with strategic initiatives, program frameworks, and innovation planning.
Perform other related duties as assigned by Culinary Services leadership.