Senior Corporate Chef

Smithfield Foods•Smithfield, VA

14d•$95,000 - $130,000

About The Position

The Senior Corporate Chef is a member of Smithfield’s customer marketing team, responsible for culinary development and presentations for corporate, retail, and foodservice customers. The role represents Smithfield brands at events and supports the development of marketing materials, working closely with Marketing, Consumer Insights, Sales, R&D, agency personnel, and internal culinary colleagues to advance the company’s product marketing strategy. The position develops on-trend products, menus, and customer-specific culinary applications; translates consumer and market insights into innovation recommendations; and provides foodservice operations expertise. It also supports national accounts and sales teams, leads culinary presentations and customer engagements, contributes culinary and competitive insights, and serves as a brand ambassador and content creator. The role provides leadership and guidance to chefs and ensures compliance with food-safety regulations and Smithfield quality standards. Up to 50% travel may be required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Culinary Arts and 5+ years of culinary experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Progressive culinary experience in foodservice, manufacturing, or CPG.
Experience supporting national accounts, foodservice operators, or retail customers at a corporate level.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and manage time effectively.
Well-developed presentation skills and ability to communicate concepts and rationale to internal and external customers.
Good writing skills, particularly for menu descriptions and data-centric rationale.
Ability to work under pressure and meet established goals, objectives, and timelines.
Sense of urgency and ability to meet deadlines on a self-directed basis.
Ability to be respectful, approachable, and team-oriented while building strong working relationships and a positive work environment.
Ability to work well with others in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Ability to travel up to 50%.

Nice To Haves

Personal brand or demonstrated experience creating engaging culinary content.

Responsibilities

Develop products and menu options for corporate, customer, and retail partners using culinary trends, industry marketing data, and creativity.
Plan, prepare, and produce menu ideation and customer presentations or white papers.
Develop tailored product positioning and culinary application solutions to meet customer requirements.
Provide foodservice operations expertise, including equipment and back-of-house consulting, troubleshooting bottlenecks, and offering product and logistics solutions.
Translate consumer insights into limited-time offers, seasonal promotions, and menu innovation recommendations.
Maintain documentation of culinary development processes and product specifications.
Represent Smithfield as a senior brand ambassador at corporate events and food shows.
Lead teams preparing food at corporate, customer, and retail events.
Develop relationships with chefs, R&D, procurement, and other contacts within national accounts.
Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and R&D on brand development through culinary insights and flavor innovation.
Provide culinary expertise to sales teams during product launches and serve as a dedicated customer resource.
Lead customer presentations and organize and facilitate retail and foodservice menu innovation brainstorming sessions.
Monitor culinary, consumer, and restaurant trends, processes, and products to recommend applications, methods, and ingredients.
Use consumer insights, syndicated research, and marketplace intelligence to inform innovation strategies and share culinary and competitive insights with internal stakeholders.
Design and implement effective ways of working and promote new methods and processes within the company and industry.
Analyze market data and consumer trends to identify growth opportunities for Smithfield customers and brands.
Serve as a culinary spokesperson across digital and social platforms and support internal and external media activations.
Ensure compliance with food-safety regulations and Smithfield Foods quality standards.
Provide leadership and guidance to support chefs in accordance with organizational policies and applicable laws.