Innovation and Development Chef

CP Fresh is a Charlie’s Produce Company - Who We Are

Charlie's Produce is the largest privately owned produce wholesaler on the West Coast, and we are growing. The secret to our success in this industry is PEOPLE! We strive to hire the best and we reward them with a working environment that fosters loyalty, stability, innovation, and growth. Charlie’s was founded in quality, and we are proud that it is still our focus.

CP Fresh brings the same quality to processed foods that Charlie's brings to produce! Our state of the art processing plant provides fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, an expanded salad line, and a USDA-certified hot kitchen. We partner with local vendors to offer our customers fresh, high- quality, made-to-order products. 

With a team of dedicated people who are passionate about food, supply chain, and their community- we are looking for like minded individuals to help further our goal to enhance our communities through quality produce and prepared foods.

What We offer:

• An amazing company culture!
• Medical/Dental/Vision on the first of the month following hire.
• ESOP (Profit Sharing) and 401(k).
• Paid vacations, paid holidays.
• Coverage under State Sick Leave.
• 100% Prepaid College Tuition for employees and their dependents.
• Employee assistance program (EAP).

Additional Compensation Details:

• $105-115K annually
• Potential 90-day performance-based raise
• Yearly review with possibility of increase based on performance and tenure

Job Summary:

Develop and implement new prep-foods and fresh processed produce product programs for produce, food service, and retail deli sales team within Seattle, Portland, Spokane, and Boise divisions. The product programs will include product development, sourcing from third party suppliers, achievement of gross margin targets, promotion and Ad plans, marketing materials, packaging, and private label programs. The director will also coordinate sales of fresh produce ingredients to third party suppliers from Charlie’s Produce.

Collaborate with the sales team of each division to support sales growth, new account development, new initiatives, and provide performance reports to division presidents, general managers, and sales managers. The director will work closely with the general manager of CP Fresh and third-party suppliers to coordinate forecast demand, recipe development and product innovations required from collaborating with each division. Quarterly travel to each division will be expected to visit with key customers, review retail execution, competitive assessment and coordinate efforts with the sales team.

Duties Include but are not limited to:

• Comfortably and confidently manage several workstreams simultaneously
• Provide culinary expertise in assigned projects, demonstrated by exceptional culinary concept creation and product development
• Play an active role in all stages of product development, from ideation to manufacturing
• Meticulously record all tests and pertinent analytical information
• Monitor and research food trends, manufacturing processes, and culinary innovations on an ongoing basis to continue to bring new ideas to the team
• Ensure that project scope guard rails are maintained throughout the development process, and product formulas are shared with and approved by the commercialization team
• Calculate ingredient costing such that products are developed within cost targets
• Lead and participate in product tastings and plant trials of new products
• Assist in the production of product samples for internal and external stakeholders
• Manage individual project timelines and deliverables, and support wider project direction and deadlines
• Ensure the work area is orderly, organized and clean for efficient use for testing, following CP Fresh’s SOP for proper kitchen operations
• Sales support: customer visits, facilities tours, product information, etc.

Develops sales and marketing materials for new items/programs and supports promotional planning with product information, position, and points of differentiation

Desired Minimum Qualifications:

• 3-6 years of experience product development after completion of a culinary or related degree/certificate program, or a combination of education and relevant culinary product development experience
• Demonstrated knowledge and adherence to stringent food safety standards, including an up-to-date Food Handlers card/certification (ServSafe)
• A refined palate, with excellent understanding of different cooking methods and world cuisines
• Demonstrated collaborative skills and ability to work well within a cross-functional team, including aligning to core values within a mission-driven company culture
• Demonstrated high level of creativity and personal initiative
• Knowledgeable of the impact of basic functional ingredients and processes on product texture
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Self-motivated with meticulous attention to detail; exceptional organizational and project-management skills
• Ability to work in a fast paced, deadline-driven environment, while balancing changing priorities
• Solid analytical skills with the ability to develop creative solutions to solve problems
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on assigned work and projects with general supervision
• Proficiency in the use of computer systems and software (EX: MS 365-Teams, SharePoint, AX)

Licensing and Certification Requirement:

• Food handlers certification

This is a safety-sensitive position.

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration and if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

We do not provide H1-B sponsorships at this time.

Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on factors, including but not limited to, the individual’s qualifications, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as well as physical work location within the state.

For additional protected privacy information please visit: Privacy Policy | Charlie's Produce (charliesproduce.com)

Charlie's Produce is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Visit our Employment Page for more details or to view our privacy center: https://www.charliesproduce.com/careers/

Recruiters - DO NOT CONTACT!