Corporate Chef, Business Development (Bilingual English-Chinese)

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Founded in 1888, Lee Kum Kee, a Hong Kong-based global food company, specializes in creating condiments and sauces that promote Chinese cuisine worldwide. With more than 200 products to choose from, Lee Kum Kee takes the mystery out of cooking authentic and delicious Asian foods in the comfort of your kitchen. Lee Kum Kee is committed to providing authentic and innovative condiments and sauces featuring the highest quality ingredients. Armed with a unique management culture, stringent quality control, superb and innovative products, coupled with the century-long brand reputation, Lee Kum Kee has achieved unanimous recognition and won numerous prestigious awards.

Lee Kum Kee (USA) Inc., a division of Lee Kum Kee International Holdings Ltd., has its headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Southern California with more than 300 employees. We are looking for the best and brightest talents to join our company and work together to bring the next level of success!

BENEFITS

• Medical, dental, life insurance covered by the company
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Two (2) weeks vacations
• Ten (10) paid holidays

POSITION SUMMARY

To perform this job successfully, the Corporate Chef, Business Development will be responsible for managing and overseeing sales activities in an assigned territory.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Introduce new LKK products to foodservice units / accounts.
• Visit and convert foodservice units (including individual stores, Chain restaurants and hot deli) sauces usage to LKK products.
• Conduct training section to sales and marketing staff and customers
• Drive culinary innovation including testing and menu category development.
• Develop recipes for both retail consumers and foodservice outlets for LKK product sauces education.
• Develop multi-unit food service account business using LKK products.
• Represent company at trade association meetings, food shows, tradeshows, etc. to promote products.
• Lead or assist in menu development and do culinary presentations as needed.
• Deliver sales presentations to key accounts in coordination with sales teams to maintain relationships and negotiate and close deals.
• Responsible for product and service development to meet market needs.
• Monitor and evaluate competitor activity and products.
• Leverage industry marketing data, current trends in the culinary space, and unlimited creativity, creates on-trend menu recipes and applications for corporate, customer, and segment events.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

COMPETENCIES

• Problem Solving
• Drive for Results
• Managing & Measuring Work
• Building Effective Teams
• Motivating Others

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES 

None.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each major responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the major responsibilities.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• This position requires a bachelor’s degree in Culinary Arts and Food Science and/or related field and a minimum of 5 years of food service sales experience.
• A background or experience as an executive chef is necessary.
• Professional chef certification is required.
• Familiar with the Chinese cuisines from ingredients to cooking, and sauce application.
• Solid working experiences in restaurant front-of-house and back-of-house operation.
• The individual must be proficient in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• The individual must be able to define problems through data gathering and analysis, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee must have a valid driver’s license to perform essential job functions.
• Sense of urgency and ability to meet deadlines on a self-directed basis.
• Must be able to work independently in cross-functional teams to meet set goals.
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation is a plus.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• This individual must possess excellent communication and presentation skills both written and verbal.
• Must be fluent in English and Chinese.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

The candidate must be able to apply mathematical concepts to compute rates, discounts, percentages, and draw and interpret bar graphs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

• The individual must travel to meet business needs.
• The position requires about 50% or more out time in the field visiting customers.
• Regularly required to use hands and fingers to perform daily job functions.
• Required to stand, sit, kneel, and walk when performing essential job functions.
• Occasional lifting and/or moving up to 50 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

• The noise level in the work environment is light to moderate.
• The position is often in office settings, traveling or at customer/user sites.
• The position requires travel – about 50% of the time this position is expected to be out of office on customer visits and food trade shows/conferences.

It is Lee Kum Kee’s policy to seek and employ the most qualified persons in all jobs in a manner which will ensure equal employment opportunity as well as administer personnel actions in a manner as to not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability or protected veteran status. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.