CULINARY IMPLEMENTATION MANAGER (HYBRID-CHARLOTTE, NC)

About the role

Foodbuy is the industry leader in procurement and supply chain solutions, a subsidiary of the 6th largest company in the world (Compass Group PLC) while maintaining the feel of a small entrepreneurial company. Foodbuy sources and provides a variety of products and services that help customers run their businesses more easily and cost‑effectively, serving clients in the Hospitality, Restaurant, Healthcare, Education, Entertainment, and Gaming industries, and supporting Compass Group—the world’s largest contract food and support services provider. Foodbuy cares about its associates, clients, and community; it thinks big, encourages innovation and debate, and seeks out game changers. The company offers strong benefits and PTO, competitive compensation, and continuous growth, with a desire for associates’ careers to grow alongside the organization. An open, modern work environment emphasizes flexibility and a collaborative open‑door culture, guided by the People FIRST value system (Flexibility, Inclusion, Results, Sustainability, Transparency) that underpins all interactions with clients, business partners, and fellow associates.

The mission of the Category Development Culinary Implementation Manager is to leverage insights and data from finance, category development, and sourcing to support the Culinary Implementation team’s goals of confirming accuracy and stakeholder alignment amongst stakeholders and facilitating the implementation of sector and category strategies. This role focuses on analyzing product specifications and purchasing data, documenting feedback throughout the project lifecycle, and effectively communicating insights to stakeholders. Target stakeholders include Sector Culinary Vice Presidents, Foodbuy Category Development & Sourcing departments, and Directors & Vice Presidents of the Account Management team. By prioritizing product quality and value, integrating Foodbuy and sector goals, and ensuring timely and accurate implementation of process steps, the Culinary Implementation Manager supports the key ingredients in Foodbuy’s organizational recipe for development success. The position is located in Charlotte, NC.

Responsibilities

• Develop and initiate action plans to improve customer compliance to purchasing programs and support conversion priorities
• Lead dialogue amongst Category Development Managers, Sourcing Managers, and the Account Management teams, working across stakeholders to achieve operational goals and deliver on purchasing initiatives
• Lead Steps 2/5 in all Sourcing projects with data analytics, validating business needs and specifications, confirming product quality and attributes
• Lead customers in establishing and executing strategic purchasing initiatives to drive compliance and purchasing revenues though MOG management
• Coordinate internal & external product cuttings and showcases including full product analysis and detailed documentation of results
• Integrate documentation into internal systems to ensure ease of reference in the future
• Coordinate samples and gather feedback from customers working directly with manufacturers
• Coordinate nutritional/specification analysis to validate compliance with key wellness initiatives

Qualifications

• Preferred candidate has earned a Bachelor’s or Culinary Degree with a minimum of 3 years food service experience
• Exercise organizational skills, supporting multiple project tasks within timelines
• Interpersonal communication, written & verbal, keeping all teams on task & delivering on project management timelines
• Strong professional presentation and interpersonal skills combined with good verbal and written communication skills
• Energy to operate at pace in a rapidly changing environment and manage multiple agendas
• Networking skills: ability to collaborate with multiple work groups
• Proficiency with MS Office suite including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
• Maintain and contribute to the development of the Compass/ Foodbuy brand by representing the company in a professional and positive manner

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Personal Leave
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.