Lead Culinary Food Development Specialist

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As the Lead Culinary Food Development Specialist , you will drive innovation across Univar Solutions' food ingredient portfolio, leading both people and projects to translate emerging food trends into scalable, manufacturable solutions.

Blending culinary creativity with food science expertise, you will partner directly with customers, suppliers, and internal commercial teams to develop differentiated concepts, solve formulation challenges, and accelerate commercialization.

Based in our Innovation & Development Kitchen at The Hatchery in Downtown Chicago, this role serves as a visible technical leader, championing innovation, mentoring team members, and elevating Foodology by Univar Solutions as a strategic partner in the food industry.

What You'll Do

Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead and mentor culinary and technical team members, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous development
• Serve as a key technical interface with customers and supplier partners, building strong, trust-based relationships
• Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, and Product Managemen t to align innovation efforts with business strategy

Innovation & Product Development

• Lead end-to-end product development-from concept through prototype, validation, and customer presentation
• Translate consumer trends and market insights into relevant, scalable product concepts
• Solve complex formulation challenges using supplier ingredient portfolios
• Develop prototypes that demonstrate ingredient functionality and support commercialization efforts

Customer & Market Engagement

• Deliver compelling customer presentations, culinary trainings, and product demonstrations (in-person and virtual)
• Represent Univar Solutions at industry trade shows and events, showcasing innovation and capabilities
• Partner with marketing to create digital content, webinars, and promotional materials

Operational Excellence

• Manage and prioritize a pipeline of innovation projects to accelerate customer adoption and revenue growth
• Ensure accurate documentation, technical rigor, and timely, high-quality deliverables
• Maintain a safe, clean, and compliant culinary lab environment
• Operate commercial kitchen equipment and support scale-up considerations

What you'll need:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Culinary Science, or a related scientific field
• Culinary certification preferred
• 5+ years of experience in food product development or culinary innovation
• Demonstrated experience leading projects and/or mentoring team members
• Strong knowledge of ingredient functionality, formulation, and commercialization processes
• Experience with product scale-up, plant trials, and market launch readiness
• Proven ability to translate trends into viable food products
• Strong customer-facing presence with the ability to influence and inspire
• Excellent presentation and storytelling skills
• Business acumen across manufacturers, distributors, and end-use markets
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce)
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time (up to 6-8 hours) while working in a commercial kitchen or lab environment
• Ability to lift, carry, and move materials and equipment up to 50 lbs
• Frequent bending, reaching, kneeling, and manual dexterity required for food preparation and equipment operation
• Ability to work safely with commercial kitchen equipment (e.g., ovens, mixers, slicers)
• Tolerance for working in environments with varying temperatures (e.g., hot cooking areas, refrigerated storage)
• Ability to travel (up to 25%) and transport materials or demo kits as needed for customer visits, trainings, and tradeshows

Where you'll work:

• Downtown Chicago, IL. On-site.

Pay & Benefits:

The salary range for this role is USD 121,340 - 151,670. The specific salary offered to a candidate may be motivated by a variety of factors including the candidate's proven experience, education, training, certifications, qualifications, and work location. In addition, this position is eligible for incentive pay. Available employee benefits include health, vision, and dental. We also provide 401k matching for retirement and paid time off.

Univar Solutions is a leading, global distributor of chemicals and ingredients essential to the safety, health, and wellbeing of our daily lives from life-saving medicines and vitamins to hand sanitizers and industrial materials used for cleaning, construction, and more. Our global team of more than 9,500 employees support our vision to redefine distribution and be the most valued chemical and ingredient distributor on the planet!

We offer a Total Rewards package that includes market aligned pay and incentives as well as a diverse benefits offering to support our employees' physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing.

Univar Solutions supports sustainable solutions for the world around us so that we can do our part to help keep our communities healthy, fed, clean, and safe!

We are committed to a diverse workforce and a culture of inclusion. Together, we are building a culture that acknowledges the unique experiences, perspectives and expertise of individuals and provides the development and growth opportunities to empower us to redefine our industry.


Univar Solutions is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected classification. We are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the hiring process, please contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io.


Univar Solutions does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or staffing firms (collectively Recruiting Firms). Recruiting Firms must enter into a Master Services Agreement (MSA) with Univar Solutions prior to submitting any information relating to a potential candidate. All searches must be initiated by Univar Solutions' Talent Acquisition team and candidates must be submitted via Applicant Tracking System (ATS) by approved vendors who have been expressly requested to make a submission for a specific job opening. No placement fees will be paid to any firm unless the aforementioned conditions have been met. Contacting our hiring managers directly is prohibited.