Job Title: Culinary Project Manager
Location: Donnelly Fresh Foods, Snugborough Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 8.00am–4.30pm
About Us:
At Donnelly Fresh Foods, we blend innovation and imagination to create exciting bespoke fresh food solutions for Ireland’s top retailers and foodservice outlets. Our group comprises Donnelly Fresh Produce, Donnelly Fresh Foods, and Donnelly Fresh Farms.
Role Overview:
We are seeking an organised, self-motivated, and ambitious Culinary Project Manager with a strong background in foodservice account management and hands-on food or chef-related experience. The ideal candidate will have a passion for food, a deep understanding of foodservice and retail operations, and the ability to translate culinary trends into commercially viable products. You will be a key point of contact for our foodservice and retail clients, ensuring their needs are met through innovative product development and exceptional project management.
Key Responsibilities:
Account Management:
- Act as the primary NPD contact for key foodservice and retail customers, building strong relationships and understanding their unique requirements.
- Manage multiple retail accounts, ensuring projects are delivered on time and to the highest standards.
- Work closely with chefs, culinary teams, and foodservice operators to develop tailored solutions that meet operational and menu needs.
Project Leadership:
- Lead assigned NPD projects from initial brief through to launch, with a focus on innovation.
- Execute production trials, scale-up, and post-launch reviews, ensuring all customer expectations are exceeded.
NPD Delivery:
- Implement NPD briefs for foodservice clients, including menu development, product adaptation, and category expansion.
- Work with retail customers delivering structured launch plans for private label and branded lines.
- Ensure all projects follow the stage gate process and are documented in line with customer and company requirements.
Presentations & Culinary Demonstrations:
- Prepare and present samples that showcase culinary expertise and product potential.
- Organise and deliver engaging presentations and sample tastings for foodservice and retail customers, both onsite and offsite. Includes planning and executing the company stand at trade shows.
Benchmarking & Market Insight:
- Conduct benchmarking and gap analysis within your customer categories, staying ahead of trends and competitor activity.
- Use culinary knowledge to identify opportunities for innovation and improvement.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Management:
- Work cross-functionally with internal teams (Sales, Quality, Commercial, Production, Procurement, Marketing) to deliver projects.
- Collaborate with chefs and culinary professionals to ensure products are operationally viable and meet customer expectations.
Compliance & Documentation:
- Ensure all product launches comply with relevant food safety, packaging, and labelling regulations.
- Complete all necessary documentation, including HACCP, critical paths, and specification sheets.
Continuous Improvement:
- Lead EPD (Existing Product Development) projects for customer accounts, focusing on recipe improvements, cost savings, and process efficiencies.
Qualifications / Job Requirements:
- Degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Culinary Entrepreneurship, Food Innovation, or a related field.
- Minimum 4–5 years’ experience in a food industry role, with significant exposure to foodservice account management or chef/culinary positions.
- Proven track record of delivering NPD projects for foodservice clients or within a professional kitchen environment.
- Strong commercial awareness and understanding of foodservice operations.
- Excellent project management and leadership skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with strong time management and organisational skills.
- Full driving licence and access to a car.
- Passion for food, with excellent communication and interpersonal abilities to build and maintain customer relationships.
- Proficiency in MS Excel and strong IT skills.
- Fluency in English, both written and oral.
Email careers@donnellyfresh.ie