ABOUT ROLAND FOODS

Roland Foods, LLC, based in New York City, is an importer and distributor of high-quality specialty food products from more than 60 countries. Founded in Paris in 1934 and established in the U.S. in 1939, the Company provides customers with exceptional specialty foods, primarily offered under the Roland brand. The company has a national presence in the food service, retail, and industrial channels as well as international sales in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Roland Foods’ dedication to providing quality and consistency has made it a leader among food importers and suppliers. The Roland brand is synonymous with quality and authenticity for the consumer and chef alike.

 

ABOUT THE ROLE

It is an exciting time for the R&D Chef to join, as Roland Foods recently underwent a branding overhaul and is further investing in product innovation to drive the value of the Roland brand. The Chef will have the opportunity to ‘think big’, about flavor & packaging innovation in order to drive the legacy of Roland as an industry leader in innovation. The R&D Chef at Roland Foods will support all cross-functional activities of culinary innovation from R&D & product specification development to customer presentations/product demonstrations, and recipe/content development for items across all Roland channels (i.e. food service, retail, industrial, international). This role is ideal for a person seeking to combine their culinary expertise with a strong commercial sense to drive the company’s business growth.  To be successful in the role, the person must be willing to actively lead both the technical R&D work as well as the commercial activities necessary to support the Roland Foods Sales & Marketing teams. This position will sit in Roland’s Innovation team, reporting to the Associate Director, Portfolio Innovation & Brand Strategy. This role will be based in the NY/NJ area with the expectation of frequent on-site cuttings at our NY Office.

As a response to the pandemic, Roland Foods office employees have transitioned to a hybrid working schedule, requiring employees to report in-person Tuesday through Thursday, with the option to telework on Monday and Friday each week. Due to the collaborative, cross-functional nature of the organization, employees at the NY and NJ offices are required to work in-person for the abovementioned days, outside of any People & Culture-approved disability accommodation request.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES 

  • Lead technical R&D activities for the Roland Foods innovation projects
  • Manage culinary concept development in collaboration with our cross-functional teams (e.g. Innovation, Sales, FSQA, Supply Chain, Marketing, Creative, etc.) for new product launches, line extensions, and existing product formulation optimizations
  • Partner with the Innovation Project Manager to organize product cuttings and determine the optimal specification/ specification modifications for items in the innovation pipeline
  • Serve as a culinary subject matter expert (SME) across cross-functional initiatives
  • Conduct competitor product cuttings to identify key differences in product specifications to support sales conversations/ opportunities & innovation priorities
  • Determine product differentiation across priority categories to determine selling points to highlight across Roland collateral and internal sales training materials
  • Support sales conversations with customers (e.g. buyers, R&D stakeholders, etc.) in order to facilitate innovation, private label, & new sales opportunities
  • Support customer pitches & develop a list of go-to culinary demos/ recipe ideas for the broader sales team 
  • Assist in evaluating alternate suppliers/ product reformulations by conducting specification analyses and supporting cuttings alongside Supply Chain & FSQA teams
  • Partner with the Roland Foods Marketing & Creative teams to develop recipes for monthly publications, collateral, and social media content
  • Support culinary brainstorming process for all Marketing activities including in-person tradeshows, external partnership events, and quarterly content photoshoots
  • Support planning and execution of Roland’s annual Innovation Summit
  • Oversee culinary demonstrations using Roland ingredients to support customer discussions around menu development & recipe ideation
  • Willingness to travel up to 25%



QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Food Science, Culinary Arts, Food Engineering or other relevant science/ culinary degree 
  • 2-3 years of applicable work experience in technical R&D or new product development, experience with sensory science/ sensory taste tests, and recipe development highly preferred 
  • Passion for food science, product development, ingredient technology, and emerging consumer/ global cuisine trends
  • Strong verbal & written communication abilities, with prior experience and comfort presenting/ conducting product or recipe demonstrations to large groups
  • Exceptional time management skills and prior experience operating within strict deadlines

 

Founded by immigrants, Roland Foods knows that diversity is the spice of life. We believe in the power of food to open minds, spark adventure, and bring diverse people together.  All are welcome at our table! We know the transformative value of food in individual lives and communities. Because of this, we insist on obtaining the highest-quality ingredients and talent!


Roland Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Roland Foods considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Roland Foods is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at peopleandculture@rolandfoods.com.

 

 

 

 

 

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