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Whitsons Culinary Group · 8 hours ago

Project Manager - Berkeley

Berkeley, IL

Full-time

Onsite

Mid Level

$85K/yr - $100K/yr

3+ years exp

Whitsons Culinary Group is a company focused on delivering high-quality culinary services. The Project Manager for Culinary Services will lead cross-functional initiatives to ensure successful program delivery and operational excellence while acting as a key connector among various teams.

Food and BeverageFood DeliveryFood ProcessingRestaurantsWholesale

Responsibilities

Lead initiatives that enhance program consistency, quality, and effectiveness across Culinary Services

Serve as the primary project liaison between culinary production teams, operations, and internal and external stakeholders

Develop and maintain program standards, service expectations, and communication protocols

Manage end-to-end project plans for new program launches, menu rollouts, recipe changes, and culinary innovation initiatives

Coordinate timelines, deliverables, resources, and communications across multiple departments

Track and report project status, risks, dependencies, and completion metrics to leadership

Ensure all client-facing materials (menus, spec sheets, marketing content, product information) are accurate and delivered on schedule

Support Culinary Services leadership with client-facing presentations, tastings, product demonstrations, and business reviews

Collect, track, and respond to client feedback related to menu performance, product quality, packaging, and overall program execution

Assist in resolving client issues by coordinating with Production, R&D, Operations, QA, and Customer Service to drive timely resolution

Monitor key performance indicators including product quality trends, service issues, complaint themes, and operational KPIs

Identify improvement opportunities and escalate risks or issues to appropriate cross-functional teams

Conduct root-cause reviews for product or service deviations and support implementation of corrective actions

Support Culinary and R&D teams with menu calendar planning, recipe updates, market research, and program enhancements

Ensure client needs, operational requirements, and market trends are incorporated into culinary innovation and production planning

Partner with QA and Operations to ensure recipes and program standards are consistently executed at scale

Partner with Sales and Account Management on client onboarding, contract transitions, and program optimization

Work closely with Production, Procurement, and Logistics to ensure program requirements are operationally feasible and cost-effective

Collaborate with Marketing to ensure client-facing communications and materials align with program expectations and brand standards

Maintain organized project documentation, timelines, briefs, and reference materials

Support the development and maintenance of project trackers, dashboards, and reporting tools

Ensure updates are accurately reflected in internal systems and communication channels

Support client visits, facility tours, audits, and culinary demonstrations as needed

Assist with strategic initiatives, program frameworks, and innovation planning

Perform other related duties as assigned by Culinary Services leadership

Qualification

Culinary ManagementProject ManagementCross-Functional CollaborationAnalytical SkillsMicrosoft Office SuiteCommunication SkillsOrganizational SkillsProblem-Solving SkillsTime ManagementInterpersonal Skills

Required

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, Business Administration, Foodservice Management, Marketing, or a related field required

3–5 years of experience in project management, foodservice operations, culinary management, or a related discipline

Demonstrated success managing multiple projects across cross-functional teams

Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills

Excellent organizational and time management abilities

Ability to lead initiatives and influence stakeholders without formal authority

Working knowledge of culinary concepts, menu development, and food production processes

Analytical skills to interpret performance data, trends, and operational metrics

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with project management tools (Asana, Monday.com, Smartsheet, or similar)

Strong problem-solving, attention to detail, and execution focus

Preferred

Advanced degree or industry certification (PMP or similar)

Experience in culinary, food manufacturing, or large-scale foodservice environments strongly preferred

Benefits

Health

Dental

Vision

401(k) with company match

Generous PTO

Paid holidays

Company

Whitsons Culinary Group

Founded in 1979, Whitsons Culinary Group® provides dining services to consumers in both public and private organizations throughout the United States, and our Whitsons Family of Companies continues to grow as we expand across the country.

Founded in 1979

Islandia, New York, USA

1001-5000 employees