Director Culinary Development Jobs in Chicago, IL

If you are a strategic marketing leader who thrives on turning insight into growth, this is an opportunity to shape the future of a high-impact marketing function. As Marketing Director, you will help elevate Newly Weds Foods' market presence, influence innovation, strengthen customer partnerships, and lead initiatives that directly support commercial growth across U.S. and global markets.

Reporting directly to the SVP Sales & Marketing, this role will transform Marketing into a proactive commercial growth driver by setting strategy, identifying growth opportunities, guiding innovation, and aligning Sales, Culinary, and R&D around measurable business outcomes.

This role is on-site based out of our Chicago, IL location.

• Develop and execute the marketing strategy aligned with business growth priorities.
• Translate market trends, customer insights, and competitive intelligence into actionable growth opportunities.
• Define annual priorities and establish a clear roadmap for the marketing team.
• Identify and prioritize opportunities across QSR, Processor, and emerging channels.

• Partner with Culinary and R&D to guide innovation efforts that align with customer needs and market trends.
• Influence product development and commercialization priorities.
• Help Sales strengthen customer relationships through compelling messaging, insights, and value propositions.
• Support opportunity creation, pipeline development, and commercial conversion.

• Lead customer-facing marketing programs, including innovation sessions, trend presentations, roadshows, and targeted campaigns.
• Represent Newly Weds Foods at customer meetings, industry events, and speaking engagements.
• Position the company as an innovative and forward-thinking industry leader.
• Strengthen customer engagement through impactful storytelling and market insights.

• Own brand strategy and external communications across digital and traditional channels.
• Oversee marketing campaigns, agency relationships, and communications initiatives.
• Establish consistent messaging, storytelling frameworks, and communication standards.
• Ensure development of scalable customer-facing content, presentations, and sales tools that support commercial growth.

• Lead, coach, and develop a talented marketing organization.
• Assess team capabilities and identify opportunities for growth and development.
• Build processes, systems, and performance measures that improve execution and accountability.
• Foster strong collaboration across Marketing, Sales, Culinary, and R&D.

• Establish KPIs, dashboards, and reporting processes that measure marketing effectiveness and business impact.
• Manage budgets and marketing investments to maximize return and commercial value.
• Create structure, prioritization, and governance that keep teams focused on high-impact initiatives.

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, or a related field.
• MBA or equivalent business leadership experience preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive marketing leadership experience within B2B food ingredients, foodservice, manufacturing, or a related industry.
• Proven success developing and executing marketing strategies that drive growth, innovation, and customer engagement.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to connect marketing initiatives to business results.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and influencing across Sales, R&D, Culinary, and executive leadership.
• Demonstrated success building teams, implementing processes, and driving organizational effectiveness.
• Strong customer-facing presentation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience representing an organization externally through customer engagement, industry participation, thought leadership, or speaking opportunities.
• Strong financial acumen, including budget management and ROI analysis.
• Experience operating in a global or multi-regional environment is preferred.

• Lead the marketing strategy and growth agenda for a respected global industry leader.
• Shape innovation priorities and influence the future direction of the business.
• Partner directly with executive leadership and key commercial stakeholders.
• Drive meaningful impact across customer engagement, innovation, and brand positioning.
• Build and develop a high-performing team while creating scalable systems and processes that support long-term growth

Compensation: $190,000-$240,000 plus annual incentive opportunity

BENEFITS:
At NWF, we prioritize the well-being of our employees.  We understand and appreciate that each person’s needs are unique and ensure our benefits & well-being programs reflect that. Employees are eligible for the following benefits: 

• Physical - Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental, Vision
• Social - Paid Time Off, Company Holidays, Leave of Absence, Flexible Work Arrangements, Recognition, Training, Events
• Emotional – Employee Assistance Program, Wellbeing Programs, Family Support Programs
• Financial – 401k, Employee Incentive Plan, Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Disability