Sampling Chef II

Our Sampling Kitchen is where we carefully test our food products to bring customers the high-quality ALDI-exclusive brands and flavors they love. Supporting our buying team with food preparation, and setting up daily sampling sessions for the purpose of sensory evaluations. The best part? You'll pursue your passion for food with the support of a stable, growing company.

In this role the Chef II will be responsible for daily samplings, sensory evaluation, and recipe development They will work with Quality Assurance, National Buying Services, Marketing, Public Relations and Corporate Responsibility. The ideal candidate will thrive in a team environment, multitask effectively, possess strong problem-solving skills, have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, and have an educational background in Culinary Arts. The objective of this role is to support the preparation of food products for the purpose of quality evaluation.

Position Type: Full-Time
Starting Wage: $21.50 per hour
Wage Increases: Year 2 - $22.25 | Year 3 - $23.00 | Year 4 - $23.75
Work Location: Batavia, IL

Duties and Responsibilities:
Must be able to perform duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Consults with the Buying team where necessary and organizes the preparation schedule to ensure items are prepared on time and in an appropriate manner.
• Serves as a liaison for internal operational tasks, including but not limited to, internal catering requests, inventory collection and product sample submissions.
• Provides feedback relating to cooking instructions, product packaging, and sensory attributes, in relation to the benchmark and company specifications.
• Provides training to new personnel and contributes to committee or teamwork.
• Recommends process improvements for area of responsibility.
• Leads the preparation for all sampling sessions. 
• Assists in the development and maintenance of quality evaluation processes and projects.
• Supports sample evaluation processes, including but not limited to, sensory evaluation tool development, sensory training sessions and internal sensory panels.
• Creates recipes and menus utilizing private label items for packaging, in-store merchandising, marketing purposes and approved internal meetings. 
• Prepares reports, presentations and quality evaluation materials for use by QA Kitchen, QA Department and Buying Team.
• Supports the Quality Assurance Product Evaluation process through the physical evaluation of product including but not limited to: sensory attribute evaluation, percentage by weight, Brix, Viscosity, and the preparation of relevant data to support the evaluation.
• Supports Public Relations initiatives and provides culinary support at events hosted on-site.
• Maintains a thorough understanding of sampling procedures and follows them appropriately.
• Maintains the high standards of hygiene, safety, cleanliness, and sanitation in the sampling and kitchen areas.
• Cleans up the product samples between each sampling. 
• Ensures all product samples are handled and stored in a safe, organized manner.
• Maintains weekly inventory of all storage areas in the sampling kitchen following the first in, first out rule for best buy dates.
• Collaborates with team members and communicates relevant information to leadership.
• Upholds the security and confidentiality of documents and data within area of responsibility.
• Other duties as assigned.

Job-specific Competencies:
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Consistently demonstrates the Mindsets, ALDI Acts Competencies and Professional Skills (M.A.P.) as outlined for the role.
• Gives attention to detail and follows instruction.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Effective time management; maximizes productivity.
• Prepares written materials to meet purpose and audience.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with internal and external parties.
• Ability to interpret and apply company policies and procedures. 
• Possesses a keen sense of palate and smell to evaluate, identify, and communicate all sensory aspects of products.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, consistently meeting deadlines and remaining calm under pressure. 
• Excellent culinary skills, including the ability to follow cooking instructions.  

Education and Experience:

• Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts or a related field required.
• A minimum of 3 years of progressive experience in Culinary Arts required. 
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite preferred.
• ServSafe Food Manager Training for food service and sanitation will be completed within 90 days of hire and the certificate must be renewed and maintained according to Illinois Department of Health guidelines required.
• Or, a combination of education and experience providing equivalent knowledge. 

Physical Requirements:

• Work may be performed in a kitchen, office, remote office or a combination of both environment where kitchen equipment, a computer and office equipment may be used as needed to perform duties.
• Regularly operates a variety of kitchen equipment required for the preparation of food and product sampling.  
• Regularly required to reach, grasp, stand and move from one area to another.
• Regularly required to push, pull, bend, lift and move up to 25 lbs. 
• Occasionally required to lift up to 50 lbs. 

Travel:

• Minimal travel required as needed for job related duties such as training, project work and administrative tasks.

ALDI offers competitive wages and benefits, including:

• 401(k) Plan
• Company 401(k) Matching Contributions
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• PerkSpot National Discount Program

In addition, eligible employees are offered:

• Medical, Prescription, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Generous Vacation Time & 7 Paid Holidays
• Up to 6 Weeks Paid Parental Leave at 100% of pay
• Up to 2 Weeks Paid Caregiver Leave at 100% of pay
• Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Life, Dependent Life and AD&D Insurance
• Voluntary Term Life Insurance

ALDI is committed to equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. As a proud Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE), we do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, religion, sex, sexual stereotyping, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), or any other protected characteristic. Employment may be contingent upon ALDI's receipt of an acceptable and job-related drug test, motor vehicle report, and/or reference check, as applicable and permissible by law.