Culinary Selling SpecialistAs a Culinary Selling Specialist, you'll perform selling activation events in the Cooking Connection kitchen while assisting in development of appropriate recipes targeted to the local Customer base using key focus items. You'll engage Customers by creating a hub of food experiences through your knowledge of multiple ingredients, beverage recommendations, and cooking techniques to drive customer engagement and sales.

Key Responsibilities &

Essential Functions

Sales / Customer Service: Follows the customer service and hospitality model to connect with Customers, building a sense of community and driving loyalty

• Creates an atmosphere of celebration by participating in total Store events, creating themed recipes, and cross merchandising

Welcomes / approaches Customers with the mindset of a host, catering to the needs of the Customer to ensure they feel welcomed, invited, and appreciated

Offers advice for menu / meal planning; scales recipes in size and skill level depending on customer needs

Conducts cooking method and recipe preparation demonstrations; executes food prep methods with high efficiency to maximize Customer interactions

Offers engaging, consistent, and relevant culinary conversations on the microphone to attract Customers

Serves as the expert in the day's recipes; answers culinary questions; recommends variations and substitute ingredients for food allergy or food lifestyle needs

Suggests distinctive alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage pairings

Develops and maintains relationships with Customers by recalling Customers' dietary needs / restrictions and wine preferences to tailor future visits

Contributes culinary insights, food trends, local trends, and Customer insights to in-Store cooking events

Assists in Cooking classes, Wine education, and Dinner Series execution when applicable

May conduct Connections floor demos

Merchandising: Ensures A

standards at the Connections kitchen including maintaining and cleaning fixtures, stocking conditions, plan-o-gram integrity, daily beginning, mid-day, and end-shift recovery, and perpetual inventory

Assists in building / maintaining merchandising displays; uses appropriate signs, tags, and branding for all events

Ensures Customer signage for the daily menu and daily sampling hours is updated and on display

Ensures backstock is worked

May support food production for retail sale

Food Safety / Sanitation: Ensures compliance with federal, state, and H-E-B food safety regulations / standards

Completes all required food safety and related trainings

Maintains a professional, clean, healthy, and safe work environment

Ensures proper equipment use; cleans and sanitizes the kitchen, equipment, and counter tops per the A

Standards

Operates under 5-S guidelines set by department leader

Preps products for use in demonstrations, sampling, and production, using the mise-en-place method

Uses proper personal protection equipment during operation of the department and during required tasks

Qualifications & Key

Requirements

Work

Experience

2

years Experience related to food and cooking

Required

Experience in sales, product demonstrations, or cooking in a professional environment

Required

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Comprehensive knowledge of displayed products to guide customers in multiple uses

Required

Knowledge of or aptitude to learn H-E-B systems and processes (e.g., systems related to scheduling, recipe authoring, product ordering, display planning, MS Office, internal websites, H-E-B mobile apps)

Required

Advanced communication skills

Required

Strong customer service skills; passion for hospitality

Required

Merchandising skills

Required

Skills in basic cooking techniques (grill, saut, roast, fry, etc.)

Required

Ability to read and interpret documents (e.g., safety rules, maintenance instructions, procedure manuals)

Required

Ability to manage multiple priorities and shift focus between projects

Required

Ability and willingness to work flexible hours

• Required

Education

Degree in culinary arts, nutrition, home economics

• Preferred

Licenses/

Certifications

Completion of / ability to complete H-E-B Wine selling certification or similar experience

• Required

Completion of / ability to complete TABC Certification

• Required

Physical Demands &

Working Conditions

Constantly stand, reach at waist, and grasp

Occasionally sit, walk, reach overhead, reach at shoulder, reach at knee, reach at floor, bend, stoop, squat, crouch, kneel, stair climb, ladder climb, pivot, twist, push / pull with arms, pinch, and perform fine motor movements

Occasionally be exposed to cold & hot temperatures, loud noise, wet conditions

Demonstrate the ability to lift 60 lbs, and manage more than 60 lbs

Last revised: 8/1/2022