Institutional Research and Development Chef

Overview

A dynamic food service holding company is hiring an experienced Institutional Research & Development Chef to lead the creation, testing, and scaling of innovative food products built for large-scale production. This role blends culinary expertise with food science, working directly with clients, sales, and operations to bring new products from concept through consistent manufacturing. You’ll reverse-engineer recipes, refine shelf stability, and develop scalable solutions that meet institutional and commercial food service demands.

They are looking for a seasoned R&D chef with deep institutional experience, strong client-facing confidence, and a genuine passion for innovation, problem-solving, and product development at scale.

• Research, develop, test, and refine new recipes for institutional and commercial production
• Reverse-engineer client recipes and competitor products with limited information
• Scale recipes for manufacturing while maintaining flavor, quality, and consistency
• Partner with clients to understand production processes, shelf-life needs, and cost constraints
• Conduct product tastings, sensory evaluations, and iterative improvements
• Develop kettle-based, cold-blend, and boil-in-bag recipes including soups, sauces, chili, rice, mac & cheese, and toppings
• Collaborate weekly with sales, R&D, procurement, and operations teams
• Research and test new ingredients, including gluten-free innovations
• Attend 1-2 industry trade shows annually

• 5+ years of experience in institutional or commercial food R&D
• Proven experience developing kettle-based and large-batch food products
• Strong understanding of boil-in-bag and food service production methods
• Ability to reverse-engineer recipes and act as a subject-matter expert with clients
• Experience working with procurement teams and ingredient suppliers
• Comfortable meeting directly with clients and translating needs into scalable solutions
• Experience with Hispanic recipe development preferred
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and Share Point
• Experience with gluten-free product development and shelf-stable foods preferred
• Background in food science preferred
• Pizza, flatbread, or topping R&D experience preferred

• Relocation assistance
• Comprehensive medical insurance
• HSA eligibility after 60 days
• 401(k) with annual profit sharing
• Generous PTO and vacation accrual
• Paid holidays and annual personal day
• Stable, family-owned organization with long-term growth

If you want to own innovation, work directly with clients, and see your products come to life at scale, this is the role. Apply now!