Sr. Development Chef

Annual Bonus: 15% (Objectives to be defined by Manager)

Position Summary

The Sr. Development Chef leads the development, testing, scale-up, and commercialization of innovative meal solutions and other Artisan Chef Manufacturing Co. capabilities. This role provides senior culinary and technical leadership, translating customer needs and market opportunities into high-quality, scalable, cost-effective food products while partnering cross-functionally to support business growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development of new recipes and meal solutions aligned with customer needs, market insights, and company growth priorities
• Own innovation projects from concept through commercialization, including timelines, technical milestones, and risk mitigation
• Plan and lead product trials, validations, plant scale-ups, and commercialization runs in manufacturing environments
• Lead continuous improvement of existing products to enhance quality, consistency, cost, yield, and performance

Technical Execution

• Lead advanced product testing, sensory evaluation, analysis, and troubleshooting across development and production stages
• Ensure accurate, complete documentation of formulations, processes, specifications, trial results, and commercialization learnings
• Resolve complex formulation, processing, ingredient, and production challenges using strong technical judgment
• Use analytical tools, data, and structured experimentation to guide product decisions and validate solutions
• Develop products against defined cost targets while supporting customer pricing expectations and margin requirements

Quality & Compliance

• Partner proactively with Quality Assurance to ensure products meet food safety, regulatory, labeling, and customer standards
• Lead technical input for ingredient approvals, supplier evaluations, and new item setup with Purchasing and QA
• Maintain and reinforce compliance with food manufacturing regulations, internal standards, and commercialization procedures

Collaboration & Cross-Functional Support

• Serve as a senior technical partner to Marketing, Sales, Operations, Procurement, and Quality to deliver customer-focused solutions
• Guide and support R&D team members across a broader portfolio of development projects, including bread, stuffed breads, pizza, sauces, and pasta
• Lead customer presentations, product demonstrations, innovation reviews, and plant trials as needed
• Build and advance a pipeline of innovative, manufacturable products that support company growth

Qualifications & Skills

• 8-12+ years of progressive experience in food product development, culinary innovation, or technical services within food manufacturing
• Advanced knowledge of food formulation, processing, scale-up, commercialization, and manufacturing constraints
• Demonstrated experience leading stage-gate or structured product development processes from concept to launch
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, product documentation systems, and development tools used to manage formulas, costs, and specifications
• Strong understanding of food safety, quality systems, regulatory requirements, and customer approval processes

Core Competencies

• Advanced technical problem-solving, analytical thinking, and sound decision-making skills
• Ability to prioritize and lead multiple complex projects in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
• Strong communication and influencing skills across all organizational levels, with customers, and with external partners
• High level of ownership, follow-through, organization, and attention to detail
• Ability to lead through ambiguity, align stakeholders, and drive projects to measurable results

Additional Requirements

• Experience collaborating with external partners, including vendors, suppliers, co-manufacturers, or research institutions, is preferred
• Budget awareness and ability to manage development work within cost, timeline, and resource expectations
• Ability to work occasional weekends as business needs require