Culinary R&D Chef – Michelin-Style Innovation

Nestlé SA; Lausanne; On-site; CHF 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid options

Paid holidays

Learning & development

Performance bonus

Healthcare contribution

Pension plan

Parental leave

Employee discounts

Job summary

Nestlé Craftsmanship invites a Culinary Specialist R&D Chef to lead high-level gastronomy and culinary craft in food innovation at Nestlé Switzerland, Lausanne. You will collaborate with chefs, product developers, scientists, technologists and factories to drive scalable, original product concepts.

You will translate consumer insights into prototypes, conduct rigorous tastings, and share knowledge across a global culinary network while protecting the original culinary intent.

Qualifications

• Seasoned professional chef with high-end restaurant experience (Michelin-recognized).
• Strong sensory judgment across classical and contemporary cuisines.
• Curiosity and scientific thinking applied to experiments and learning.
• Precise documentation to deliver consistent recipes and results.

Responsibilities

• Create restaurant-quality benchmarks and prototypes with distinctive taste, texture, appearance and authenticity.
• Translate consumer insights and trends into original concepts and product stories.
• Drive structured experimentation connecting ingredients and processes with sensory outcomes.

Skills

Culinary excellence

Sensory analysis

Food science

Documentation

Cross-functional collab

English fluency

Job description

Nestlé Craftsmanship invites a Culinary Specialist R&D Chef to lead high-level gastronomy and culinary craft in food innovation at Nestlé Switzerland, Lausanne. You will collaborate with chefs, product developers, scientists, technologists and factories to drive scalable, original product concepts.

You will translate consumer insights into prototypes, conduct rigorous tastings, and share knowledge across a global culinary network while protecting the original culinary intent.