Culinary Specialist R&D Chef - Nestlé Craftsmanship community

Nestlé S.A.; Vaud; Hybrid; CHF 110,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options (hybrid)

Holiday entitlement beyond legal

Learning & development opportunities

Performance-based bonus

Healthcare contribution

Pension plan

Parental leave

Employee discounts

Job summary

Nestlé, a global leader in food and beverages, seeks a Culinary Specialist R&D Chef to elevate product development with high-level gastronomy and deep cuisine knowledge. You will collaborate with chefs, scientists and markets to drive innovative concepts and scalable solutions within the Craftsmanship community.

You’ll translate insights into compelling product stories, lead structured experiments and document outcomes, while inspiring a global network of culinary experts.

Qualifications

• Strong track record as a seasoned chef, including high-end restaurant environments such as Michelin-recognized establishments.
• Exceptional culinary craftsmanship and broad knowledge of classical and contemporary cuisine.
• Curiosity and scientific thinking applied to hypotheses, controlled trials, measurement and evidence-based learning.
• Ability to document recipes, methods, observations and results clearly and precisely.
• Collaborative mindset across culinary, scientific, technical and business teams in a global environment.
• Fluent English communication and strong interpersonal skills; additional languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Create restaurant-quality culinary benchmarks and prototypes with distinctive taste, texture, appearance and authenticity.
• Translate consumer insights and trends into original concepts with compelling product stories.
• Drive structured experimentation linking ingredients and processes to sensory outcomes.
• Adapt culinary ideas into feasible, scalable and reproducible product solutions while preserving intent.
• Inspire craftsmanship through tastings, demonstrations, workshops and knowledge sharing across a global culinary community.
• Build and leverage an external culinary network to bring techniques and innovation opportunities into Nestlé.

Skills

Seasoned chef

Culinary craftsmanship

Sensory judgement

Scientific thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

English communication

Job description

Target start date: As soon as possible

Be a force for good and grow through experiences that push you further.

As a Culinary Specialist R&D Chef in the Nestlé Craftsmanship community, your mission is to bring high-level gastronomy, deep cuisine knowledge and exceptional culinary craftsmanship into food innovation and product development. You’ll make a difference by collaborating closely with chefs, product developers, food scientists, technologists, sensory experts, markets and factories. This is your opportunity to take ownership, grow your expertise, and make a difference at scale.

How you’ll make an impact as a Culinary Specialist R&D Chef in the Craftsmanship community

• Creating restaurant-quality culinary benchmarks and prototypes that deliver distinctive taste, texture, appearance and authenticity.
• Translating consumer insights, culinary trends and unmet needs into original concepts with compelling product stories.
• Driving structured experimentation to connect ingredients and processes with measurable sensory outcomes.
• Adapting culinary ideas into feasible, scalable and reproducible product solutions while protecting their original intent.
• Inspiring craftsmanship through tastings, demonstrations, workshops and knowledge sharing across a global culinary community.
• Building a strong external culinary network that brings relevant techniques, perspectives and innovation opportunities into Nestlé.

What will make you successful

• Bringing a strong and consistent track record as a seasoned professional chef, including experience in high-end restaurant environments such as Michelin-recognized establishments,
• Demonstrating exceptional culinary craftsmanship, strong sensory judgement and broad knowledge of classical and contemporary cuisine.
• Applying curiosity and scientific thinking to hypotheses, controlled trials, measurement and evidence-based learning.
• Using precision and clear documentation to deliver consistent recipes, methods, observations and results.
• Collaborating with humility and confidence across culinary, scientific, technical and business communities in a complex global environment.
• Navigating complexity with confidence and working effectively across a global organization.
• Communicating fluently in English, with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to connect easily with people; additional languages are an advantage.

We offer a competitive and well-rounded benefits package designed to support your growth and wellbeing at work and in life:

• Flexible working options, including hybrid work possibilities (for office based roles)
• Paid holidays beyond legal requirements
• Learning and development opportunities to grow your career
• Performance based bonus
• Healthcare contribution and access to the Employee Assistance Program
• Strong employer contribution to your pension plan
• Generous parental leave and comprehensive family support solutions
• Attractive employee discounts across various products and services

What to expect from our hiring process

We are committed to a fair and transparent internal hiring process and ensure all applications are treated confidentially.

Your application will typically include an initial review, conversations with Talent Acquisition and the hiring team, a creative cooking and presentation session, followed by a final discussion.

All internal candidates whose skills most closely align with the role’s requirements will be considered. Please discuss your application with your HR Business Partner and line manager before applying.

Ready to grow with us?