Chef, R&D — Culinary Innovation Leader for Menus

Universal Destinations & Experiences; California (MO); On-site; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision insurance

401(k)

Paid leave

Tuition reimbursement

Discounts & perks

Job summary

NBCUniversal is seeking a high-impact Chef, Research & Development to lead culinary innovation from concept to operational approval, creating exceptional food and beverage experiences for permanent menus and seasonal events.

The role blends culinary creativity with practical execution, partnering with Culinary Operations, Production Operations, Purchasing, Marketing, and QA to ensure scalable, financially responsible products across venues.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or Associate Degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Food Science, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive culinary experience in restaurants, resorts, hotels, theme parks, production kitchens, or food manufacturing.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in culinary research and development, menu innovation, or product development.
• Demonstrated experience developing recipes from concept through implementation.
• Strong understanding of culinary science, ingredient functionality, and production methods.
• Experience conducting product testing, yield studies, shelf-life evaluations, and operational validations.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and recipe management software.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of innovative food and beverage concepts for permanent menus, seasonal events, festivals, IPs, and limited-time offerings.
• Develop culinary strategies that align with business goals, guest expectations, and brand standards.
• Research emerging culinary trends, ingredients, preparation techniques, and global cuisines to inspire new menu offerings.
• Create recipes that balance creativity, operational efficiency, quality, profitability, and guest appeal.
• Identify opportunities to enhance existing menu items through recipe refinement and process improvements.
• Lead products through the complete development process from concept to implementation.
• Maintain recipe management systems and documentation integrity.
• Collaborate with Culinary Operations to transition approved recipes into SOPs and training materials.
• Monitor product performance following launch and recommend continuous improvements.

Skills

Project management

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Microsoft Office Suite

Education

Culinary/Hospitality degree preferred

Tools

Recipe management software

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

NBCUniversal is seeking a high-impact Chef, Research & Development to lead culinary innovation from concept to operational approval, creating exceptional food and beverage experiences for permanent menus and seasonal events.

The role blends culinary creativity with practical execution, partnering with Culinary Operations, Production Operations, Purchasing, Marketing, and QA to ensure scalable, financially responsible products across venues.