Culinary Assurance & Implementation Lead

Kevin; Stockton (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Kevin's Natural Foods is seeking the Culinary Assurance & Implementation Lead to ensure culinary standards across manufacturing sites and co-manufacturers. You will partner with Operations, QA, and R&D to maintain flavor integrity, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence.

Travel to facilities as needed, lead SOP updates, sensory evaluations, and training for production teams, while upholding HACCP and safety protocols. Equal opportunity employer with competitive compensation.

Qualifications

• Strong work ethic with proactive, hands-on problem solving.
• Ability to balance independent decision-making with teamwork.
• Flexible, adaptable mindset for changing priorities.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to influence across multiple departments.
• Detail-oriented with passion for food quality and execution.

Responsibilities

• Ensure flavor, texture, appearance, and finished product standards across sites.
• Translate culinary requirements into scalable manufacturing processes.
• Participate in first production runs and line startups.
• Verify production against SOPs, specs, and culinary outcomes.
• Conduct sensory evaluations and inline product assessments.
• Escalate quality concerns and support corrective actions.
• Provide data-based feedback on execution trends and risks.
• Maintain culinary SOPs, guidelines, build sheets, and sensory standards.
• Serve as day-to-day culinary resource for manufacturing teams.
• Deliver training on culinary standards and critical control points.
• Collaborate with Quality and Food Safety for compliance.
• Ensure sanitation, allergen controls, labeling accuracy.
• Maintain product specs and allergen controls with QA.
• Support audits with culinary expertise.
• Assist investigations of consumer complaints and deviations.
• Identify opportunities to improve consistency and efficiency.
• Travel to facilities as needed to support execution.
• Manage responsibilities autonomously with leadership communication.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Strong work ethic

Independent decision-making

Collaboration

Flexible/adaptable

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Job description

The Culinary Assurance & Implementation Lead supports the successful execution, consistency, and quality of Kevin’s Natural Foods products throughout the manufacturing process. Reporting to the Manager of Culinary Assurance & Implementation, this role partners closely with Operations, QC, and &R&D teams to help ensure products are produced safely, accurately, and consistently across internal manufacturing facilities and co-manufacturing partners.

This position serves as a key culinary resource, supporting the implementation and maintenance of product standards, flavor integrity, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence. The ideal candidate demonstrates a strong work ethic, adaptability, and a flexible mindset, with experience in food manufacturing and the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.

What You’ll Do:

• Support the consistent execution of flavor, texture, appearance, portioning, and finished product standards across internal manufacturing sites and co-manufacturers.
• Assist Operation teams in translating approved culinary requirements into repeatable and scalable manufacturing processes.
• Participate in first production runs, line startups, and process changes for existing products.
• Verify that production activities align with documented SOPs, product specifications, and intended culinary outcomes.
• Conduct routine sensory evaluations and in-line product assessments to support adherence to established quality standards.
• Escalate culinary-related quality concerns and partner with internal stakeholders to support corrective actions and resolution efforts.
• Provide observations and data-based feedback regarding execution trends, opportunities, and operational risks.
• Maintain and update culinary SOPs, preparation guidelines, build sheets, and sensory standards under the direction of department leadership.
• Serve as a day-to-day culinary support resource for manufacturing teams, reinforcing standards, consistency, and best practices.
• Assist in the delivery of training for Operations, QA, &R&D, and Production teams on culinary standards, quality drivers, and critical control points.
• Collaborate closely with Quality and Food Safety partners to support compliance with HACCP, GMP, regulatory, and company requirements.
• Help ensure culinary processes align with sanitation protocols, allergen control procedures, labeling accuracy, and food safety standards.
• Support the maintenance of accurate product specifications and allergen controls in partnership with Quality Assurance.
• Contribute to internal and external audits by providing culinary expertise and documentation support.
• Assist with investigations related to consumer complaints, product holds, quality concerns, and deviations from standards.
• Identify and communicate opportunities to improve product consistency, process repeatability, and execution efficiency while maintaining approved product intent.
• Travel to manufacturing facilities and co-manufacturers as needed to support product execution, training, and consistency initiatives.
• Manage assigned responsibilities autonomously while maintaining strong communication and collaboration with leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Other duties as assigned and necessary.

What You’ll Need:

• Strong work ethic with a proactive, hands-on approach to problem solving.
• Ability to balance independent decision-making with collaborative teamwork.
• Flexible and adaptable mindset capable of responding effectively to changing priorities and operational needs.
• Strong organizational, communication, and follow-through skills.
• Ability to influence and build productive working relationships across multiple departments.
• Detail-oriented with a passion for food quality, consistency, and execution.

Healthy, Diverse Teams Breed Innovation:

Kevin’s Natural Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We deeply believe that diverse backgrounds and experiences make better teams, and we seek to attract talent from all walks of life. The team at Kevin’s is smart, humble, and passionate and we value a work environment that fosters personal development and opportunities to move within our small, but quickly growing organization.

More About Kevin’s Natural Foods:

Kevin's Natural Foods is a line of refrigerated and frozen meals, sides, soups, and sauces on a mission to empower even the busiest people to eat clean without sacrificing flavor. Co-founded by Kevin McCray who battled an auto-immune disorder for years, Kevin's Natural Foods was born from his desire to make clean eating seamlessly fit into any lifestyle. Shockingly delicious and made with clean ingredients, Kevin’s products are ready in minutes and always free from gluten, soy, and refined sugar.

In 2023, Kevin’s Natural Foods joined the Mars Food & Nutrition family, allowing us to expand our reach, accelerate innovation, and bring our mission to even more households while staying true to the quality and integrity that define our brand. A true market disruptor, Kevin's is the first clean refrigerated entrée brand working to prove every day that proper nutrition can be as delicious as it is healthy.

Salary Range: $75,000.00- $90,000.00 annually + benefits + bonus

Compensation within this salary range is dependent upon the candidate's experience, education, and relevant qualifications

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