Culinary Commercialization Manager, Robotics

Jobtailor; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Boston seeks a seasoned culinary operations leader to drive menu adaptation and ingredient strategy on automated robotic platforms for enterprise clients.

You will oversee high-volume kitchen workflows, supplier relations, and R&D processes from bench testing to full-scale rollouts, partnering with engineering and product teams to deliver reliable culinary solutions. This role requires strong communication, hands-on kitchen management, and mastery of HACCP/FSMA standards.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of restaurant and/or kitchen management experience.
• Experience setting up new vendors, leading ingredient cuttings, managing order guides and vendor ordering platforms.
• Experience with menu mix analysis, setting pars and forecasting usage.
• Practical knowledge of Fast Casual and Quick Service Restaurant operations.
• Experience with the culinary R&D process, scaling recipes, bench testing, leading menu roll outs and new product launches.
• Strong understanding of high-volume kitchen systems, line flows, and food safety.
• Solid culinary skills and familiarity with a wide variety of standard kitchen equipment.
• Comfortable working alongside engineers; ability to quickly master and troubleshoot tech/software interfaces.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel

Responsibilities

• Drive menu and recipe adaptation on automated robotic platforms.
• Lead ingredient sourcing, vendor relations, procurement logistics, order guides, cost tracking, and ingredient specification documentation.
• Lead internal tastings of raw ingredients, co-manufactured products, and production recipes.
• Partner with engineering to test and validate ingredients on automated systems, especially for B2B customers.
• Serve as primary culinary subject matter expert for enterprise clients integrating custom menus onto robotic hardware.
• Build operational manuals, prep guides, and food safety protocols including HACCP/FSMA.
• Support B2B clients during testing, training, launches, new store openings, menu changes, and line extensions.
• Collaborate with the Wonder CE team and Sr. Director of Culinary Platform Strategy on cross-functional R&D.
• Provide feedback and proposed modifications to ensure quality standards.
• Support demos, training, and testing on automated systems.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the test kitchen in partnership with the Culinary Operations Manager and Engineering team.
• Report to the Sr. Director of Culinary Platform Strategy.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Collaboration

Problem solving

Culinary R&D

Ingredient sourcing

Food safety

High-volume systems

Vendor relations

Excel proficiency

Tools

Automated Robotic Platforms

Vendor Ordering Platforms

Testing Software

Job description

• Drive menu and recipe adaptation on automated robotic platforms
• Lead ingredient sourcing, vendor relations, procurement logistics, order guides, cost tracking, and ingredient specification documentation
• Lead internal tastings of raw ingredients, co-manufactured products, and production recipes
• Partner with engineering to test and validate ingredients on automated systems, especially for B2B customers
• Serve as primary culinary subject matter expert for enterprise clients integrating custom menus onto robotic hardware
• Build operational manuals, prep guides, and food safety protocols including HACCP/FSMA
• Support B2B clients during testing, training, launches, new store openings, menu changes, and line extensions
• Collaborate with the Wonder CE team and Sr. Director of Culinary Platform Strategy on cross-functional R&D
• Provide feedback and proposed modifications to ensure quality standards
• Support demos, training, and testing on automated systems
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the test kitchen in partnership with the Culinary Operations Manager and Engineering team
• Report to the Sr. Director of Culinary Platform Strategy

Requirements

• 7+ years of restaurant and/or kitchen management experience
• Experience setting up new vendors, leading ingredient cuttings, managing order guides and vendor ordering platforms
• Experience with menu mix analysis, setting pars and forecasting usage
• Practical knowledge of Fast Casual and Quick Service Restaurant operations
• Experience with the culinary R&D process, scaling recipes, bench testing, leading menu roll outs and new product launches
• Strong understanding of high-volume kitchen systems, line flows, and food safety
• Solid culinary skills and familiarity with a wide variety of standard kitchen equipment
• Comfortable working alongside engineers; ability to quickly master and troubleshoot tech/software interfaces
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• Advanced proficiency in Excel
• Ability to work in the Boston office a minimum of 4 days a week, with additional days as needed
• Must be eligible to work in the United States, subject to E-Verify employment eligibility confirmation

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in culinary operations, including menu adaptation, ingredient sourcing, and food safety protocols. Proficient in managing high-volume kitchen systems and collaborating with engineering teams to integrate culinary solutions into automated platforms.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Culinary R&D Process
• Ingredient Sourcing
• Food Safety Protocols
• High-Volume Kitchen Systems
• Vendor Relations

Hard Skills

• Menu Adaptation
• Recipe Scaling
• Cost Tracking
• Menu Mix Analysis
• Order Guides Management
• HACCP
• FSMA
• Culinary Skills
• Excel Proficiency
• Kitchen Equipment Familiarity

Soft Skills

• Verbal Communication
• Written Communication
• Collaboration
• Problem-Solving

Industry Keywords

• Fast Casual
• Quick Service Restaurant
• B2B Clients
• Culinary Operations
• Production Recipes

Tools & Technologies

• Automated Robotic Platforms
• Vendor Ordering Platforms
• Testing Software