Culinary Operations Manager, Robotics

Wonder; United States; On-site; USD 128,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

401K

Job summary

Wonder is seeking a Culinary Operations Manager, Robotics to lead the Infinite Kitchen Center (Boston). You will bridge engineers and field operators, designing SOPs and ensuring smooth lab demos, training, and rollout of new robotic systems.

You will own daily lab operations, manage ingredient prep and inventory for demos, and guide cross-functional teams through the tech-to-ops transition with clear SOP documentation.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of restaurant and/or kitchen management experience.
• Experience with fast casual and quick service restaurant operations.
• Experience scaling a multi-unit operation as a leader or training manager.
• Training program development experience, including new store openings and hourly team member aids.
• Familiarity with culinary R&D processes, menu rollouts and launches.
• Strong understanding of high-volume kitchen systems and food safety.
• Advanced Excel skills for data tracking and inventory modeling.

Responsibilities

• Prototype Center & Demo Management: oversee lab demos and center operations.
• Daily Lab Operations: manage station setup, organization, and equipment readiness.
• Supply Chain & Prep: handle ingredient ordering and inventory for demos and testing.
• Culture & Leadership: lead stand-ups to align engineers, culinary teams, and visitors.
• Tech-to-Ops Translation: develop user-friendly SOPs for field use.
• System Integration: map Wonder kitchen workflows to new robotic tech.
• Software & KDS Coordination: align recipe routing with software teams.
• Data & Analytics: track metrics and yields using Excel.

Skills

Restaurant management

Fast casual operations

Multi-unit scaling

Training program development

Culinary R&D

High-volume kitchen systems

Excel proficiency

Cross-functional communication

Tools

KDS

UI/UX feedback

Job description

About The Opportunity

We’re looking for a Culinary Operations Manager, Robotics, who will manage the daily operations for Wonder’s prototype Infinite Kitchen Center (Boston) and serve as the vital link between our engineering innovators and field operators. Reporting to the Sr. Director of Culinary Platform Strategy, you will maintain a world-class testing and demo environment, act as the Operations Subject Matter Expert (SME) on our robotic systems (specifically our Infinite Sauce and Infinite Mise machines), and design the SOPs that turn automation into scalable restaurant realities. You are a rare hybrid: part organized restaurant GM/Chef, part technical systems thinker. You love the fast pace of food service but are fascinated by automation. You know how to command a kitchen line during a rush, but you can also sit down with a mechanical engineer or software developer and articulately explain why a button placement or physical workflow won’t work for a line cook. This role requires a minimum of 4 days a week in the office, with additional days as needed based on project demands.

Impact You Will Make

Prototype Center & Demo Management

Daily Lab Operations: Own the day-to-day operations of the Infinite Kitchen Center (Boston), including station setup, organization, and equipment readiness

Supply Chain & Prep: Manage ingredient ordering, inventory, and culinary prep required for high-profile demos, engineering tests, and operator training sessions

Culture & Leadership: Lead daily stand-up meetings (pre-shift huddles) to align engineers, culinary tech teams, and visitors on the day's objectives

Tech-to-Ops Translation & SOP Development The Operational Bridge: Translate complex engineering functionalities into user-friendly, "human-proof" Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the field

System Integration: Deeply understand current Wonder restaurant operations to successfully map out how new robotic tech will integrate into existing workflows without disrupting throughput

Software & KDS Coordination: Partner with the KDS (Kitchen Display System) and software teams to map out recipe execution routing and digital workflow logic based on the new hardware

Data & Analytics: Utilize Excel to track operational metrics, ingredient yields, throughput data, and testing feedback loops

Engineering Support & Subject Matter Expertise

System SME: Become the ultimate power-user and internal expert on Infinite Kitchen robotic systems; initially focused on Infinite Sauce and Infinite Mise

Testing Support: Actively participate in and support the engineering testing process, providing real-time operational feedback on UI/UX, ergonomics, and reliability

Rollout Support: Assist in the deployment phase, ensuring field teams are trained and equipped to adopt the new technology seamlessly

What You Bring to the Table

• 7+ years of restaurant and/or kitchen management experience
• Practical knowledge of Fast Casual and Quick Service Restaurant operations, with an eye toward speed and high-volume consistency
• Experience scaling a mulit-unit operation, as a leader or training manager
• Training program development experience, focus on positional training, new store openings and hourly team member job aids
• Familiar with the culinary R&D process, with experience 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; confident leading cross‑functional huddles and writing technical SOPs
• Advanced proficiency in Excel (data tracking, inventory modeling, matrix building)

Benefits

Benefits We offer a competitive salary package including equity and 401K. Additionally, we provide multiple medical, dental, and vision plans to meet all of our employees' needs as well as many benefits and perks that are not listed.

Salary

Massachusetts: $128,000 - $135,000 per year.

Final Note

At Wonder, we build the best teams by hiring with an objective lens — evaluating people for their potential while championing diversity, equity, and inclusion. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, marital status, disability, or any other protected class. As part of our commitment to fair and compliant hiring practices, Wonder participates in the federal government's E-Verify program to confirm employment eligibility. If you need an accommodation during the interview process, please let your recruiter know.

Wonder is the mealtime platform built to feed every craving without compromise. With options including dine-in, delivery, pickup, and meal kits, Wonder makes every mealtime effortless. Through the Wonder app, customers can combine hundreds of dishes from exclusive, chef-developed concepts in a single order so everyone gets exactly what they’re craving. Wonder’s portfolio of brands includes meal-kit pioneer Blue Apron, leading online food marketplaces Grubhub and Seamless, and Emmy®-winning media company Tastemade. Together, we're united by a single mission: to make great food more accessible. There has never been a more exciting time to join our world-class team. We’ve brought together people who are changing the way the world eats — with grit, optimism, care, and a little bit of salt, and pepper. And we're just getting started.