Culinary R&D Chef: Menu Innovation Lead

Goodwin Recruiting; Addison (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Goodwin Recruiting is seeking an exceptional Culinary R&D Chef for a chef-driven restaurant group in Dallas. The candidate should be deeply passionate about food, ingredients, techniques, and national culinary trends, while collaborating with an established Chef/Owner’s vision.

The role requires confidence in the kitchen, the ability to work with trust, creative freedom, and influence built over time, plus strong organizational and project-management skills to drive menu development under

Qualifications

• Significant culinary leadership experience within recognized, chef-driven restaurants or restaurant groups.
• Demonstrated menu and dish-development experience.
• Proven ability to move culinary ideas from concept through restaurant execution.
• Genuine curiosity about chefs, restaurants, food and emerging culinary ideas.

Responsibilities

• Research restaurants, chefs, ingredients, techniques and culinary trends.
• Develop, test and refine new dishes and menu items.
• Create food consistent with the Chef/Owner's palate, standards and culinary vision.
• Bring thoughtful new ideas while respecting the identity of established restaurant concepts.
• Manage an organized and consistent R&D and menu-rollout calendar.
• Take dishes from inspiration through testing, refinement and restaurant execution.
• Develop recipes and specifications that can be executed consistently.
• Coordinate with Operations, Procurement and Training throughout development and implementation.
• Consider sourcing, costing, product availability, training and operational execution when developing menu items.
• Support restaurant teams during menu rollouts and ensure standards are understood and consistently executed.
• Conduct development and testing within active restaurant environments.
• Remain actively engaged with noteworthy restaurants and culinary developments nationally.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu development

Project management

Communication

Job description

Goodwin Recruiting is seeking an exceptional Culinary R&D Chef for a chef-driven restaurant group in Dallas. The candidate should be deeply passionate about food, ingredients, techniques, and national culinary trends, while collaborating with an established Chef/Owner’s vision.

The role requires confidence in the kitchen, the ability to work with trust, creative freedom, and influence built over time, plus strong organizational and project-management skills to drive menu development under