Executive Chef, R&D — Onsite Flavor Innovator & Leader

Gourmet Culinary Partners; Compton (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Gourmet Foods seeks an Executive Chef, R&D to lead day-to-day culinary R&D, translating enterprise innovation strategy into an executable development pipeline. You will guide the team, balance creativity with food safety and cost targets, and partner with Operations, Sales, QA, Procurement, Finance, Marketing, and Supply Chain to move concepts from idea to launch.

You will manage complex projects, establish standards for recipe development, sample prep, sensory evaluation, and documentation, and

Qualifications

• Eight or more years of progressive culinary product development or food manufacturing R&D experience.
• Experience leading R&D for product development and commercialization.

Responsibilities

• Translate enterprise R&D strategy into annual priorities and execution plans.
• Own the R&D pipeline including intake, prioritization, and project handoffs.
• Lead culinary ideation sessions, trend exploration, and customer tastings.
• Coordinate with Operations, Quality Assurance, Procurement, Finance, Marketing, and Sales.
• Lead scale-up planning and ensure compliance with food safety and labeling requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Presentation skills

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, or related discipline

Tools

Microsoft Office

ERP systems

Recipe management software

Job description

Gourmet Foods seeks an Executive Chef, R&D to lead day-to-day culinary R&D, translating enterprise innovation strategy into an executable development pipeline. You will guide the team, balance creativity with food safety and cost targets, and partner with Operations, Sales, QA, Procurement, Finance, Marketing, and Supply Chain to move concepts from idea to launch.

You will manage complex projects, establish standards for recipe development, sample prep, sensory evaluation, and documentation, and