Global R&D Chef, Ben & Jerry

6286 Magnum ICC US, LLC; South Burlington (VT); On-site; USD 89,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement savings

Parental leave

Sick leave

Job summary

Ben & Jerry’s in Burlington, Vermont, seeks a Global R&D Chef to drive culinary innovation, turning consumer insights into breakthrough ice cream concepts and prototypes for global programs.

This corporate role combines trend analysis, strategy development and collaboration across Brand, Insights, R&D, and Supply Chain to bring ideas to launch while hosting engaging tastings and events.

Qualifications

• Degree or diploma in Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts or similar with experience in Food Science, or Food Technology.
• 5+ years of corporate culinary innovation experience.
• Ability to translate consumer insights, trends, and cultural movements into strategic innovation platforms, compelling concepts, and differentiated products.
• Experience leading innovation workshops, tastings, trend immersions, and cross-functional ideation sessions that inspire teams and drive action.
• Working knowledge of product specifications, PLM/Interspec systems, nutrition/legal declarations, and certification requirements (e.g., Fair Trade, Kosher, Halal, Non-GMO).

Responsibilities

• Drive an always-on innovation mindset, identifying emerging food, flavor, cultural, and consumer trends and translating them into opportunities for Ben & Jerry's.
• Shape innovation strategy and roadmaps by connecting consumer insights, trends, brand relevance, and business priorities into clear innovation platforms and recommendations.
• Lead culinary innovation from inspiration to launch, creating concepts, flavors, prototypes, and gold standards across global innovation, renovation, Scoop Shop, and limited-batch programs, including end-to-end Scoop Shop flavor development.
• Inspire and develop teams through trend immersions, brainstorms, supplier collaborations, workshops, and culinary experiences that unlock creativity and drive action.
• Build alignment and momentum across functions, bringing together the right people, ideas, and partners to move opportunities from concept through execution.
• Own the R&D kitchen and product experience, ensuring a safe, organized, and inspiring environment for innovation, collaboration, and development.
• Serve as a Ben & Jerry's brand ambassador, creating memorable ice cream experiences for employees, visitors, customers, and VIPs that bring our brand, values, and product innovation to life.

Skills

Innovation leadership

Storytelling & presentations

Cross-functional collaboration

Trend analysis

Education

Diploma in Culinary Arts or Food Science

Job description

About the Company

Life tastes better with ice cream With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry.

We create iconic ice cream brands that are part of everyday life, bringing moments of joy to millions of people around the world.

Everybody loves ice cream.

And as the world’s biggest pure‑play ice cream company, we have the scale and ambition to make a real difference.

What truly sets us apart is how we work. We move fast and keep things simple. We turn ideas into action, trust people to take ownership, and work as one team to win together with integrity. Our culture is high‑performance, collaborative and focused on getting things done. We’re curious and ready for what’s next. We embrace digital, use data to make better decisions, and keep learning, including how AI can help us work smarter and serve consumers better.

Terms: Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis without the need for current or future employer sponsorship. Employment eligibility will be verified as part of the hiring process.

Life tastes better with ice cream With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry. We create iconic ice cream brands that are part of everyday life, bringing moments of joy to millions of people around the world. Everybody loves ice cream. And as the world’s biggest pure‑play ice cream company, we have the scale and ambition to make a real difference. What truly sets us apart is how we work. We move fast and keep things simple. We turn ideas into action, trust people to take ownership, and work as one team to win together with integrity. Our culture is high‑performance, collaborative and focused on getting things done. We’re curious and ready for what’s next. We embrace digital, use data to make better decisions, and keep learning, including how AI can help us work smarter and serve consumers better.

Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc., founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vermont by friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Magnum Ice Cream Company as of 2025. With a unique structure including Ben & Jerry’s Board of Directors, who support the company in advancing its social mission while maintaining brand integrity. An iconic brand, with annual turnover exceeding €1 Billion, Ben & Jerry’s aims to double its business and expand its global impact. Our mission thrives on balancing growth with our grassroots and activist spirit, ensuring we remain a purpose‑led organization with a connected 3-part mission.

The Role

Overview: The Global R&D Chef is the culinary catalyst for Ben & Jerry’s innovation. This role brings an always‑on flow of relevant food inspiration to the Global Ben & Jerry innovation team and turns trends, consumer insight and business needs into distinctive culinary strategies, compelling stories, gold‑standard products and breakthrough ice cream experiences. This is a corporate culinary innovation role—not a traditional restaurant‑kitchen position. Success requires someone who can move from spark to strategy: identifying an opportunity, framing the consumer and cultural context, creating a complete point of view, aligning partners, developing prototypes and clearly communicating why the idea matters for Ben & Jerry’s. The role also serves as a highly visible host and steward of the Ben & Jerry Corporate R&D kitchen, creating engaging ice‑cream‑making experiences for employees, partners, visitors and VIP guests while maintaining a safe, organized and inspiring development environment.

What you’ll be responsible for:

• Drive an always‑on innovation mindset, identifying emerging food, flavor, cultural, and consumer trends and translating them into opportunities for Ben & Jerry's.
• Shape innovation strategy and roadmaps by connecting consumer insights, trends, brand relevance, and business priorities into clear innovation platforms and recommendations.
• Lead culinary innovation from inspiration to launch, creating concepts, flavors, prototypes, and gold standards across global innovation, renovation, Scoop Shop, and limited‑batch programs, including end‑to‑end Scoop Shop flavor development.
• Inspire and develop teams through trend immersions, brainstorms, supplier collaborations, workshops, and culinary experiences that unlock creativity and drive action.
• Build alignment and momentum across functions, bringing together the right people, ideas, and partners to move opportunities from concept through execution.
• Own the R&D kitchen and product experience, ensuring a safe, organized, and inspiring environment for innovation, collaboration, and development.
• Serve as a Ben & Jerry's brand ambassador, creating memorable ice cream experiences for employees, visitors, customers, and VIPs that bring our brand, values, and product innovation to life.

We’re looking for someone who…

This role is designed for an innovation‑focused, corporate research chef, culinary strategist, or food innovation professional. Success will come from the ability to identify opportunities, build strategic innovation platforms, inspire teams, and influence direction—not solely from culinary execution or restaurant experience.

Required skills and experience:

• Degree or diploma in Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts or similar with experience in Food Science, or Food Technology.
• 5+ years of experience in corporate culinary innovation, food innovation, menu development, or food applications, preferably within a branded food or CPG environment.
• Proven ability to translate consumer insights, trends, and cultural movements into strategic innovation platforms, compelling concepts, and differentiated products.
• Strong track record of innovation storytelling, building recommendations and presentations that connect consumer needs, trends, brand relevance, and business opportunity.
• Deep expertise in dessert, frozen dessert, pastry, or indulgent food development, with the ability to create inspiring prototypes and gold standards.
• Experience leading innovation workshops, tastings, trend immersions, and cross‑functional ideation sessions that inspire teams and drive action.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate across Brand, Consumer Insights, R&D, Supply Chain, Procurement, and external partners to bring ideas from concept to launch.
• Working knowledge of product specifications, PLM/Interspec systems, nutrition/legal declarations, and certification requirements (e.g., Fair Trade, Kosher, Halal, Non‑GMO).

Preferred experience:

• Ice cream, frozen dessert, novelty or indulgent‑food innovation experience.
• Experience working across markets or regions and adapting culinary ideas to different consumer and operational contexts.
• Experience partnering with ingredient suppliers and translating supplier capabilities into differentiated innovation.
• Experience in culinary education, facilitation, public speaking or executive/VIP hosting.

Travel requirements

Travel may be required to support supplier and partner sessions, market or trend immersions, and global innovation activities. Maximum 3‑4 trips per year. Possible domestic and international travel.

What you’ll get

• Market‑competitive pay and performance related rewards
• Flexible ways of working
• Support for health, wellbeing and life outside of work
• Time off to rest and recharge
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities
• Medical, dental and (where applicable) vision coverage
• Health and wellbeing support, including employee assistance programs and wellness initiatives
• Health‑related savings and spending accounts
• Retirement savings programs with a competitive matching plan
• Additional employee perks (e.g., corporate discounts, commuter or learning support)

Pay: The pay range for this position is $88,600 to $133,000. The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, qualifications and education, and other business and organizational needs.

Bonus: This position is bonus eligible.

Benefits

• TMICC employees are eligible to participate in our benefits plan.
• Health insurance (including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage)
• Retirement savings benefits
• Life insurance and disability benefits
• Parental leave
• Sick leave

Access to numerous voluntary benefits

Any coverage for health insurance and retirement benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents.

Benefits vary by country and are subject to plan terms and eligibility.

Why join us?

This is a place for people who are passionate about ice cream and are growth obsessed - both for the business and for themselves. People who act like an owner and drive our business end-to-end. People who are driven by success to deliver more than we ever thought we could! You’ll thrive here if you value an inclusive culture, with low ego and hierarchy - and if you’re excited to continuously learn and challenge how we work, using digital, data, and new thinking to push us forward. Roles with real accountability and visible impact Free to move fast, experiment and challenge how things are done Continuous learning and development as the business grows Reward linked to performance and contribution. Your career here is shaped by what you deliver, as you work across functions and markets and grow with the business.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at [e-mail]. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.

The Magnum Ice Cream Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can do their best work regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic.

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Magnum Ice Cream Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, or any other basis protected by applicable law, and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Employment is subject to verification of pre‑screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.