Hybrid Culinary Innovation Lead, R&D & Recipes

The Kraft Heinz Company; Glenview (IL); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

The Kraft Heinz Company in Glenview, IL is seeking a Culinary Associate Manager to lead culinary product development for Frozen Meals & Hydration, translating consumer insights into new formulations and innovative concepts.

You will collaborate with R&D, marketing, consumer experience, and CIS, leading recipe development, sensory testing, and commercialization steps, while ensuring culinary quality, regulatory compliance, and timely delivery in a hybrid on-site role at the Glenview R&D Center.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in culinary arts, food science, nutrition, or a closely related field with a minimum of 4 years of progressive culinary experience with demonstrable expertise in product development, cooking techniques, and flavor application.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in a corporate CPG or food manufacturing R&D environment.
• Working knowledge of food safety principles (ServSafe).
• Experience with recipe management systems, PLM platforms, or SAP in a product development workflow.
• RCA Certified Research Chef (CRC) or equivalent culinary R&D / product development certification, preferred.
• Excellent communication, influencing, prioritization, and project management skills
• Strong critical thinking skills and ability to make connections to the big picture
• Ability to travel up to 15% of the time

Responsibilities

• Demonstrates mastery of culinary basics: the principles of cooking techniques, product characteristics, safe food handling techniques, food & nutrition, and ideation.
• Documents and applies culinary insights approaches to translate food trends into actionable strategic presentations and innovation concepts that are focused on a consumer target.
• Demonstrates clear understanding of functional ingredients and their application within developed formulations or as needed for Culinary Concept Development.
• Leads the planning, development, and execution of culinary projects such as recipe development, package directions, performance testing, immersions, and culinary events with the guidance of a manager.
• Leads consumer-driven recipe strategy development and collaborates with Marketing on media content, photography, and other communication needs.
• Demonstrates strategic thinking, clear communication, attention to detail, and proactive ownership across assigned work.
• Contributes to cross-functional decision-making related to innovation strategy, concept prioritization, and product direction.
• Works well in a team environment, able to balance multiple and/or shifting priorities, and flexes to provide support to colleagues as needed.
• Supports consumer research workstreams, including CLTs, HUTs, and focus groups, and applies insights from testing to product learning. Participates in upstream innovation work through trend scouting, dig site methodology, and white space identification.
• Translates culinary concepts into scalable product opportunities, incorporating consumer insights, technical feasibility, and business considerations.

Skills

Communication

Influencing

Project management

Critical thinking

Travel up to 15%

Education

Bachelors in culinary arts/food science/nutrition

Tools

SAP

PLM platforms

Recipe management systems

Job description

The Kraft Heinz Company in Glenview, IL is seeking a Culinary Associate Manager to lead culinary product development for Frozen Meals & Hydration, translating consumer insights into new formulations and innovative concepts.

You will collaborate with R&D, marketing, consumer experience, and CIS, leading recipe development, sensory testing, and commercialization steps, while ensuring culinary quality, regulatory compliance, and timely delivery in a hybrid on-site role at the Glenview R&D Center.