Product Development Chef - Culinary Innovation

Tyson Foods; Springdale (AR); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Tyson Foods is seeking a seasoned culinary professional to join the Culinary team in the U.S. for concept development, recipe creation, and menu applications. You will collaborate with Sales, Marketing, R&D, Operations, and customers to translate insights into scalable culinary solutions.

The role focuses on brand activations, consumer-driven opportunities, and reliable execution across retail or foodservice segments while balancing cost, safety, and feasibility.

Qualifications

• Culinary degree or equivalent professional experience required.
• Experience developing recipes, menu applications, and product positioning.
• Knowledge of product development and commercialization processes.

Responsibilities

• Develop culinary concepts, recipes, prototypes, menu applications, and product positioning solutions.
• Partner with R&D through product development, application testing, and commercialization.
• Translate consumer trends, customer insights, and operator needs into practical growth opportunities.
• Participate in customer ideations, demonstrations, trainings, trade shows, and brand activations.
• Create scalable recipes, preparation methods, and application guidance for internal and external use.
• Present culinary solutions to both internally and externally to customers, sales teams, and cross-functional partners in live, virtual, and on-camera formats.
• Build strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and internal partners.
• Balance culinary creativity with food safety, feasibility, operator execution, cost, and business objectives.
• Support test kitchen food safety, organization, inventory, and equipment care.

Skills

Culinary fundamentals

Recipe development

Flavor innovation

Food safety

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Culinary degree/certificate

Food Science/Culinology preferred

ACF/RCA certification a plus

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Details:

SUMMARY: This position is part of the Tyson Foods Culinary team, supporting Retail or Foodservice growth through concept development, recipe creation, menu applications, and culinary innovation. The role partners with Sales, Marketing, R&D, Operations, and customers to translate insights into scalable culinary solutions. Assignments may support branded and private label product opportunities, serving as a culinary ambassador through customer engagement, training, commercialization support, and brand activations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop culinary concepts, recipes, prototypes, menu applications, and product positioning solutions.
• Partner with R&D through product development, application testing, and commercialization,
• Translate consumer trends, customer insights, and operator needs into practical growth opportunities.
• Participate in customer ideations, demonstrations, trainings, trade shows, and brand activations.
• Create scalable recipes, preparation methods, and application guidance for internal and external use.
• Present culinary solutions to both internally and externally to customers, sales teams, and cross-functional partners in live, virtual, and on-camera formats.
• Build strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and internal partners.
• Balance culinary creativity with food safety, feasibility, operator execution, cost, and business objectives.
• Support test kitchen food safety, organization, inventory, and equipment care.

REQUIREMENTS:

Education:

• Culinary degree/certificate, or equivalent professional culinary experience required.
• Food Science, Culinology, Hospitality, Nutrition, or related education is preferred.
• American Culinary Federation or RCA Certification is a plus

Experience

• 4+ years of relevant culinary experience in foodservice, restaurant operations, hospitality, product development, or related field.
• Experience developing recipes, menu applications, consumer products, or customer-focused culinary solutions across retail or foodservice segments preferred.
• Customer presentations, commercialization, culinary training, media, or brand activation experience is a plus.

Special Skills

• Strong culinary fundamentals, recipe development, flavor innovation, food presentation, and product storytelling.
• Knowledge of product development and commercialization processes.
• Project management, time management, problem solving, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to influence without direct authority and work effectively in a team environment.
• HACCP certification and membership in a professional culinary or food science association preferred.

Computer Skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and virtual collaboration or presentation tools.

Communication Skills

• Excellent verbal, written, organizational, customer presentation, and on-camera communication skills.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• No direct supervisory responsibility. May provide project leadership and mentorship to cross-functional team members.

Travel

• Up to 60% travel based on assignment and business needs.

All professional team members are expected to demonstrate responsible use of approved AI tools, including safeguarding sensitive information, adhering to company policies, and validating AI-generated outputs. Individual Contributors should demonstrate the ability to integrate AI into daily work, improve efficiency through AI-enabled solutions, evaluate outputs critically, and apply professional judgment when using AI. People Leaders should demonstrate the ability to drive responsible AI adoption, enable effective use of approved solutions, identify opportunities to improve team performance through AI, and ensure accountability for the quality and accuracy of AI-supported outcomes.

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

Yes

Work Shift:

1ST SHIFT (United States of America)

Certain roles at Tyson require background checks. If you are offered a position that requires a background check you will be provided additional documentation to complete once an offer has been extended.

The successful candidate(s) must be willing and able to perform the physical requirements of the job with or without a reasonable accommodation.

Tyson is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, national origin, color, religion, age, genetics, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status.

We provide our team members and their families with paid time off; 401(k) plans; affordable health, life, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; and more.

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