R&D Chef Manager: Product Innovation & Scale-Up

whitsonsculinarygroup; Berkeley (IL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Time off

Job summary

Whitsons Culinary Group in Berkeley, IL seeks an R&D Chef Manager to partner with the Director of Culinary and lead day-to-day product development from concept to manufacturing. You will translate vision into scalable recipes, ensure high quality, and supervise junior culinary staff on-site.

The role requires 5–10 years in culinary/R&D, a culinary degree, and strong knowledge of food safety and large-scale production. Travel to supplier sites and industry events may be required.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of progressive culinary or restaurant experience.
• Culinary degree from an accredited culinary program.
• Experience in food manufacturing and culinary R&D/product development strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of recipe scaling, food safety standards, and large-scale production processes.
• Knowledge of food safety and regulatory frameworks (HACCP, FSMA, SQF, USDA/FDA labeling).
• ServSafe or equivalent food handler certification required; HACCP certification a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary product development from concept to production-ready formulas.
• Create new meals across Education, Residential/Senior, Shelters, Food Service, Retail, Transportation.
• Own samples requests, tastings, and product presentations.
• Provide plant-floor support, troubleshoot production, scale recipes, ensure manufacturability.

Skills

Culinary R&D

Product development

Scale-up recipes

Cross-functional collaboration

Shelf-life testing

Education

Culinary degree

Tools

ServSafe

FSMA compliance

HACCP

Job description

Whitsons Culinary Group in Berkeley, IL seeks an R&D Chef Manager to partner with the Director of Culinary and lead day-to-day product development from concept to manufacturing. You will translate vision into scalable recipes, ensure high quality, and supervise junior culinary staff on-site.

The role requires 5–10 years in culinary/R&D, a culinary degree, and strong knowledge of food safety and large-scale production. Travel to supplier sites and industry events may be required.