Research Chef - Food Product Innovation & Prototyping

Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.; Northbrook (IL); On-site; USD 50,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full-time benefits package

Professional growth

Collaborative team

Diversity & inclusion

Job summary

Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. in Northbrook, IL is seeking a creative and hands-on Research Chef to join our Research & Development team.

This role supports culinary innovation through concept development, prototype creation, recipe and formula testing, product demonstrations, and collaboration with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate is passionate about food, skilled in culinary execution, and excited to apply food science principles in a product development environment.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent restaurant industry experience is required.
• Bachelor’s degree in culinary science, Food Science, Culinology, or related field is required.
• 3–6 years of experience working for a food manufacturer is preferred.
• Minimum of one year of food product development experience in a multi-project environment.
• Strong professional cooking skills and experience developing manufactured food products from raw ingredients to finished consumer-packaged goods.
• Basic understanding of food science principles, including preservatives, gums, starches, emulsifiers, flavors and basic chemistry.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Strong written, verbal, communication, presentation, interpersonal, and team-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Research, source, and prepare high-quality food concepts and prototypes for appropriate business channels.
• Support day-to-day test kitchen operations, including inventory, organization, cleaning materials, and kitchen readiness.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Finance, and R&D to deliver innovative product concepts in a timely and fiscally responsible manner.
• Write, test, edit, and improve proprietary commercial formulas and home‑cook recipes while maintaining formula and recipe integrity.
• Demonstrate cooking methods, train others on basic culinary skills, and showcase Bell products.
• Coordinate food products and presentation materials for customer meetings, trade shows, internal events, and product demonstrations.
• Maintain accurate scientific notebooks, data records, and documentation to support reliable decision‑making.
• Travel up to 20% of the time for customer presentations, trade shows, demonstrations, and related business activities.

Education

Associate degree in Culinary Arts or equivalent

Bachelor’s degree in culinary science, Food Science, Culinology, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. in Northbrook, IL is seeking a creative and hands-on Research Chef to join our Research & Development team.

This role supports culinary innovation through concept development, prototype creation, recipe and formula testing, product demonstrations, and collaboration with cross-functional teams. The ideal candidate is passionate about food, skilled in culinary execution, and excited to apply food science principles in a product development environment.