Test Kitchen Assistant

Meredith Corporation; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 36,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

People Inc. Food Studios in Birmingham, Alabama seeks a Test Kitchen Assistant to support Test Kitchen Professionals, Stylists, and Photographers in recipe development, testing, grocery shopping, video shoots, and taste tests across brands.

This is an onsite, in‑office role requiring daily presence in the studio, collaborating across departments to deliver engaging culinary content.

Qualifications

• B.S. or B.A. and a culinary degree or extensive professional cooking experience.
• Proficient in recipe writing and able to troubleshoot recipes with knowledge of foods and cuisines.
• Social media savvy and excited about the digital space.
• Creative and scientific mindset; cares about how food looks and tastes; blends art and method.
• Ultimate team player; willing to help the team reach goals without ego.
• Multitasker who can juggle multiple projects; anticipates needs.
• Self-motivated, deadline driven, and committed to delivering on time and beyond.
• Flexible and adaptable to frequent changes in direction and workflow.

Responsibilities

• Manage market orders and grocery shopping; stock shared pantries and cold storage areas—work with Test Kitchen Coordinator.
• Develop, test, and prepare recipes while writing hooks, scripts, and on‑camera dialogue for hosted social video content.
• Develop and test recipes across brand projects with fully annotated recipes, nutrition analysis, and photos.
• Consult on photo shoots to ensure food and recipes are executed as intended; assist as food styling when needed.
• File all expense reports for accounting purposes.

Skills

Recipe writing

Social media savvy

Multitasking

Deadline driven

Food knowledge

Team player

Education

B.S./B.A. with culinary degree or extensive professional cooking experience

Job description

Job Title

Test Kitchen Assistant

About the Position

Located in Birmingham, Alabama, the People Inc. Food Studios is a state‑of‑the‑art facility featuring 28 test kitchens, 13 photo studios, a prop and styling studio, an outdoor grill/BBQ station, and an expansive showcase kitchen and tasting room for demonstrations and events. The Test Kitchen Assistant will support Test Kitchen Professionals, Stylists, and Photographers in recipe development, nutritional analysis, grocery shopping, video shoots, and taste tests across brands.

This is a fully onsite, in-office position requiring daily physical presence in the studio.

Accountabilities and Expected Results

• 30% Manage market orders and grocery shopping; stock shared pantries and cold storage areas in the kitchens, working closely with the Test Kitchen Coordinator.
• 30% Develop, test, and prepare recipes while writing engaging hooks, scripts, and on‑camera dialogue for hosted social video content.
• 30% Develop and test recipes across People Inc. print and digital brands, delivering fully annotated recipes in style, including content deliverables, nutritional analysis, and photos for each project.
• 5% Consult on photo shoots as needed to ensure food and recipes are executed as intended; may also step in as a food styling assistant when required.
• 5% File all expense reports for accounting purposes.

Travel Required

0%

Minimum Qualifications and Job Requirements

• B.S. or B.A. and a culinary degree or extensive professional cooking experience.
• Proficient in recipe writing according to style and able to troubleshoot recipes by reading them, with strong knowledge of food, a range of cuisines, techniques, and equipment.
• Social media savvy and excited about the digital space.
• Creative and scientific mindset; cares deeply about how food looks and tastes and enjoys both the artistic and methodical aspects of creating food and recipe content.
• Ultimate team player: no job is too big or too small, willing to help the team reach goals without ego.
• A multitasker who can juggle multiple projects at once, anticipating needs before they arise.
• Self‑motivated, deadline driven, and committed to delivering on time and beyond expectations.
• Flexible and highly adaptable to frequent changes in direction and workflow.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

People Inc. provides equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Accommodation requests can be made by emailing [e-mail]. The Company participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For further information about the E-Verify program, please refer to https://www.e-verify.gov/employees.