Culinary R&D Assistant

About the role

The Culinary R&D Specialist plays a crucial role in supporting research and development chefs in creating innovative products. This role involves executing sample recipes, managing inventory, coordinating product orders, and assisting chefs during taste panels.

Responsibilities

• Execute sample recipes from start to finish with minimal supervision.
• Cook and prepare customer samples.
• Manage inventory and record-keeping for all new raw material samples.
• Coordinate product orders and arrange soup tastings for clients.
• Assist chefs during internal taste panels and customer visits, as necessary.
• Cross-train on all R&D Technician duties to provide backfill.
• Additional responsibilities as needed.

Requirements

• Associate's degree, or equivalent experience required.
• Requires 1-3 years of experience.
• On-the-job training of 3-6 months.
• Must be proficient with MS Office programs, specifically Excel and Outlook.

Desired Skills

• Passion for food.
• Culinary training; i.e., cooking techniques / knife work / sanitation / HACCP / ingredient knowledge.
• ServSafe certification a plus.
• Ability to adapt and multi-task via a dynamic work environment with a positive attitude.
• Collaborative.
• Customer-Centric.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Keen attention to detail.

Responsibility

Work under close supervision with limited decision-making authority. Indirectly interact with customers on matters of minor impact on revenue. Make indirect contributions to revenue-generating efforts at a moderate level. Errors are typically detected through routine verification/review but may result in some workflow disruption or repetition of work. Not responsible for influencing the decisions or actions of others.

Working Conditions

• Work requires occasional physical exertion including some lifting of objects weighing up to 40 pounds.
• Frequent exposure to heat/cold, dust, or other factors that may require protective equipment and still pose a hazard.
• Regular exposure to hazards that could result in significant injury and lengthy loss of time at work.
• No travel required for this position.

Pay and Benefits

The Culinary R&D Specialist base pay range is $50,000 - 65,000 USD/annually. The listed salary range represents Kettle Cuisine’s good faith estimate for this position and represents the minimum and maximum for new hire salaries for the Lynn, MA location only. Ranges will be reviewed on a regular basis. An employee’s rate of pay within the range is determined by their qualifications, relevant experience, and demonstrated performance over time. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as a part of any final offer. The Culinary R&D Specialist position is eligible for our comprehensive benefits package and is eligible for the annual discretionary bonus program up to 10%.