R&D Culinary Technologist

About the role

The R&D Culinary Technologist at Winston Industries LLC is responsible for validating, testing, and documenting the performance of Winston equipment through structured food and operational testing conducted in the Winston Foodservice Kitchen. This role supports multiple areas of the organization, including engineering, sales, marketing, and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute experimentation using structured, repeatable testing protocols to validate equipment performance, applications, and limitations.
• Conduct food and operational testing using the scientific method, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and objectivity in results.
• Document testing procedures, results, and conclusions in a clear, organized, and repeatable format accessible across the organization.
• Support engineering and product development through applied testing, troubleshooting, and validation of equipment performance in real-world scenarios.
• Act as a technical culinary resource for internal teams, including sales, marketing, and leadership.
• Support pre-sales and post-sales efforts through product demonstrations, customer testing, and operational guidance.
• Lead or support training sessions for internal teams, sales partners, and customers.
• Aid in the development of marketing and educational content, including videos, application guides, and training materials.
• Maintain an organized and comprehensive library of testing documentation, application data, and best practices.
• Ensure the Winston Foodservice Kitchen is clean, organized, and consistently customer-ready.
• Support customer visits, product testing sessions, and training events both onsite and in the field.
• Provide culinary support for company events and internal initiatives as needed.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure alignment between testing results, product performance, and market messaging.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in Food Operations, Food Service R&D, equipment testing, or a related field.
• 2 years of hands-on experience in Food Science within the Food Service Industry, contributing to product development.
• Strong understanding of commercial kitchen operations and food preparation.
• Demonstrate creativity and innovation to support product development, using knowledge of food science and food processing technology to execute from ideation to production.
• Experience evaluating food quality, yield, and operational performance.
• Understanding of scale up process from benchtop to production.
• Ability to design or follow structured testing protocols and apply analytical thinking.
• Experience documenting procedures, processes, or testing results in a clear and organized manner.
• Ability to calculate food cost, yield, and production performance.
• Ensure new products align with market trends, customer needs, and business strategy.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical information for different audiences.
• Ability to operate commercial kitchen equipment safely and effectively.

Experience Required

• Food Science/Engineering background or Culinary Degree with proven experience in R&D in Kitchen Equipment Industry.
• Understanding USDA/ FDA regulations.
• Experience with equipment testing or product validation.
• Experience working with chain restaurant operations.
• Knowledge of commercial cooking equipment technologies.
• Experience with CVap equipment.
• Proven innovation and creativity within the food/kitchen equipment industry.

Challenges of this role

• Collaborating with a diverse team of chefs and other professionals.
• Ensuring that all testing protocols are followed and results are accurate and consistent.
• Keeping up with evolving industry standards and regulations.
• Providing technical support and training to various departments within the organization.
• Managing multiple projects simultaneously and meeting deadlines.

Why Youll Love Winston

At Winston, we value our team members and strive to create a positive and inclusive work environment. We believe in growing talent from within, but also welcome fresh ideas and perspectives from outside. Our mission is to make money and have fun doing it, and we're committed to creating a culture where everyone feels valued and supported.