ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Culinary Development Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Haliburton International

Culinary Chef

Ontario, CA · On-site

Works on a variety of projects including menu concept development, product development, customer ... Takes the lead on assigned culinary presentations ensuring seamless execution through adequate ...

Bon Appetit

Culinary Director - Nvidia

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$150K - $170K/yr

Short Description As Culinary Director, you will provide strategic culinary leadership for one of ... Strong expertise in menu development, food costing, purchasing, inventory management, labor ...

Compass Group

Culinary Director - Nvidia

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$150K - $170K/yr

Short Description As Culinary Director, you will provide strategic culinary leadership for one of ... Strong expertise in menu development, food costing, purchasing, inventory management, labor ...

Little Saint

Culinary Supervisor

Healdsburg, CA

The Culinary Shift Supervisor oversees and ensures quality standards for all assigned areas. The ... Take ownership of your development by approaching everyday and all tasks with dedication and ...

Alliance Redwoods

Chef

Occidental, CA · On-site

$20 - $30/hr

Opportunities for growth and culinary development * Meaningful work serving camps, retreats, and conference guests Schedule * Full-time or part-time opportunities available * Seasonal and year-round ...

Quince

Sous Chef

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$95K/yr

Partner with Chefs to manage food costs and maintain inventory aligned with Quince COGS goals Culinary Development * Participate in menu development, tastings, and recipe refinement under the ...

Alliance Redwoods

Chef

Occidental, CA · On-site

$20 - $30/hr

Opportunities for growth and culinary development * Meaningful work serving camps, retreats, and conference guests Schedule * Full-time or part-time opportunities available * Seasonal and year-round ...

Little Saint

Culinary Supervisor

Healdsburg, CA

$26 - $30/hr

The Culinary Shift Supervisor oversees and ensures quality standards for all assigned areas. The ... Take ownership of your development by approaching everyday and all tasks with dedication and ...

Sodexo

Culinary Supervisor

San Diego, CA · On-site

$26.50 - $30/hr

Culinary Supervisor Location: SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER - 93125001 Workdays/shifts : Varying ... Access to ongoing training/development and advancement opportunities to turn your job into a career ...

previous pagenext page

Showing results 21-40

All JobsCulinary Development JobsCulinary Development Jobs in California

Culinary Development information

See California salary details

$46.4K

$66.7K

$87.3K

How much do culinary development jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 25, 2026, the average yearly pay for culinary development in California is $66,718.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $54,300.00 and $77,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a culinary development chef?

A culinary development chef is responsible for creating, testing, and refining new recipes and menu items for restaurants, food companies, or culinary institutions. They often work in test kitchens, collaborate with chefs and product teams, and use culinary skills and food science knowledge to innovate and improve offerings.

How does a Culinary Development professional typically collaborate with chefs and product teams to create new menu items?

Culinary Development professionals work closely with chefs, food scientists, and product development teams to brainstorm, prototype, and refine new menu offerings. This often involves conducting taste tests, sourcing unique ingredients, and ensuring recipes are scalable for larger production. Regular meetings and feedback sessions are key, as is collaborating with marketing and operations teams to ensure the final product aligns with brand standards and customer preferences. Effective communication and adaptability are essential, as priorities may shift based on market trends or operational constraints.

What is culinary development?

Culinary development is the process of creating, testing, and refining new recipes, menu items, and food concepts for restaurants, food brands, or hospitality businesses. Professionals in this field combine culinary expertise with creativity and market research to develop dishes that meet customer preferences and industry trends. They often collaborate with chefs, nutritionists, and marketing teams to ensure that new offerings are both delicious and commercially viable.

How to get into food R&D?

To enter food research and development (R&D), candidates typically need a background in food science, culinary arts, or a related field, along with strong creativity and problem-solving skills. Gaining experience through internships, entry-level positions, or working in food product development helps build relevant expertise. Familiarity with food safety standards, laboratory techniques, and product formulation is also beneficial.

What is the difference between Culinary Development vs Culinary Chef?

AspectCulinary DevelopmentCulinary Chef
CredentialsRelevant culinary certifications, culinary school diplomaProfessional culinary certifications, culinary school diploma
Work EnvironmentResearch and development kitchens, product testing labsRestaurant kitchens, hotel kitchens, catering services
Employer & Industry UsageFood companies, product development firms, culinary innovation teamsRestaurants, hotels, hospitality industry
Primary FocusCreating new recipes, developing food products, culinary innovationPreparing dishes, managing kitchen staff, executing menus

While Culinary Development focuses on creating and testing new recipes and food products, Culinary Chefs are responsible for preparing dishes and managing kitchen operations. Both roles require culinary certifications, but their work environments and primary objectives differ significantly.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in Culinary Development, and why are they important?

To excel in Culinary Development, you need a deep understanding of food science, recipe formulation, and culinary techniques, often supported by a degree in culinary arts or food science. Familiarity with kitchen equipment, food safety certifications (like ServSafe), and product development software is typically expected. Creativity, strong collaboration, and adaptability are vital soft skills for innovating new dishes and working with cross-functional teams. These abilities ensure successful creation and launch of appealing, safe, and commercially viable food products.

What jobs pay $500,000 a year in the US?

In the culinary development field, high-paying roles such as executive chefs, culinary directors, or restaurant owners can reach or exceed $500,000 annually, especially in high-end or celebrity establishments. These positions often require extensive experience, leadership skills, and sometimes ownership or profit-sharing arrangements.

What is the highest paying job in the culinary industry?

Executive chefs and culinary directors are among the highest-paid roles in the culinary industry, often earning six-figure salaries, especially in luxury hotels, fine dining establishments, or corporate food services. These positions require extensive experience, leadership skills, and often advanced culinary certifications or management training.
What are the most commonly searched types of Culinary Development jobs in California? The most popular types of Culinary Development jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Culinary Development jobs in California? For Culinary Development jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Culinary Development jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Culinary Development jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Culinary Development jobs? Cities in California with the most Culinary Development job openings:
Culinary Development jobs near you
Infographic showing various Culinary Development job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $66,718 per year, or $32.1 per hour.
Culinary Chef

Culinary Chef

Haliburton International Foods, Inc

Ontario, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 7 days ago

Job description

Summary
Under the supervision of the Culinary Manager and in support of Haliburton's sales division, the Corporate Chef's primary role is to work with key food service account culinary/menu innovation executives on product and menu concept initiatives. The Corporate Chef's position combines food and menu research, hands-on cooking and product development with live customer cooking presentations and demonstrations. Haliburton Corporate Chef's must be naturally passionate about food, culinary arts and the food service industry.
Essential Duties & Job Responsibilities
  • Works primarily with assigned food service chain accounts across all menu categories.
  • Gains and can demonstrate knowledge of customer operations, menus, initiatives, goals and objectives.
  • Develops solid working relationships with customer contacts through rapport building, earning trust and being the customer's "go to" culinary contact.
  • Develops a track record for eliciting positive customer responses including scheduling presentations, inclusion in work sessions, requests for products and invites to other activities relating to customer initiatives.
  • Works on a variety of projects including menu concept development, product development, customer work sessions and other company and customer related projects as needed.
  • Becomes a subject matter expert relative to Haliburton's processing and product capabilities.
  • Takes the lead on assigned culinary presentations ensuring seamless execution through adequate advance planning, organization, thorough communication, practice and appropriate time management practices.
  • Conducts compelling and engaging presentations with confidence in group or private settings.
  • Proactively generates new product and menu concepts for assigned accounts and in support of other team member accounts as determined by the Director of Culinary.
  • Collaborates and works with other team members and cross-functional teams in a productive, professional and thoughtful way.
  • Cooks with a high degree of execution particularly while under pressure and during customer presentations.
  • Generates new innovative product gold standards and finished products.
  • On a more limited basis may work with specific retail and/or industrial accounts.
  • Responsible for food prep as needed based on a dynamic flow of projects initiated by customers, Haliburton marketing and special events.
  • Is willing to attend and support trade shows and special events as needed.
  • Adheres to and models good manufacturing practices (GMPS) at all times.
  • Maintains clean and organized workspace and practices "clean as you go" standard at all times.
  • Cooks, preps and grocery shops as needed to support individual and/or team presentations.
  • Prepares ingredients for and assists or performs complete menu and product cuttings.
  • Performs culinary product application tests as needed.
  • Utilizes approved forms and follows approved development processes and protocol.
  • Maintains Haliburton departmental appearance, behavior and attitude standards at all times.
  • Contributes to an atmosphere of mutual trust, teamwork and honesty.
  • Is food savvy and naturally passionate about food, culinary innovation and the restaurant industry in general.
  • All other duties as assigned and needed.

Minimum Qualification Requirements
Education & Experience
  • Associate's degree in culinary arts required
  • Bachelor's degree in relevant field strongly preferred
  • 3 or more years related experience in food industry required

Cooking & Oher skills
  • Strong culinary skills
  • Basic understanding of food science and technical application
  • Thorough working understanding of commercial restaurant cooking equipment.

Communication, Interpersonal and Professional Skill
  • Computer savvy, including proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Outlook
  • Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communications skills, including the ability to lead effective, dynamic and engaging meetings and presentations and to create clear and concise reports as needed.

Other Information & Requirements
FLSA Status: Exempt
Travel Requirements: Ability to travel on occasion as required for purposes such as vendor visits, etc.
Driving Requirements: Valid driver's license and clean driving record as needed for occasional business travel.
Physical Demands/work environment
Ability to sit for extended periods of time at a computer workstation; use hands and motor skills on a frequent basis for functions such as keyboard data entry input; clear vision to read and interpret documents, reports, and information on a computer screen, etc. Ability to stand and walk for long periods of time and occasionally required to climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and withstand strong odors from the foods being processed.
Pre-Employment
Applicants must successfully pass a pre-employment background check and drug screen as a condition of any offer of employment to ensure compliance with Drug Free Workplace policies
Haliburton proudly supports diversity in the workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, pregnancy, leave status, disability, veteran status, genetic information and/or any other characteristic or status protected by national, federal, state or local law.

Apply