Culinary School Jobs in Riverside, CA (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Senior Culinary Manager / Corporate Chef

Classification: Exempt full-time Reports to: Head of R&D

Backup Position: Director of R&D

1. PURPOSE

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Culinary Manager with deep expertise in authentic Mexican and Hispanic cuisine and proven experience in large-scale food manufacturing. This role focuses on developing innovative, scalable food products (refrigerated, no preservatives ready-to-eat proteins, pupusas, tamales, salsas, and other Hispanic-inspired items) that maintain authentic flavors while meeting industrial production requirements, food safety standards, cost targets, and consumer trends.

The Senior Culinary Manager also plays an active role in sensory evaluations and product trials to identify opportunities for optimization regarding critical authentic product attributes. The candidate is eager to apply the Culinary expertise in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial setting where innovation fuels growth.

The ideal candidate brings 10-15+ years of hands-on culinary experience, preferably within a multinational CPG food company, with a strong background translating high-end restaurant techniques into consistent, high-volume manufacturing processes.

1. DUTIES

• Lead the development of new Mexican and Hispanic-inspired food products from concept to full-scale production, including recipe formulation, ingredient selection, and flavor profiling.
• Adapt traditional Mexican/Hispanic recipes for industrial manufacturing while preserving authenticity, texture, taste, and cultural integrity.
• Design and execute experiments to develop product formulas, prototypes, and finished products that align with targeted product profiles across various formats.
• Collaborate with food scientists, engineers, quality assurance, and production teams to optimize formulations for scalability, shelf-life, cost efficiency, and nutritional compliance.
• Conduct bench-top trials, sensory evaluations, and iterative refinements to ensure products meet quality, food safety (HACCP, FDA, USDA), and performance standards.
• Source and evaluate authentic ingredients, spices, and suppliers suitable for large-volume production while controlling costs and ensuring consistent supply.
• Stay current with Mexican/Hispanic culinary trends, consumer preferences, regional variations, and global fusion opportunities to drive product innovation.
• Develop and document standardized manufacturing recipes, procedures, and specifications for production handoff.
• Participate in cross-functional teams for product launches, cost reduction projects, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Train production staff and R&D team members on authentic preparation techniques and quality expectations.
• Collaborate with Marketing and Sales teams to support new product presentations and generate new business opportunities.
• Study and implement methods to improve product attributes such as flavor, color, texture, nutritional value, and shelf stability.
• Enforce employee safety protocols in alignment with company policies and OSHA standards.

Specific Skills and Abilities Required

• Strong knowledge of the consumer food marketplace, including emerging food trends and innovation drivers.
• Proven expertise in Culinary and food technology with the ability to develop and commercialize products under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional multitasking, project management, and organizational skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; Spanish language proficiency is a plus.
• Working knowledge of USDA organic processor practices and compliance standards.
• Adherence to all state and federal food manufacturing regulations, including food safety requirements, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), and other standard industry protocols when operating in manufacturing environments.

1. EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE
   • Culinary Expertise — Minimum 10-15 years of professional experience as a chef, with deep specialization in authentic Mexican and broader Hispanic/Latin American cuisines (regional knowledge of Mexico, Central/South America, and Caribbean influences highly preferred).
   • Manufacturing Experience — Proven track record (minimum 8-10 years) working in food manufacturing, industrial kitchens, co-packing, or large-scale food production environments. Experience scaling restaurant-quality recipes for mass production is essential.
   • Education — Formal bachelor’s degree in culinary arts (culinary school degree/diploma preferred); additional certifications in food safety (ServSafe, HACCP), food science, or product development (e.g., Research Chefs Association credentials) are a plus.
   • Technical Skills — Strong understanding of industrial food processes (thermal processing, extrusion, mixing, packaging), ingredient functionality, food chemistry basics, and nutritional labeling.
   • Soft Skills — Creative problem-solver with excellent sensory evaluation skills, attention to detail, strong project management, and the ability to collaborate across departments.
   • Other — Ability to work in a fast-paced, production-oriented environment with travel for National Accounts presentations, supplier visits, trade shows, or co-packer opportunities.
   • Experience with Hispanic food and chilled food is required.

1. Computer
2. Printer
3. Tent
4. Microwave
5. Grill
6. Kitchen Utensils
7. Scale

1. Physical Requirements (All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.)

1. Physical activities of this position.
   • Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized. This factor is important if the amount and kind of climbing required exceeds that required for ordinary locomotion.

• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery or erratically moving surfaces. This factor is important if the amount and kind of balance exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward bending spine at the waist. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full use of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.

• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.

• Crawling: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.
• Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

• Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances

• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.

• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position to position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of the upper extremities and back muscles.
• Finger Dexterity: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole arm as in handling.

• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
• Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.

ý Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly or quickly.

• Hearing: Noisy environment.

ý Vision: Close work.

• Repetitive motions: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands and/or fingers.

1. Degree of physical exertion required for the position.

ý Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 lbs. of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary Work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.

ý Light Work: Exerting up to 20 lbs. of force occasionally and/or up to 10 lbs. of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work.

• Medium Work: Exerting up to 50 lbs. of force occasionally and/or up to 20 lbs. of force frequently, and/or up to 10 lbs. of force constantly to move objects

1. Heavy Work: Exerting up to 100 lbs. of force occasionally and/or up to 50 lbs. of force frequently, and/or up to 20 lbs. of force constantly to move objects
2. Very Heavy Work: Heavy Work: Exerting in excess of 100 lbs. of force occasionally and/or in excess of 50 lbs. of force frequently, and/or in excess of 20 lbs. of force constantly to move objects

1. Environmental conditions the employee will be subject to in this position.

• Inside environmental conditions: Protection from weather conditions, but not necessarily from temperature changes.
• Outside environmental conditions: No effective protection from weather.

• Both environmental conditions: Activities occur inside and outside.

• Extreme cold: Temperatures below 32 degrees for periods of more than one hour.
• Extreme heat: Temperatures above 100 degrees for periods of more than one hour.

• Noise: There is sufficient noise to cause the worker to shout in order to be heard above the ambient noise level.

• Vibration: Exposure to oscillating movements of the extremities or the whole body.
• Hazard: Includes a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, electrical current, working on scaffolding and high places, exposure to high heat or exposure to chemicals.
• Atmospheric conditions: One or more of the following conditions that affect the respiratory system or the skin: Fumes, odors, dusts, mists, gases or poor ventilation.

• Oils: There is air and/or skin exposure to oils and other cutting fluids.

• Humidity: Exposure to humid conditions ranging from 70 to 92 percents.

1. Respirator: Use is required.

ý None: No substantial exposure to adverse environmental conditions (such as in typical office or administrative work).

1. PRIMARY CONTACTS

A. CONTACTS

1. Inside the Company:

A.) Company Employees

B.) Administration

C.) Company Supervisors

2. Out of the Company:

A.) Product Vendors

B.) National Account and Other Customers