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Research Development Chef Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Crumbl

Research & Development Chef

Provo, UT

Under the direction of the Director of Research & Development the R&D Chef will execute daily tasks meant to elevate current recipes or bring new concepts to life as well as any projects needed to ...

Crumbl

Research & Development Chef

Provo, UT · On-site

Under the direction of the Director of Research & Development the R&D Chef will execute daily tasks meant to elevate current recipes or bring new concepts to life as well as any projects needed to ...

Crumbl

Research & Development Chef

Provo, UT

Under the direction of the Director of Research & Development the R&D Chef will execute daily tasks meant to elevate current recipes or bring new concepts to life as well as any projects needed to ...

Del Taco, LLC

R&D Chef

Lake Forest, CA

$89K - $110K/yr

JOB TITLE: R&D Chef FLSA STATUS: Exempt DEPARTMENT: Research and Development REPORTS TO: Director of Culinary Research & Development LOCATION: Lake Forest, CA Test Kitchen SALARY RANGE : $89,000 ...

New

Del Taco

R&D Chef

Lake Forest, CA · On-site

$89K - $110K/yr

JOB TITLE: R&D Chef FLSA STATUS: Exempt DEPARTMENT: Research and Development REPORTS TO: Director of Culinary Research & Development LOCATION: Lake Forest, CA Test Kitchen SALARY RANGE : $89,000 ...

Vespertine

Research and Development Chef

Culver City, CA · On-site

$80K - $100K/yr

SUMMARY OF POSITION The R&D Chef is a collaborative culinary leadership role working closely with Chef/Owner Jordan Kahn and the Director of Culinary to develop, refine, and bring ideas to fruition ...

DANIEL

Research and Development Chef

New York, NY

Research, develop, test, and refine recipes for Corporate Chefs and Chef Daniel. * Prepare, cook ... Strong recipe development, testing, and food styling skills. * Exceptional organizational and ...

Amy's Kitchen, Inc.

R&D Chef's Assistant

Santa Rosa, CA · On-site

$26 - $36/hr

The R&D Chef's Assistant will spend some of their day working in the production areas of the plant(s). This role will carry out all R&D activities on the production floor working to ensure proper ...

Amy's

R&D Chef's Assistant

Santa Rosa, CA · On-site

$26 - $36/hr

The R&D Chef's Assistant will spend some of their day working in the production areas of the plant(s). This role will carry out all R&D activities on the production floor working to ensure proper ...

DANIEL

Research and Development Chef

New York, NY

$85K - $90K/yr

Research, develop, test, and refine recipes for Corporate Chefs and Chef Daniel. * Prepare, cook ... Strong recipe development, testing, and food styling skills. * Exceptional organizational and ...

Amy's Kitchen, LLC

R&D Chef's Assistant

Santa Rosa, CA

$26 - $36/hr

The R&D Chef's Assistant will spend some of their day working in the production areas of the plant(s). This role will carry out all R&D activities on the production floor working to ensure proper ...

Farmer's Fridge

R&D Chef

Chicago, IL · On-site

$95K - $105K/yr

As the R&D Chef at Farmer's Fridge, you will be the creative engine behind our ever-evolving menu. You'll create delicious and scalable recipes to fill our core menu as well as building velocity and ...

KAGOME, Inc.

Business Development Chef

San Carlos, CA · On-site

$77K - $127K/yr

Work with Kagome R&D managers and scientists to develop products/ideas/applications that meet ... Certified Research Chef or Certified Culinary Scientist, a plus * Years and Type of Related ...

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All JobsResearch Development Chef Jobs

Research Development Chef information

See salary details

$48.5K

$101.8K

$165K

How much do research development chef jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 23, 2026, the average yearly pay for research development chef in the United States is $101,794.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $77,500.00 and $116,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

To thrive as a Research Development Chef, you need comprehensive culinary expertise, a deep understanding of food science, and often a degree in culinary arts or food technology. Familiarity with laboratory equipment, recipe management software, and food safety certifications like ServSafe is highly valuable. Creativity, problem-solving skills, and strong collaboration abilities help you excel when designing innovative recipes and working with cross-functional teams. These skills ensure you can successfully develop new food products that meet both culinary standards and market demands.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a Research Development Chef?

As a Research Development Chef, your day often involves creating and testing new recipes, refining existing products, and collaborating with food scientists and marketing teams on product concepts. You'll also conduct sensory evaluations, oversee kitchen trials, and ensure that all recipes meet quality, safety, and cost parameters. Working closely with other chefs, suppliers, and sometimes clients, you help bring innovative food ideas from the test kitchen to commercial production. The role is dynamic and hands-on, blending creative culinary work with research and project management tasks.

What does a Research Development Chef do?

A Research Development Chef is responsible for creating, testing, and refining new food products, recipes, and menu items, often for restaurants, food manufacturers, or retail brands. They blend culinary creativity with food science and market trends to develop innovative and scalable food concepts. Their role involves experimenting with ingredients, improving flavors, ensuring product consistency, and considering factors like cost, nutrition, and production feasibility.

More about Research Development Chef jobs
What cities are hiring for Research Development Chef jobs? Cities with the most Research Development Chef job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Research Development Chef jobs? The most popular types of Research Development Chef jobs are:
What states have the most Research Development Chef jobs? States with the most job openings for Research Development Chef jobs include:
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Research Development Chef jobs near you
Infographic showing various Research Development Chef job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 78% Full Time, 20% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $101,794 per year, or $48.9 per hour.
Research & Development Chef

Research & Development Chef

Farm To People

New York, NY

$22 - $25/hr

Full-time

Medical, PTO

Posted 8 days ago

Job description

The Role

The Culinary R&D Associate guides new products from idea to production-ready launch.
Working out of our kitchen alongside the culinary, procurement, marketing, and data teams, this
role develops and standardizes recipes, crunches the numbers behind them, and helps build the
systems that keep our R&D pipeline organized and on schedule. The position blends real
cooking with the business of food: costing, product analytics, and go-to-market execution. It
suits a strong, consistent cook with an interest in how food products get made, priced, and sold.

Responsibilities

Recipe & Product Development
● Take recipes from first draft (your own or others') to production-ready, including scaling
math, waste and yield validation, batch sizing, and nutritional information, with guidance
from our chef on first iterations.
● Support new SKU ideation alongside procurement and marketing, contributing
competitive research and SKU performance data.
● Commission, execute, and interpret food science analyses, including shelf-life testing
and nutrition fact generation.
● Select and test packaging for new SKUs, balancing regulatory requirements, durability,
presentation, and cost.
● Lead tastings of developed products with senior management.

Launches, Costing & Systems

● Coordinate product launches from start to finish: generate labels and pricing, upload
SKUs into our ERP and Sanity CMS, coordinate product photography, order first-run
ingredients, and schedule initial production runs.
● Help build and maintain COGS and cost analyses that inform pricing and margin
decisions.
● Maintain the recipe management system and kitchen software database: onboard new
products, recipes, and ingredients, and offboard discontinued products from systems
and production schedules.
● Help improve the R&D workflow and kitchen technology (e.g., Parsley, Combi Oven
automated programs) to keep the pipeline organized, on schedule, and efficient.

Kitchen & Team Support

● Help train kitchen team members on new recipes, ensuring consistency and quality.
● Periodically verify and audit recipes in production, and revise them or re-train based on
how cooks are executing them.
● Help keep work and storage spaces clean and organized.

Ideal Candidate

● 2+ years of experience in a culinary environment: restaurant, catering, test kitchen, or
production kitchen.
● A real love of food and the ability to cook it exceptionally well and consistently.
● Experience with recipe development, testing, or documentation. You can scale a recipe
mathematically and understand yield calculations.
● Proficient in Google Sheets and Excel; you're comfortable working with data, building
formulas, and picking up new software systems quickly.
● A careful documenter who takes pride in writing clear processes, procedures, and
specifications.
● A strong communicator who can collaborate across teams, from the kitchen to
marketing, and manage multiple projects on deadline.
● Familiarity with nutrition labeling, food safety protocols, or shelf-life considerations is
preferred.
● Bilingual English/Spanish is preferred.

Compensation & Benefits

This position starts as hourly, paid $22 - $25+ / hour depending on experience.
Benefits include:
● Health Benefits + Paid Time Off
● Employee discount on Farm to People groceries and meals
● Working for a mission driven company that makes a difference!

To apply please email jobs@farmtopeople.com and evan@farmtopeople.com with your
cover letter and resume.

More detail about Farm To People, please visit https://culinaryagents.com/entities/307230-Farm-To-People