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Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Key Responsibilities: Recipe Development & Testing: * Develop and test original recipes that ... kitchen, restaurant, culinary education, or culinary product development role. * Strong ...

Research Chef

Northbrook, IL · On-site

$50K - $100K/yr

This role supports culinary innovation through concept development, prototype creation, recipe and ... Support day-to-day test kitchen operations, including inventory, organization, cleaning materials ...

Style food and sets for photography and video in collaboration with our Test Kitchen and creative ... Deep knowledge of food, cooking techniques, and recipe development. * Creative eye for composition ...

Research Chef

Northbrook, IL · On-site

$50K - $100K/yr

This role supports culinary innovation through concept development, prototype creation, recipe and ... Support day-to-day test kitchen operations, including inventory, organization, cleaning materials ...

Chef Consultant

Marina Del Rey, CA · On-site

$30 - $40/hr

This is a consulting engagement designed for an accomplished chef with strong experience in menu development, restaurant economics, recipe standardization and kitchen execution. The Executive ...

Executive Chef

Costa Mesa, CA · On-site

$100K - $110K/yr

This role requires a balanced leader - creative and strategic in recipe and menu development, yet ... Kitchen Operations & Financial Oversight * Manage food cost, labor cost, and inventory controls.

Head Chef

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$70K/yr

Head Chef -- Hashiri +M San Francisco | Reopening | $70,304/yr Location: 4 Mint Plaza, San ... Train and mentor kitchen team members * Contribute to menu and recipe development alongside ...

Key Responsibilities: Recipe Development & Testing: * Develop and test original recipes that ... kitchen, restaurant, culinary education, or culinary product development role. * Strong ...

Kitchen Chef

Houston, TX · On-site

$78K/yr

Demonstrated experience in casual/fine dining leadership roles (such as Corporate Chef, Executive Chef, Kitchen Chef, or similar), with strong skills in menu planning, recipe development, and kitchen ...

Responsibilities * Assist the Head Chef in menu planning and recipe development * Supervise kitchen staff and ensure efficient food production * Oversee daily kitchen operations, including inventory ...

Business Development Chef

San Carlos, CA · On-site

$77K - $127K/yr

... test kitchens and Kagome's Global Innovation Center * Work with Kagome R&D managers and scientists ... Kitchen and pilot plant equipment * Personal computer (specific experience with Excel, Word ...

Head Chef

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$70K - $70K/yr

Head Chef -- Hashiri +M San Francisco | Reopening | $70,304/yr Location: 4 Mint Plaza, San ... Train and mentor kitchen team members * Contribute to menu and recipe development alongside ...

Production Chef

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$90K - $105K/yr

Recipe development, and execution Ability to train Chef Description: We are looking for an experienced chef to fill a vacant spot in our kitchen staff and contribute to the overall excellence of our ...

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Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef information

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$10

$24

$44

How much do test kitchen recipe development chef jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 15, 2026, the average hourly pay for test kitchen recipe development chef in the United States is $24.63, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.83 and $31.01 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef do?

A Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef is responsible for creating, testing, and refining recipes for food companies, magazines, or culinary brands. They experiment with ingredients and cooking techniques to develop recipes that are delicious, reliable, and easy to follow. Their work often includes collaborating with nutritionists, food stylists, and product developers to ensure recipes meet specific standards or dietary needs. The chef also documents the process, evaluates the final dish, and sometimes creates content for publication or marketing. This role requires culinary expertise, creativity, and attention to detail.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef?

To thrive as a Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef, you need expert culinary knowledge, recipe formulation skills, and experience in food science, often supported by a culinary arts degree or equivalent professional experience. Familiarity with kitchen equipment, recipe management software, and food safety certifications are typically required. Creativity, attention to detail, and strong communication skills set exceptional candidates apart in this role. These competencies are crucial for creating innovative, reliable recipes that meet quality standards and can be consistently reproduced in various food settings.

What are some common challenges faced by a Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef when creating new recipes?

A Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef often faces the challenge of balancing creativity with consistency, ensuring that each recipe can be reliably reproduced by home cooks or professional kitchens. They must also consider dietary preferences, ingredient availability, and food cost while innovating. Collaboration with food scientists, editors, and other chefs is essential to refine recipes and maintain high standards. Additionally, receiving and incorporating feedback from taste testers and adapting to evolving food trends are integral parts of the role.

What is the difference between Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef vs Food Stylist?

AspectTest Kitchen Recipe Development ChefFood Stylist
Primary RoleDevelops and tests new recipes for publication or broadcastPrepares and styles food for photography or video
Work EnvironmentTest kitchens, culinary labs, media production settingsPhoto shoots, video sets, studio environments
CredentialsCooking experience, culinary training, recipe development skillsFood styling experience, photography knowledge, culinary background
Employer & IndustryMedia companies, publishers, food brandsAdvertising agencies, magazines, food brands

While both roles involve working with food, the Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef focuses on creating and testing recipes, whereas the Food Stylist specializes in making food visually appealing for media. They often collaborate but serve different functions in the food media industry.

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What are the most commonly searched types of Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef jobs?

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States with the most job openings for Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef jobs include:

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For Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef jobs, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Test Kitchen Recipe Development Chef job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 96% In-person, and 4% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $51,225 per year, or $24.6 per hour.

Culinary Commercialization Manager, Robotics

Boston, MA • On-site

$128K - $135K/yr

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 7 days ago


Wonder rating

7.3

Company rating: 7.3 out of 10

Based on 24 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

About Wonder

Wonder’s on the menu at Wonder. Except compromise. Wonder is the mealtime platform built to feed every craving in one order. With Wonder, you can mix and match hundreds of dishes from 20+ exclusive restaurants in a single order, so everyone gets exactly what they’re craving. Enjoy everything from tacos to Thai with $0 delivery fees, plus dine‑in or pick up at a Wonder location near you. Each dish is made to order on‑site by our culinary team and served hot. Behind the scenes, Wonder owns and operates every step of the dining experience, from recipe development to the technology that powers our experience, allowing us to deliver quality, variety, and consistency at scale. Join us as we work to make great food more accessible.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for a Culinary Commercialization Manager, Robotics to drive menu and recipe adaptation on our automated platforms, lead ingredient sourcing, and manage hands‑on culinary testing. Reporting to the Sr. Director of Culinary Platform Strategy, you will play a vital role in bringing Wonder’s culinary vision to life on our robotic systems and providing expert culinary support to our enterprise B2B customers.

The ImpactIngredient Sourcing & Supply Chain

Lead vendor relations and procurement logistics to identify, source and procure ingredients. Create order guides, evaluate and track costs and develop ingredient spec documentation.

Ingredient and recipe analysis

Lead internal tastings of raw ingredients, co‑manufactured products and production recipes as part of the r&d and procurement process. Focused on quality standards and scalability.

Hardware & B2B System Validation

Partner with the engineering team to test and validate new ingredients on our automated systems with particular focus on our B2B customers.

B2B Customer Integration

Serve as the primary culinary subject matter expert for external enterprise clients, helping them translate their custom menus onto our robotic hardware platform.

Operational Readiness & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Build comprehensive operational manuals, prep guides, and food safety protocols (HACCP/FSMA) for end‑users operating the robotic systems.

Support Pilot Launches

provide on the ground support to our B2B clients during testing, training and launches: new store openings, menu changes and line extensions.

Cross‑Functional R&D

Collaborate with the Wonder CE team and the Sr. Director of Culinary Platform Strategy to test and adapt ingredients and recipes on the robotic systems. Providing feedback, proposed modifications and ensuring quality standards are achieved.

Prototype IKC Support

Provide support, as needed for demos, training and testing on our automated systems; including the day to day management of our test kitchen - Partnering with Culinary Operations Manager and Engineering team.

What You Bring to the Table

7+ years of restaurant and/or kitchen management experience.

Experience setting up new vendors, leading ingredient cuttings, managing order guides and vendor ordering platforms.

Experience with menu mix analysis, setting pars and forecasting usage.

Practical knowledge of Fast Casual and Quick Service Restaurant operations, with an eye toward speed and high‑volume consistency.

Experience with the culinary R&D process, scaling recipes, bench testing, leading menu roll outs and new product launches.

Strong understanding of high-volume kitchen systems, line flows, and food safety.

Solid culinary skills and familiarity with a wide variety of standard kitchen equipment.

Comfortable working alongside engineers; ability to quickly master and troubleshoot tech/software interfaces.

Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; confident leading cross‑functional huddles and writing technical SOPs.

Advanced proficiency in Excel (data tracking, inventory modeling, matrix building).

The Ideal Candidate Profile

You are a rare hybrid: part R&D Chef, part sourcing lead and a technical systems thinker. You love the fast pace of food service and are fascinated by automation. This role requires a minimum of 4 days a week in the office, with additional days as needed based on project demands.

This role is based in our Boston office in Charlestown, MA Massachusetts: $128,000-$135,000 per year. Wonder uses geographic‑specific salary structures, which means the salary offered may vary depending on where the job is located. The final salary offer will take into account various factors, such as the candidate’s skills, education, training, credentials, and experience.

Benefits

The benefits applicable to this role include a competitive compensation package with equity and a 401(k). We also offer a choice of medical, dental, and vision plans, company paid short and long term disability coverage, paid time off including flexible time off for exempt employees, paid vacation for non‑exempt employees, and paid sick leave in compliance with applicable law in addition to paid parental leave, discounted meals and exclusive perks across the Wonder family of brands. Eligibility, effective dates, and available plan options vary by employment classification and location. To learn more about benefits for this role, visit our Careers page here.

Final Note

At Wonder, we build the best teams by hiring with an objective lens — evaluating people for their potential while championing diversity, equity, and inclusion. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, marital status, disability, or any other protected class. As part of our commitment to fair and compliant hiring practices, Wonder participates in the federal government’s E‑Verify program to confirm employment eligibility. If you need an accommodation during the interview process, please let your recruiter know.

Wonder is the mealtime platform built to feed every craving without compromise. With options including dine‑in, delivery, pickup, and meal kits, Wonder makes every mealtime effortless. Through the Wonder app, customers can combine hundreds of dishes from exclusive, chef‑developed concepts in a single order so everyone gets exactly what they’re craving. Wonder’s portfolio of brands includes meal‑kit pioneer Blue Apron, leading online food marketplaces Grubhub and Seamless, and Emmy®‑winning media company Tastemade. Together, we’re united by a single mission: to make great food more accessible.

There has never been a more exciting time to join our world‑class team. We’ve brought together people who are changing the way the world eats — with grit, optimism, care, and a little bit of salt, and pepper. And we’re just getting started.

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