R&D - Food Product Development Director, Culinary Innovation

Overview

The Product Developer Director is responsible for building and refining Innovation pipelines and MVPs based on chef‑created gold standards. This role sits at the intersection of culinary vision and technical feasibility—translating ideas into tangible product forms that work in real‑world prep systems and scale through external partners.

Working closely with Food Technologists and the Culinary team, the Product Developer Director brings agility, iteration, and a maker mindset to every phase of development—from concept to pilot.

Responsibilities

• MVP Prototyping: Lead the development of early product prototypes that translate gold standard culinary concepts into testable, scalable formats.
• Packaging Fit & Format Optimization: Collaborate with Food Experience and Design team to ensure MVPs work within packaging, assembly, and consumption contexts.
• Support Agile Sprints prototyping: Participate in sprint cycles to test variations, respond to insights, and iterate quickly the product design with cross‑functional teams.
• Partner with Co‑Man & Supply Chain: Assist in transferring MVPs into early‑stage pilot trials and adjust based on manufacturing or ingredient constraints.
• Document & Communicate: Maintain clear records of product builds, test outcomes, prep protocols, initial cost, and improvements for traceability, product safety and quality and scale‑up readiness.

Success in This Role Looks Like

• MVPs that are production‑aware, consumer‑friendly, and ready for pilot trials.
• Fast, high‑quality iteration cycles with documented learnings.
• Culinary integrity retained through prep system design and real‑world testing.
• Innovation pipeline, ownership and creation.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Product Design, Culinary Innovation, or related fields.
• Minimum 8‑10 years in product development and innovation of culinary products including culinary prototyping.
• Self‑starter with strong hands‑on attitude and team player.
• Strong experience with consumer preparation systems, packaging integration, and cross‑functional development.
• Understanding of basic quality aspects of culinary products.
• Comfortable in operating in ambiguous or high‑speed environments.
• Familiarity with co‑manufacturing and pilot production processes is a plus.
• Strong communications skills, network.