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 - min 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.
• 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
• Degree in Food Science, Product Design, Culinary Innovation, or related fields - min 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.