The Culinary R&D Assistant plays a crucial role in supporting research and development chefs in creating innovative products. Responsibilities include maintaining a clean and organized Culinary Center, ensuring development workstations are equipped with necessary tools and materials, preparing R&D samples for shipment, and providing culinary support by preparing and cooking customer samples. Additionally, this role serves as an ambassador for Honoring Food.

• Maintains a neat, sanitized, and organized Culinary Center, including kitchen, pantry, cooler, and freezer space.
• Maintains par levels of stock items to ensure a high level of quality through rotation, labeling, and storage.
• Requisitions and records usage of raw materials/ingredients.
• Responsible for setting up kitchen equipment each morning.
• Gathers recipes, collates ingredient needs, and garners necessary raw materials from the factory daily.
• Keeps the culinary team supplied with clean and sanitized equipment, and raw materials throughout the day as needed.
• Oversee and ensure effectiveness of the sample request program.
• Coordinate processing of all product sample orders from request through timely and professional delivery.
• Process all incoming product sample requests from Sales Team, Executives, R&D Chefs, QA Teams, and others.
• Work with Cross-Plant Customer Service, Product Development and Shipping Teams to ensure product is pulled and/or manufactured against sample request dates.
• Pack all sample requests to requested specifications, including all corresponding support materials.
• Track all samples and alert appropriate team members of any issues or delays to delivery, troubleshooting when necessary to solve critical delivery requirements.
• Additional responsibilities as needed.

• High School diploma or GED required.
• Working knowledge of production kitchen and/or factory experience a plus.
• On-the-job training of 3-6 months.
• Must have working knowledge of MS Office programs, specifically Excel and Outlook.
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.

• Passion for food.
• Experience with pace of restaurant or factory environment a plus.
• Possess cleaning and sanitation skills.
• Basic knowledge of raw materials/ingredients.
• ServSafe certification a plus.
• Ability to adapt and multi-task via a dynamic work environment with a positive attitude.

• Works under close supervision and has little or no decision-making responsibility.
• Position is not responsible for influencing the decisions or actions of others.
• Position has indirect contact with customers on matters of little impact on revenue.
• Position has little or no impact on revenue, actions and results are subject to review or inspections.
• Decisions or actions have a limited impact on the business – typically within a department. Errors are usually detected through routine verification/review, but may result in some workflow disruption or repetition of work.
• This role is pivotal in supporting culinary innovation and maintaining high standards within the organization's research and development processes.