Culinary Development Chef

Company: Whole Foods Market
Location: Austin
Posted on: November 4, 2024

Job Description:

Whole Foods Market is hiring a culinary development chef and packaging specialist. This role is responsible for developing recipes, content, and processes for venues and restaurants. Key responsibilities include product development, innovation, and packaging support, as well as formulating specs, conducting trials, and creating specifications for sourcing ingredients. The role also involves working closely with indirect procurement, culinary stakeholders, and manufacturing teams to ensure product feasibility and scalability.

Responsibilities:

• 
  
• Provides Product Development, Innovation, and Packaging support within assigned regions and product areas.
  
• Responsible for formulations specs, conducting trials and tests, create specifications for sourcing ingredients, collaborating with manufacturing teams to ensure product feasibility and scalability within their respective categories and packaging (prepared foods or bakery).
  
• Works closely with indirect procurement to define packaging spec needs.
  
• Works with culinary stakeholders, chefs, and others as required to develop new product and packaging specifications, including recipes, design, ingredients, etc.
  
• Benchmarks specifications against the competition and to ensure adherence to WFM standards.
  
• Contributes to nutritional and other technical reviews against formulas and vendor specifications.
  
• Evaluates, validates, and finalizes key elements of product preparation.
  
• Evaluates, validates, and finalizes packaging needs for product type.
  
• Sets, tracks, and manages first production dates and requirements - ensuring appropriate communication with vendors, store, and regional stakeholders.
  
• Monitors finished product release and acceptance, identifying logistical, quality, and other issues.
  
• Follows up with Analytics and other stakeholders to understand customer levels of product satisfaction, sales volumes, and expected volumes going forward.
  
• Create detailed and accurate product specifications for each new item, including ingredient lists, sourcing requirements, production procedures, packaging guidelines, and quality assurance parameters.
  
• Manage product and packaging specifications within our ERP systems and culinary tooling, ensuring data accuracy, version control, and accessibility for relevant stakeholders
  
• Oversee and optimize the production process of new products, working closely with production teams to ensure adherence to specifications, quality control, and efficient manufacturing practices.
  
• Utilize internal systems and tools (e.g., ERP, recipe management software, labeling software) to streamline product development workflows, track progress, and maintain accurate records.
  
• Stay informed about culinary trends, new ingredients, emerging food technologies, new equipment and industry best practices in specification management and scalable production.
  
• Checks packaging information against the FDA Code of Federal Regulation (Section 21) for accuracy and compliance.
  
• Initiates packaging testing for all Prepared Foods and Bakery products.
  
  
  Skills:
  
  • 
    
  • Culinary degree or equivalent experience in food product development, with a focus on large-scale production.
    
  • Proven knowledge working with packaging and packaging vendors.
    
  • Proven experience developing and launching successful prepared foods and/or bakery products for a multi-unit retailer or food manufacturer.
    
  • Deep understanding of food manufacturing processes, quality assurance protocols, packaging, and supply chain management.
    
  • Broad understanding of the food industry and/or consumer packaged goods industry and associated packaging materials, packaging equipment, packaging systems and controls, and related manufacturing applications.
    
  • Strong proficiency in using ERP systems and other relevant software tools for specification management, recipe development, and production planning.
    
  • Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in creating and managing product specifications.
    
  • Knowledge of Whole Foods Market's quality standards and commitment to organic and natural foods.
    
  • Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
    
  • Passion for food and a commitment to creating high-quality, scalable products.
    
  • Strong understanding of grocery retail and culinary product development.
    
  • Proficient with data analysis.
    
  • Able to develop culinary product specifications and adapt quickly to changes and feedback.
    
  • Highly proficient computer skills, including with Microsoft Office.
    
  • Demonstrates strong interpersonal communication skills and levels of tact, diplomacy and confidentiality.
    
  • Demonstrates excellent knowledge of the WFM product mix, supply base and retail operations.
    
  • Able to play a key and influential role working with others, in groups, in cross-functional settings and with diverse stakeholders internally and externally.
    
  • Models WFM principles and core values.
    
    
    Education & Experience:
    BA/BS degree and 2-4 years' relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Keywords: Whole Foods Market, Pflugerville , Culinary Development Chef, Hospitality & Tourism , Austin, Texas