Executive Chef – R&D (Cloud Kitchen Vertical)

About the job

Location: Mumbai / Outer Mumbai

Department: Culinary Innovation & Research

Experience: 8–15+ years (with at least 3–5 years in R&D / Product Development)

Role Overview

We are seeking a seasoned and innovative Executive Chef – R&D to lead culinary research, recipe development, and product innovation across multiple cloud-kitchen brands. The candidate must have deep expertise in multi-cuisine development—Pizza, Chinese, Shakes, Waffles, Pancakes, and North Indian cuisine—and strong experience in training and supporting franchise partners for product consistency and operational excellence.

This role focuses on creating scalable, cost-efficient, consistent, and high-quality food products tailored for delivery-focused operations.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Culinary Research & New Product Development (NPD)

Develop new recipes and innovate products across multiple cuisines.

Conduct trials, tastings, and product iterations to perfect flavor, texture, and cost.

Create detailed recipe cards, SOPs, yields, and process manuals optimized for cloud-kitchen environments.

Improve existing menu items for taste, consistency, and operational efficiency.

Monitor food trends, market insights, and competitor menus to identify new opportunities.

B. Menu Optimization & Scalability

Optimize menus for production workflow, ingredient utilization, and speed of service.

Standardize ingredients, portion sizes, and preparation methods.

Collaborate with procurement to source ingredients, negotiate prices, and ensure quality.

Ensure all products are scalable across different franchise locations.

C. Franchise & Partner Support

Provide daily culinary support to franchise partners for product consistency.

Address queries related to recipes, prep, storage, and execution.

Conduct routine audits of franchise kitchens to ensure adherence to SOPs.

Troubleshoot operational and product-related issues.

D. Training & Culinary Capability Building

Train franchise chefs and kitchen staff on new products, equipment, and standardized processes.

Create training content: recipe cards, videos, process guides, hygiene standards, etc.

Lead train-the-trainer sessions for internal culinary teams.

E. Cross-Functional Collaboration

Work with Marketing to create seasonal specials and promotional menu items.

Coordinate with Supply Chain for ingredient planning, vendor selection, and cost control.

Support Operations in designing and refining kitchen workflows.

3. Required Skills & Qualifications

Degree/Diploma in Hotel Management or Culinary Arts (preferred).

8–15+ years of experience in hospitality/QSR/cloud kitchens.

Proven experience in R&D / New Product Development in the Indian F&B industry.

Expert-level understanding of:

Pizza preparation & dough science

Indian Chinese gravies, sauces, and wok techniques

Shakes, Waffles, Pancakes mixes and standardization

North Indian gravies, tandoor basics, and recipe scaling

Experience working in Mumbai or Outer Mumbai hospitality ecosystem preferred.

Strong knowledge of food costing, hygiene norms, and multi-location standardization.

Excellent communication, documentation, and team training skills.

4. Key Competencies

Creativity and innovation

Strong palate and culinary judgment

Recipe standardization expertise

Process- and detail-oriented approach

Ability to handle multi-brand operations

Problem-solving mindset

Strong stakeholder communication

5. Employment Type

Full-time, on-site (Mumbai / Outer Mumbai)

Travel to franchise partner kitchens as required.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Benefits:

• Food provided
• Health insurance
• Provident Fund