Culinary R&D and Production Chef

Wow Bao•Forest City, NC

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Join Wow Bao in this newly created role as the Culinary R&D/Production Chef in our brand-new food manufacturing plant in Forest City, North Carolina. In this dynamic role, you’ll split your time between culinary creativity and operational excellence. On the R&D side, you’ll work closely with the VP of Culinary to test and perfect new menu items while refining existing products to meet our high standards for taste, quality, safety, and scalability. On the production side, you’ll partner with our manufacturing team to ensure smooth day-to-day operations, aligning innovation, efficiency and execution. The Culinary R&D/Production Chef will report to the Vice President of Culinary. The position is on-site five days a week, based in our facility, with some travel to our co-packer facilities. If you strive in a fast-paced environment, love bringing ideas to life, and want to make an impact on a growing brand, this is a unique opportunity to lead and create!

Requirements

5+ years minimum in culinary R&D, food manufacturing, corporate chef or large-scale food service operations.
Bachelor's degree in food science, culinary arts or equivalent professional training required.
Strong knowledge of food science, flavor development, and manufacturing processes.
Proven ability to work cross-functionally with operations, quality assurance, and supply chain teams.
Proven ability in plant operations, including budgeting, cost control, and resource management.
Passion for culinary innovation and ability to balance creativity with operational feasibility.
Strong understanding of food safety regulations (USDA, FDA), quality standards (HACCP, GMP) and manufacturing processes.
Ability to generate and implement creative culinary solutions.
Ensures accuracy in recipes, processes, and documentation.
Clear and effective collaboration across teams.
Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Some travel required

Responsibilities

Oversee daily operations focused on process improvements, while approving the taste, texture, size, and shape of all products to ensure quality and consistency.
Partner with Quality Assurance to ensure all products meet food safety, regulatory, and company quality standards.
Work with team to address product defects, implement corrective actions, and ensuring continuous improvement in product quality.
Partner with Operations to optimize production workflow, and capacity planning to optimize efficiency and meet demand.
Maintain accurate records of recipes, formulations, and testing results for compliance and reproducibility.
Provide culinary guidance and training to the production team on existing and new product launches.
Promote a positive work culture, providing guidance and motivation to employees while ensuring that they understand and follow goals and standards.
Ensure all products are manufactured in accordance with company specifications, quality standards, and food safety regulations (UDSA, FDA, HACCP, and GMP).
Champion plant safety efforts, ensuring that all safety policies and procedures are followed to maintain a safe working environment.
Collaborate with the Plant Manager for continuous improvements in lean manufacturing practices to increase plant efficiency and reduce waste.
Participate in R&D projects in collaboration with the Vice President of Culinary to design, develop and test new recipes and food products that align with Wow Bao’s brand identity.
Lead new menu product development, cost optimization, and creation of formulas, recipes, and applications.
Translate culinary concepts into scalable manufacturing processes while maintaining flavor integrity.
Analyze cost structures and optimize recipes to meet budget and margin targets.
Manage kitchen trails, pilot runs, and product scale-up activities.
Monitor food industry trends and consumer preferences to inform product pipeline.