Culinary R&D Associate

Lab37•Los Angeles, CA

2d•$70,000 - $110,000•Onsite

About The Position

Lab37 Robotics is a technology company focused on the development and deployment of robots designed specifically for direct-to-customer food production. Our mission is to revolutionize the food industry by creating innovative robotic solutions that enhance efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction. We are passionate about pushing the boundaries of technology to deliver cutting-edge products that meet the evolving needs of our clients. You're the culinary engine behind everything we build — new brands, core brands, and everything in between. You translate market opportunities and brand briefs into real food: the component systems, recipes, and operational playbooks that make our brands cook at scale. This isn't just an R&D role — you're helping define the culinary roadmap for a business with ambitions of X+locations, household-name brands, and the gold standard in digital-first dining. You'll own the full pipeline from first sketch to production-ready, and launch execution.

Requirements

2 years culinary experience, with at least 4 years in a recipe development and culinary R&D.
Strong and diverse knowledge of different cuisine types — you can crank out a badass smash burger and turn around and dish out a green curry that feels like sitting on the streets of Bangkok.
Strong systems thinking — you design components, not just dishes
Experience working at speed: you can develop, test, and iterate fast without sacrificing quality
Methodical recipe developer: you build a quarterly roadmap and translate into weekly sprint schedules, stay rigorously organized, and test with intention — only running tests that matter under requirements that are clearly defined upfront so nothing is wasted.
Can put on a consultant hat, go into kitchen operations, and/or receive ratings feedback, identify opportunities for continuous improvement, and translate those insights into the team’s roadmap.
You gather data continuously throughout the process to capture every necessary output, and you document with precision and detail so the final recipe lands production-ready, the first time
Passion for building something new, not just executing someone else's playbook

Responsibilities

Define and execute a cohesive culinary roadmap — new brands, core brands, and LTO strategy — aligned with our long-term goals: X+ locations, highly profitable, the gold standard in digital-first
Lead the R&D pipeline for both new and core brands
Own the full recipe pipeline: menu outline → component architecture → recipe parametrics → testing → scaling → kitchen ready
Develop and execute an LTO strategy that balances culinary innovation with the realities of small, extremely high-volume footprints
Develop, test, and iterate recipes from base testing through production-scale validation (COGS + labor); parameterize and certify for robotic systems
Build prep task libraries, order guides, and weekly production plans from PMIX models
Research supplier opportunities to reduce costs and improve ingredient quality
Build and maintain the component library — identify cross-brand reuse opportunities to maximize efficiency
Collaborate with Ops to establish and enforce elite standards for prep, presentation, and safety (HACCP)
Partner with Brand Manager, Designer, Ops, and Tech to ensure new launches are executed flawlessly in every kitchen