Culinary R&D Associate
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. This role is 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
- 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
- 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
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance (multiple plans, incl. HSA options).
- Company-paid life and disability insurance (short- and long-term).
- Voluntary insurance: accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity.
- Optional supplemental life insurance for self, spouse, and children.
- Pet insurance discount.
- 401(k).
- Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care, Commuter)
- Discretionary vacation days
- 8 paid holidays per year
- Paid sick time
- Paid Bereavement leave
- Paid Parental Leave
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
