Development Chef

ConAgra Foods•Omaha, NE

22d•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Culinary Director, you will cook, create, and innovate in our research & development kitchen where food is the star. You will lead culinary product development from concept through execution, crafting and refining recipes while partnering closely with food scientists to develop gold‑standard formulations that will be commercialized at our plants. This role is deeply hands‑on and highly visible, blending chef creativity with storytelling as you bring culinary inspiration to life for our leadership, customers and at events. You will coordinate research and development cuttings, drive flavor and technique, and serve as a culinary ambassador who translates trends and inspiration into compelling, customer‑ready products.

Requirements

Bachelors degree in culinary arts or a related discipline or 10+ years culinary industry experience.
Previous experience with hands‑on cooking responsibility and accountability for purchasing, sanitation, inventory management, and ordering processes.
Strong culinary skills with an emphasis on savory cooking and current food trends.
Sanitation training and certification.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Analytical and logical problem‑solving skills.
Collaborative approach with the ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and execute innovation tastings, customer meetings, and culinary‑focused events.
Collaborate with members of the culinary team and cross‑functional partners to arrange culinary‑centric business functions such as taste treks and culinary inspiration days.
Assist with customer meetings featuring food‑focused discussions led by the culinary team.
Maintain inventory of ingredients used in the development process and proactively stage ingredients for development sessions, focusing on culinary innovation.
Input and maintain recipes on inter‑department shared drives and actively update records for future reference.
Maintain kitchen operations, including sanitation, maintenance, and organization.