Recipe & Development Specialist

Iowa State University•Ames, IA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Iowa State University Dining is hiring a Recipe & Development Specialist to join their team. This role involves shaping how food is prepared across residential dining locations by turning ideas from students, staff, and existing menus into clear, scalable recipes for real kitchens during service. The position requires strong organization, ownership, and the ability to manage multiple tasks while collaborating with teams across locations. Strong communication skills are essential for clearly organizing and sharing work. Comfort with digital tools for documenting and refining recipes, along with a willingness to test and adjust, is important. This role offers a balance of independent work and hands-on collaboration, with days spent testing, documenting, observing service, and making real-time adjustments.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent
3 years of related experience
Ability to judge final food product for quantity (yield) and quality (color, taste, texture, etc.)
Knowledge of safe food preparation, storage, and handling procedures for raw and cooked foods
Knowledge of principles of food sanitation, health hazards, and proper safety measures
Ability to stand for long periods of time
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
Ability to provide on-the-job training in food preparation to lower-level employees
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with others
Knowledge of weights, measures, and food measurement techniques
Ability to perform basic math (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and conversions) related to food preparation and recipe scaling
Knowledge of food preparation, food presentation, and cooking methods
Ability to read, analyze, and evaluate recipes and instructions
Knowledge of sources of food contaminants and interactions
Knowledge of sanitation safety practices and safe use of equipment
Ability to maintain food production records
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship.
Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Nice To Haves

Experience creating or modifying recipes for large-scale production.
Understanding of kitchen workflows across different service models (retail, catering, residential dining).
Experience training or guiding others in food preparation processes.

Responsibilities

Test, develop, and refine recipes for large-scale production across multiple dining locations.
Evaluate yield, cost, and execution to ensure recipes perform consistently in high-volume environments.
Use digital tools and basic computer programs to track changes, organize recipe details, and maintain accurate documentation for team use.
Standardize and document recipes, including clear instructions, prep needs, and equipment requirements.
Partner with culinary teams across locations to gather feedback and improve processes.
Support onboarding and training efforts, including contributing to culinary checklists and skill development.
Help identify and improve outdated or inefficient recipes and kitchen processes.
Coordinate test runs and adjust recipes based on operational needs, staffing, and service style.
Occasionally flex schedule to observe and support different shifts (including some PM work).
Supervises, instructs, trains, plans, and schedules the work of others in the preparation of large-scale meals and diets.
Assists supervisor in planning menus as related to production of unit as required.
Maintains maximum standards of sanitation and safety.
Requisitions, receives, stores, freezes, labels, and maintains food supplies and related kitchen products.
Reports deficiencies in quality or quantity of food supplies or kitchen products.
Recommends equipment repairs or improvements.
Tests new or revised recipes and recommends changes.
Tests all prepared foods to maintain standards.
Participates in preparing and serving menu items as required.
Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.