Culinary Research and Development and Production Chef

Job overview

The Culinary Research and Development and Production Chef role is onsite in Forest City, NC, five days a week; compensation is described as competitive, with no numeric amount specified. The role reports to the Vice President of Culinary and supports Wow Bao's food manufacturing plant and product development. The chef balances culinary development with production operations, translating new and refined food concepts into scalable processes while maintaining flavor, quality, and food safety. The work supports product innovation and efficient manufacturing for the growing brand.

What you'll do

• Develop and test recipes and products with the Vice President of Culinary
• lead menu product development, cost optimization, and recipe formulation
• manage kitchen trials, pilot runs, and scale-up
• oversee production quality and process improvements
• partner with Quality Assurance and Operations
• maintain recipe and testing records
• train production staff
• support food safety, plant safety, and lean manufacturing
• monitor food trends and consumer preferences.

What we're looking for

Skills & competencies

culinary r&d and production chef

forest city nc

wow bao

food product development

recipe testing

culinary innovation

food manufacturing

production operations

food safety

quality assurance

haccp

gmp

some travel required

Work arrangement

• Weekend coverage required

Benefits & perks

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k)
• voluntary life and disability insurance
• paid time off and holidays
• job training
• employee discount programs.

Why this role

Newly created role combining culinary research and development with production at a new food manufacturing plant.

About the employer

Wow Bao is hiring for this role. Industry: Retail Bakeries. Sector: 31.