R&D Chef Apprentice I - Ready to Heat

 

This role sits in the culinary department as part of the Tempo team. The RTH R&D Chef Apprentice will be asked to assist Tempo R&D chefs with key initiatives including, but not limited to: supporting the development of compound ingredient formulations with chef guidance, cooking to support R&D chef meal development, preparing ingredients for product sampling, editing production meals to ensure accuracy, and assisting in basic photography work. This role will work in both the R&D kitchen at the Old Post Office in downtown Chicago, IL and in the production kitchen in Bedford Park, IL.

Detailed Responsibilities

Kitchen Operations

• Manage and maintain ingredients for scaling recipes at our Bedford Park production kitchen, including taking a regular inventory, placing orders for stock items,  and cycling out old or expired products
• Ensuring that needed items are properly transferred from the production kitchen to the R&D kitchen
• Own inventory of RTH ingredients in the R&D kitchen, including knowledge of where items are located, as well as tracking/storing items that are needed both near and long term
• Work with Culinary Apprentices to help manage the grocery process, including making list, shopping, and putting away groceries, as well as sourcing last minute items 
• Helping to order kitchen supplies, including speciality ingredients & kitchen equipment, directly from suppliers, production facilities and/or online sources 
• Become a resource for cross-functional teams

Compound Ingredient Formulation

• Bring at least 10 new or improved compound ingredients to approved status each month
• Cook bench top rough draft formulations of compound ingredients to dial in viability for production (flavor, nutritionals, ease of execution, performance over time, etc.)
• Participate in compound ingredient feedback discussions and then implement that feedback into formulation and procedure improvements 
• Refine ingredient amounts, recipe wording and timing to ensure ingredient success
• Scale recipes to full R&D batches for testing and further refinements to the formulation
• Scale recipes to full production batches and test as needed at our production facility in Bedford Park
• Follow all sanitation and GMP rules in the production kitchen
• Respond to feedback from R&D and production chefs to continuously improve ingredient work and workflows
• Test new techniques to increase quality, yield, nutritionals and efficiency of compound ingredients
• Test recipe techniques and changes on an as needed basis
• Participate in setup and tasting for the new ingredient/product sampling process

New Meal Development 

• Participate in production meal edit checks each week
• Assess accuracy of meal assembly photos on live menus and reshoot photos as needed
• Taste and provide feedback daily on all meals Tempo R&D chefs develop, including red meat, vegetarian, soy, seafood, shellfish, and pork (with limited exceptions) 
• Analyze customer comments and make recommendations on ways to improve
• Help photo team and operate camera equipment under guidance of food photographer on an as needed basis

Team and Cross Functional Meetings

• Regularly attend and participate in all required Tempo culinary and  cross-functional team meetings
• Execute key project work and drive workstreams when necessary

This position requires 0-10% travel. 

Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.

• Completion of a two-year program such as an Associate degree: Culinary Arts degree
• 1+ year experience with consumer packaged goods preferred
• 1+ year professional cooking experience preferred
• Culinary background required
• Strong understanding of food
• High attention to detail: must adhere exactly to shopping list & Home Chef cooking specifications
• ServSafe certified or strong understanding of sanitary practices
• Required to carry bags of groceries through elevator daily (carts available)

 

More About Us

Perks and Benefits

• Candidates can experience Home Chef as a customer - enter promo code PEOPLE30 for $30 off your first order!
• Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance available
• Paid holidays, sick time and vacation time
• 401k program
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