Food Service Equipment Specialist

About Us

Imagine: 30 unique restaurants to order from, brought to your door in under 30 minutes. That’s what our customers experience.

At Wonder, we want to make world-class food within reach, no matter where you live. That’s why we’ve created a vertically integrated, new standard of dining that will allow you to enjoy menus from award-winning chefs and iconic restaurants across the country, all in one place. Our elevated brick + mortar locations will offer pick up and dine in options, as well as delivery to your home.

As a food-tech startup backed by top-tier venture capitalists and led by a team of experienced entrepreneurs—including some of the most accomplished leaders in the technology, culinary, and logistics industries—we’re growing. Join us in pioneering a new category of dining called “Fast-Fine”, and revolutionizing the way people eat. 

About the role   

We are seeking an experienced Food Service Equipment Specialist to join our Research and Development team. This role will focus on collaborating with in-house chefs and appliance vendors/manufacturers to evaluate and validate the performance of kitchen equipment. The ideal candidate will have a solid understanding of restaurant appliances, electrical and plumbing requirements, and maintenance procedures.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaboration: Work closely with chefs and restaurant operations to identify issues related to existing kitchen appliances and determine equipment needs for new restaurant concepts/cooking techniques.
• Research and Evaluation: Investigate and source new appliances for testing, ensuring they meet electrical, plumbing, spatial and other specifications.
• Testing and Validation: Conduct hands-on testing of new appliances, documenting performance metrics to ensure they meet culinary expectations.
• Quality and Consistency Assurance: Ensure that new appliances maintain high food quality and consistency across varying volumes and operational conditions. Establish and enforce testing protocols to ensure that appliances meet established standards for food preparation, cooking, and holding. 
• Ease of Execution and Usability: Assess the ease of integration and user-friendliness of new appliances in real kitchen environments. Work with kitchen staff and operations teams to identify any challenges or opportunities for enhancing appliance usability and performance.
• Data Compilation: Organize and present findings using a Design of Experiments (DOE) format, highlighting insights and recommendations for affected departments, including Purchasing, Operations, Culinary, and Product.
• SOP Development: Assist in documenting best practices for routine equipment operation and help outline daily cleaning processes to ensure proper functionality.
• Maintenance Knowledge: Provide guidance on preventative maintenance procedures and troubleshooting steps for kitchen appliances.
• Coordination with Contractors: Collaborate with tradespeople to quote any electrical, plumbing or structural upgrades needed for appliance installation.
• Project Management: Manage projects related to appliance testing and implementation, ensuring timelines and objectives are met.
• Continuous Improvement: Stay up to date on industry trends and advancements in kitchen technology to recommend innovative solutions, specifically those that involve automation, IOT and AI.

The experience you have  

• Experience: Proven experience with restaurant appliances and a solid understanding of their mechanical aspects.
• Technical Skills: Familiarity with High Voltage Electrical and plumbing requirements related to kitchen appliances.
• Project Management Skills: Strong project management abilities to oversee testing and implementation processes.
• Vendor Collaboration: Ability to iterate and design with equipment manufacturers to improve off-the-shelf appliances to better suit the needs of Wonder’s restaurants.  
• Analytical Skills: Strong ability to analyze data and present findings clearly and effectively.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to collaborate with chefs and cross-functional teams.
• Problem-Solving: Strong troubleshooting abilities and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.
• Innovative Approach: Must be comfortable with connected “smart” equipment and automated appliances.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Awareness of NSF, USDA, FDA, UL, NYFD and other applicable standards is preferred.
• Education: Relevant degr