Research Chef

Overview:

On site 5 days: Needham, MA 

The Ninja Test Kitchen is looking for a Research Chef to join our vibrant group of global chefs and food scientists. Our team takes a unique approach to product development, blending culinary arts and the science of food. The Ninja Test Kitchen shapes the product roadmap, development, and story creation.

The Ninja Test Kitchen is highly collaborative, and team members are expected to contribute feedback and problem-solving ideas across all projects. Team members are expected to have a strong knowledge of the industry, to be familiar with the latest food trends, and to foster a curiosity for product development. This position will be based at our Corporate Headquarters in Needham, MA.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct research and development exploration and testing on competitive products to inform product strategy/roadmap.
• Partner with the cross functional leadership team and provide a unique, food-first point of view for the development of new products.
• Develop and executes exploratory test strategy to push the limit or what’s possible with new product ideas to inform the product story and determine hero recipes.
• Set KPIs for ideal performance across new product functions and validate prototypes to ensure KPIs are being met.
• Meticulously record testing results and shares results as needed with key stakeholders in a timely fashion.
• Develop preset programs and function recipe requirements.
• Develop and copywrite recipes, and assemble all relevant material information, that highlight the product feature and benefits.
• Meticulously records results of testing and copy writes recipes according to established format.
• Cultivate a network of key experts to provide feedback on products and story development.
• Plan and execute chef summits and expert advisory panels to provide feedback on products and story development.
• Develop recipe inspiration pillars that highlight the product features and tie back to a consumer benefit.
• Develop and test WOW recipes to highlight products for demonstrations and marketing materials.
• Attends and presents at internal and external events, as needed.
• Monitors and research industry trends and innovations on an ongoing basis and brings new ideas to the team.

Qualifications:

• 2+ years of related culinology/culinary/food science experience or a related field, preferably at a consumer goods company
• Degree from an accredited Culinary Arts program, or Culinology or Food Science or Nutrition; bachelor’s degree with a focus on Marketing or Communications; or combination of education and experience.
• A mindset geared toward building relationships across multi-functional teams, coupled with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Highly-effective communication skills – both written (presentation/email) and in-person (ability to host succinct, effective conversations that solve problems and ability to make effective presentations to all levels of management, including SharkNinja’s executive leadership team).
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize effectively, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and stay organized in a fast-paced environment.
• A desire to learn and grow in a passionate environment.  The ability to embrace transparency and shifting priorities while learning from each decision and focusing on the path forward.
• Comfort with standard data acquisition tools (thermometers, photo capture, etc.).
• Recipe development and food writing experience.