Culinary & Product Development Assistant
Location: North Andover
Position Type: Full-Time, Onsite
Reports To: Culinary Innovation Manager
About the Role
We are seeking a hands-on, organized, and creative Culinary & Product Development Assistant to support our growing USDA-inspected ready-to-cook meat and value-added meals business. This role is ideal for someone passionate about food innovation, culinary execution, and bringing new products from concept to commercialization.
The Culinary & Product Development Assistant will work closely with the Culinary Innovation Manager to support recipe development, product testing, sample preparation, production trials, documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives within our manufacturing environment.
This is an onsite role based in North Andover, Massachusetts, working directly within our R&D and production operations.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist in the development and testing of new ready-to-cook and value-added meal products
- Prepare bench samples, test recipes, marinades, sauces, spice blends, and meal kits
- Support plant trials, product scale-ups, and commercialization activities
- Accurately document formulas, procedures, yields, and product specifications
- Maintain organized records for recipes, testing notes, and product evaluations
- Coordinate ingredient and sample preparation for internal tastings and customer presentations
- Assist with sensory evaluations, shelf-life studies, and competitive product analysis
- Ensure compliance with USDA, food safety, sanitation, and GMP standards during all culinary activities
- Work cross-functionally with Operations, QA, Purchasing, and Production teams
- Help source ingredients and maintain inventory for R&D materials and supplies
- Support continuous improvement and innovation initiatives across product lines
Qualifications
- Culinary degree, food science background, or equivalent hands-on culinary/product development experience preferred
- 1–3 years of experience in food manufacturing, meal production, R&D, or commercial kitchens preferred
- Passion for food trends, flavor development, and culinary innovation
- Strong organizational and time management skills
- Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
- Comfortable working with raw meat products in a USDA-regulated facility
- Basic understanding of food safety, HACCP, GMPs, and sanitation practices
- Strong attention to detail and accurate recordkeeping skills
- Proficient in Microsoft Office or Google Workspace
- Ability to lift up to 40 pounds and stand for extended periods as needed
Preferred Experience
- Experience with USDA-inspected meat manufacturing
- Familiarity with ready-to-cook, prepared foods, or value-added protein products
- Experience supporting product commercialization or plant trials
- Knowledge of ingredient functionality and formulation basics
What Success Looks Like
- Efficient support of product development projects from ideation through launch
- Accurate and organized documentation of formulations and testing
- Strong collaboration with culinary and operations teams
- Consistent execution of samples and trials with attention to quality and food safety
Pay: $55,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
