Chef Research & Development

Location: On-site in Universal City, California, at an hirify.global-designated worksite

Salary: $80,000–$95,000 per year, bonus eligible

Company

hirify.global is a media and entertainment company operating film, television, streaming, theme park, consumer product, and live experience businesses.

What you will do

• Lead food and beverage concept development for permanent menus, seasonal events, festivals, intellectual properties, and limited-time offerings.
• Manage the full product development lifecycle from culinary ideation and recipe development through testing, operational approval, and implementation.
• Conduct bench testing, sensory evaluations, yield studies, hold-time validation, shelf-life testing, and production evaluations.
• Create standardized recipes, product specifications, presentation standards, portioning guidelines, and production procedures.
• Coordinate pilot testing, venue field trials, operational validations, rollout support, and post-launch product improvements.
• Collaborate with culinary, production, purchasing, marketing, quality assurance, training, operations, finance, and supplier partners.

Requirements

• At least 7 years of progressive culinary experience in restaurants, resorts, hotels, theme parks, production kitchens, or food manufacturing.
• At least 3 years of experience in culinary research and development, menu innovation, or product development.
• Experience developing recipes from concept through implementation and conducting product testing, yield studies, shelf-life evaluations, and operational validations.
• Strong knowledge of culinary science, ingredient functionality, production methods, project management, and organization.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and recipe management software.
• Compliance with food safety, sanitation, HACCP, allergen management, and local regulatory requirements is required.

Nice to have

• Bachelor’s or associate degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Food Science, or a related field.
• Certified Executive Chef designation.
• Experience in theme parks, entertainment venues, multi-unit restaurants, hotels, or resorts.

Culture & Benefits

• Company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k), paid leave, and tuition reimbursement.
• Employee discounts and additional company perks.
• Opportunities to mentor team members and support culinary education and professional development.

Hiring process

• External candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview at an hirify.global location before a hiring decision.