Executive Chef â?? New Product Development

Our reputable QSR / Fast Food client is seeking an experienced and innovative Executive Chef New Product Development to join their New Product Developmen t team.

The successful candidate will be responsible for driving the development and commercialization of innovative, commercially viable menu products from initial concept through to full operational rollout.

This role requires a strong combination of culinary creativity, commercial awareness, food costing, recipe standardization, food safety, and the ability to develop products that can be successfully replicated across a high-volume, multi-site or franchise restaurant environment.

The Executive Chef will work closely with Operations, Marketing, Procurement, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Training, Franchise teams, and external suppliers to ensure that new products meet customer expectations, brand standards, operational requirements, and profitability targets.

Minimum Requirements Qualifications

• Culinary Diploma or Degree from a recognized institution.
• Qualification from a recognized culinary school or equivalent institution will be required.

Experience

• Minimum 8 years' professional culinary experience .
• At least 3 years' experience in a Senior Chef or Executive Chef role .
• Proven New Product Development (NPD) experience.
• Previous experience within a QSR, Fast Food, FMCG, multi-unit restaurant or hospitality environment is highly advantageous.
• Demonstrated experience developing and scaling recipes for high-volume commercial kitchen environments.
• Experience developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and recipe specifications.
• Strong experience in food costing, yield analysis, and menu engineering.
• Experience conducting product trials, sensory evaluations, and consumer taste testing.
• Experience working with suppliers, manufacturers, and ingredient/flavor houses.

Technical Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of food costing and food margin management. • Recipe costing and cost-per-serving analysis. • Yield analysis. • Menu engineering. • Recipe creation and innovation. • Recipe standardization. • Advanced culinary techniques and flavor profiling. • Standard Operating Procedure development. • Sensory evaluation and consumer testing. • Ingredient sourcing and supply chain considerations. • Working knowledge of South African food safety and labelling legislation . • Strong understanding of HACCP principles and food safety compliance . • Understanding of allergens, shelf-life requirements, and nutritional product information. .special-hidden { display: none; }