Executive Chef – 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.

Key Responsibilities Product Development & Innovation

• Lead the end-to-end development of new menu products from initial concept and ideation through to final recipe standardization and commercial rollout.
• Develop innovative seasonal, limited-time and permanent menu products aligned with the organization's brand positioning and customer preferences.
• Conduct food trend analysis and competitor benchmarking to identify new product and menu opportunities.
• Develop innovative food concepts while ensuring products remain operationally practical and commercially sustainable.
• Work closely with Marketing to align product launches with promotional campaigns and marketing calendars.
• Continuously identify opportunities to improve existing menu products.

Recipe Standardization & Commercialization

• Convert creative food concepts into accurate and scalable recipes suitable for high-volume restaurant and franchise environments.
• Develop detailed recipe cards and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Ensure recipes can be consistently replicated across multiple restaurant locations.
• Conduct food costing and cost-per-serving analysis.
• Work within defined food-cost and margin targets to ensure product profitability.
• Analyze ingredient yields and portion specifications.
• Work closely with Procurement and Supply Chain to source ingredients that meet required quality, cost, and availability standards.
• Conduct pilot production and operational testing before products are introduced across the business.
• Facilitate sensory evaluations and consumer taste-testing processes prior to product launch.

Quality, Compliance & Food Safety

• Ensure all new products comply with applicable South African food safety and labelling regulations.
• Work closely with the Quality Assurance team regarding product specifications and compliance requirements.
• Assist in determining appropriate shelf-life parameters.
• Ensure allergen information and nutritional profiles are accurately considered during product development.
• Establish and maintain consistent product quality standards across restaurant locations.
• Support operational teams with product quality training and auditing requirements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Operations, Training and Franchise teams to ensure successful implementation of new products at store level.
• Support new product launches and operational rollouts.
• Provide culinary guidance during product training sessions.
• Assist with the training of restaurant teams, franchise owners and kitchen staff on new recipes and preparation standards.
• Work closely with suppliers, manufacturers, and flavor houses to develop new or proprietary ingredients, sauces, and products.
• Collaborate with Procurement and Supply Chain regarding ingredient availability, quality, and pricing.
• Collaborate with Marketing regarding menu positioning and product launches.

Leadership & Kitchen Management

• Support, mentor, and develop members of the New Product Development team.
• Promote a culture of creativity, innovation, precision, and continuous improvement.
• Manage NPD kitchen equipment, resources, and budgets effectively.
• Ensure product development activities are completed according to agreed deadlines.
• Maintain high standards of organization, cleanliness, food safety, and operational efficiency within the development kitchen.
• Represent the organization at relevant food exhibitions, supplier engagements and industry events when required.

Skills & Competencies The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Advanced culinary knowledge and cooking techniques.
• Strong flavor profiling capabilities.
• Excellent recipe development and innovation skills.
• Strong commercial and financial understanding.
• Excellent recipe costing and food margin management skills.
• Strong knowledge of food safety and HACCP.
• Excellent SOP and recipe-card development skills.
• Strong sensory evaluation capabilities.
• Sound knowledge of ingredient sourcing and supply chain processes.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across multiple departments.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to operate effectively under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities.

Please take note: if you have not been contacted within 14 days, please consider your application unsuccessful.