Title: Recipe Innovation Chef

Organization: Real Food for Real Kids

Website: www.rfrk.com

Location: East End of Toronto, ON (On site)

Hours of work: Monday to Friday, 6:00am-2:00pm (occasional work outside these hours required for recipe trials and ingredient testing)

Compensation: $60,000 - $70,000/ year, dependant on experience

About Real Food For Real Kids:

Real Food for Real Kids (RFRK) is a growing company on a mission to make real food the standard rather than the exception.

A multiple award-winning company recognized for excellence and innovation, we're a leading healthy catering company for child care centres, schools and camps. RFRK proudly serves nutritious meals and snacks to thousands of children throughout the Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area every day. We're well poised for growth into new markets and planning for significant expansion over the coming years.

Our Food & Service Innovation Team team is looking for a fantastic person who is energized by recipe development and innovation to join us as a Recipe Innovation Chef. If you like the sound of us so far, keep reading to see if you have the experience and skills needed for this rewarding role!

In this newly created role, the Recipe Innovation Chef will report directly to the Manager of Recipe Innovation and will be part of the broader Food & Service Innovation Team at RFRK.

As the Recipe Innovation Chef, you will transform new product concepts and specifications into tangible culinary creations that inspire and delight our core customer - kids! You will oversee the entire product development lifecycle, encompassing product formulation and prototype creation. Your responsibilities include crafting recipes, testing ingredients, and refining existing recipes to meet production requirements, budget constraints, customer expectations, health & safety regulations, and nutritional guidelines. You will also meticulously document all phases of the development process and create detailed records of all steps, including the final recipe specification sheet. Throughout this process, you will exemplify RFRK's core values.

The successful candidate will:

• be a problem solver and not rest until every rock is unturned
• think outside the box and be willing to hunt and explore for the right solution - approaching recipe innovation with a “how might we” attitude
• be organized and detailed-oriented to succeed in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment
• be collaborative and consider “the customer” at every point - including external/internal customers & stakeholders, and financial targets
• be creative, aspirational, and have a sense of adventure
• be excited to make a difference and to put their thumbprint on shaping the growth of the company, while being a team player and cultivating a positive culture

Recipe Development

• Work collaboratively with the Recipe Innovation Manager to develop and standardize recipes for new and reformulated products, prioritizing enhanced food quality, increased client satisfaction, and operational efficiencies.
• Generate comprehensive Specification Sheets for both existing and novel recipes.
• Organize and lead Tasting Meetings for new recipe development and maintain meticulous records of sensory evaluations.
• Conduct pilot batch productions in conjunction with the Production team.
• Oversee the implementation and launch of new recipes on the menu, providing timely solutions to operational challenges.
• Manage “Daily Sensory Meetings” to evaluate the quality of food served to clients.
• Incorporate production team capacities, equipment and labour considerations, nutritional and cost requirements and production volume into the recipe development process.
• Collaborate closely with kitchen teams, production staff, and quality assurance to validate recipes in real-world production environments to ensure successful execution of trial recipes.
• Compile nutritional data, allergen information, ingredient declarations, preparation instructions, and usage guidelines for all recipes.
• Assist in shelf-life testing initiatives in cooperation with the Food Production and Quality Assurance departments.

Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Maintain detailed records of testing procedures, ingredient modifications, and results to support quality control and future recipe refinement.
• Contribute to standardized production processes, ensuring consistency in taste, texture, and quality across all recipes.
• Ensure all recipes comply with food safety regulations, allergen guidelines, and nutritional standards.
• Conduct testing and sensory evaluation for contingency ingredients and new or existing recipes.
• Support new recipe development and reformulation of existing recipes to enhance flavor, texture, and efficiency.

Required Education & Experience:

• You're obsessed with all things food!
• 3+ years of experience in Recipe R&D/Culinary Arts
• BS or MS in Food Science/ Culinary Management or similar
• Intermediate to advanced understanding of food chemistry, shelf life, and recipe costing
• Knowledge of and experience in GMPs, HACCP, the Safe Food for Canadians Act, and role models food safety standards
• Experience with diverse food manufacturing and shelf life packaging machinery (combi ovens, mixers, steam jacketed kettles, blast chillers, vacuum sealer, food pumps, Cryovac, etc)
• Demonstrated success in achieving cost, quality, timing and consumer appeal goals with product development projects
• Computer skills - strong proficiency in computer software such as: Microsoft Office (especially Excel), Google Suite, nutrition analysis software such as Genesis R&D®, Food Processor® & FMP (Filemaker Pro) or similar associative database program typically called ERP

Additional Skills:

• Exceptional culinary creativity that can be balanced with operational needs for a high-volume food manufacturing/complex catering business
• Open-minded and receptive to new processes, ingredients, and concepts
• Passion for food and desire to learn and study new techniques, flavours and recipes
• Ability to juggle diverse and complex projects at one time with changing deadlines and priorities.
• Aligned with RFRK Food values and mission
• Meticulous, detail-oriented, and thorough with respect to documenting all trials and phases of development
• Experience with allergen-free product development
• Approach recipe creation with an innovative mindset, able to work within competing specifications
• Intellectually curious: you're a lifelong learner; you pick things up and dissect them to see how they work, and then figure out how to improve or fix them
• Oriented towards trial-and-error iterations
• Focused: demonstrate attention to detail AND creative flexibility in product development
• An expert in Culinary Concepts: you seek to maintain a deep, strategic knowledge of the current culinary landscape, particularly trends and contemporary developments
• Driven by results: you are conscientious and persistent about delivering timely, high-quality work.
• Ability to handle pressure and urgent situations while maintaining a calm demeanor and positive outlook

Nice-To-Haves:

• Training in protocols such as HACCP, SQF, GFSI, BRC and CFIA standards
• Project and cost management experience a plus, including knowledge of ingredient sourcing and costing

Comprehensive Savings & Benefits Package

• Employee Savings Program: Enjoy peace of mind for your financial future with our RRSP/RESP matching program.
• Health and Wellbeing: Our benefits program includes coverage for alternative and preventative health treatments, ensuring your wellbeing is a top priority.
• Profit-Sharing Program: Beyond a competitive salary, our Profit-Sharing Program ensures you directly benefit from our success when we meet our financial performance targets.

Continuous Growth

• Professional Development: We invest in your growth. Receive annual financial support for professional development to enhance your skills and stay ahead in your career. Participate in our Mentorship Program, where you will be guided through challenges and opportunities, fostering both personal and professional growth.

Time for You

• Vacation: Begin with three weeks of vacation and unlock additional weeks as you achieve set service milestones. Your dedication is rewarded.
• Paid Sick & Wellness Days: Take up to 8 paid sick and wellness days each year. Your wellbeing and work-life harmony matter to us.

To apply, please upload your résumé and cover letter, including salary expectations, explaining why you'd be a great fit for this role. If you meet almost all of the requirements and are not sure if you should apply, apply anyway! We may see something special in your application that sets you apart from the rest.

Real Food for Real Kids is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and inclusion in our workplace and at all levels of our organisation. We strongly encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and communities.

We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

No phone calls, emails or drop in visits, please. We'll contact applicants who fit the bill, and invite them in for an interview.

We appreciate the interest from the Staffing industry however respectfully request no calls or unsolicited resumes from Agencies.

Thanks for your interest in Real Food for Real Kids!

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