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Principal Chef Culinary Innovation

Washington, DC, USA|Travel, Onsite

Job Overview

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Employment Type

Full-time
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Work Schedule

Standard Hours
Flexible
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Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Paid Time Off
Retirement Plan
Employee Discounts
Professional Development
inclusive work environment

Job Description

Nestle USA is a leading food and beverage company recognized for its extensive portfolio of trusted brands such as DiGiorno, Toll House, and Coffee mate, which collectively reach 97 percent of U.S. households. Nestle is committed to providing quality and innovation that delights consumers in every food moment. As a part of the Nestle family, employees work in an inclusive environment that values innovation, strategic thinking, creativity, and growth opportunities. The culture fosters empowerment, collaboration, and bold ambitions, making Nestle a dynamic workplace for professionals dedicated to food excellence and consumer satisfaction. Join Nestle USA and be part of a team that is passionate about delivering outstanding products and experiences that positively impact millions of lives daily.

The Principal Culinary Innovation Chef position at Nestle USA is an influential role within the Global Culinary Kitchen (GCK) division. This position involves leadership in culinary vision and innovation across a diverse product portfolio covering sweet, savory, seasonal, and global categories. The chef will contribute to recipe development, product innovation, and bringing culinary credibility to both internal teams and external customers. This role is responsible for translating consumer insights, trends, and culinary research into innovative recipes and products that align with brand strategies and consumer needs. The chef will lead culinary immersions and training, fostering alignment and culinary knowledge among cross-functional teams. This role also plays a key role in brand storytelling, content development, and serving as a cultural ambassador for food excellence. The position requires 7+ years of culinary experience, strong recipe development and presentation skills, and the ability to manage multiple projects in an agile, fast-paced environment. Nestle USA supports its employees with a collaborative culture aimed at continuous learning and professional growth. This position is not eligible for Visa sponsorship and emphasizes inclusivity, diversity, and equal opportunity employment.

Job Requirements

  • Seven plus years professional culinary experience in restaurant, bakery, culinary R and D, or multi-unit food environments
  • Culinary degree or equivalent professional experience
  • Strong foundation in recipe development and writing with a consumer lens, food science basics, and recipe commercialization practices
  • Experience leveraging consumer insights, trends, and data to inform menu or recipe development
  • Strong presentation skills
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Cross-functional collaboration skills
  • Project leadership skills
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, agile environment
  • Willingness to travel up to 20-25 percent

Job Qualifications

  • Seven plus years professional culinary experience in restaurant, bakery, culinary R and D, or multi-unit food environments
  • Culinary degree or equivalent professional experience
  • Strong foundation in recipe development and writing with a consumer lens, food science basics, and recipe commercialization practices
  • Experience leveraging consumer insights, trends, and data to inform menu or recipe development
  • Strong presentation skills, comfortable showcasing recipes, leading demos, and representing brands to internal and external audiences
  • Excellent communication, cross-functional collaboration, and project leadership skills
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, agile environment
  • Willingness to travel up to 20-25 percent
  • Experience supporting CPG product development or working in innovation environments that require significant cross-functional collaboration with teams including TAG and Marketing
  • Strong understanding of global cuisines and flavor profiles
  • Demonstrated expertise in baking, pastry, or specialty categories
  • Experience organizing and facilitating culinary immersions, workshops, or training sessions
  • Familiarity with I2L or similar product development processes

Job Duties

  • Develop a robust portfolio of new consumer-led recipes across GCK brands
  • Translate trends, insights, and NCompass personas into fresh usage occasions, versatile applications, and compelling content that drives household penetration and engagement
  • Serve as the culinary lead for new product development, bringing elevated culinary expertise to innovation and renovation projects
  • Develop and validate gold standard recipes for I2L product development and long-lead customer meetings
  • Deliver insights and prototypes that reflect consumer needs, category trends, and brand ambitions
  • Conduct ongoing culinary, baking, and flavor trend research to inform brand strategy, innovation sprints, and marketing activation
  • Lead field immersions, offsite tours, and scouting visits to surface actionable insights for cross-functional partners
  • Create compelling culinary content that showcases product versatility, technique, and consumer relevance
  • Collaborate with brand teams to bring the culinary voice into campaigns, social content, and experiential events
  • Host hands-on culinary immersion sessions for cross-functional teams to build product knowledge, flavor literacy, empathy, and alignment with consumer experiences
  • Lead culinary language training, tasting etiquette sessions, and onboarding culinary education
  • Support broader Nestle culinary activations, customer meetings, ELT meetings, Division and Zone events as a culinary ambassador
  • Act as a strategic thought partner across teams, helping shape brand narratives, innovation priorities, and activation strategies

Job Criteria

Experience

Expert Level (7+ years)


Job Location

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