Junior R&D Chef – Menu Development & Operations

THE ROLE

Turn creative food concepts into scalable, commercially viable products – starting with TWYST (Western-Fusion Pasta) and expanding into seasonal menus, catering, virtual brands and new F&B concepts. Spend 2 to 3 days a week in outlet operations to gain real-time insight into kitchen constraints, service bottlenecks, and customer preferences – ensuring every dish developed is practical to execute on the line.

KEY RESPONSIBLITIES

o Recipe Innovation – Research, test, and propose new dishes, sauces, and concepts for TWYST, seasonal menus, catering and virtual brands.

o Feedback Iteration – Refine menu dishes based on tasting trials, operational feedback, and cost constraints.

o End-to-End Ownership – Lead assigned culinary projects from initial idea to multi-outlet rollout with management guidance.

o Costs & Yield Management – Calculate portion sizes, recipe costs, and yields to maintain profit margins.

o Sourcing – Evaluate and select raw ingredients, products and suppliers.

o Operational Execution – Work active kitchen shifts to support daily operations as needed by the business.

o Documentation – Create clear recipe guides, preparation manuals, plating guidelines, and product specs.

o SOPs & Safety – Standardise kitchen processes to boost efficiency, conduct audits and maintain strict compliance with food safety, quality, hygiene and Halal certification requirements.

WHAT WE REQUIRE

o The Background: Got a Culinary Arts / Food Services qualification (Diploma/Nitec)? Awesome! Fresh grad or stepping out into the industry? Even better! We’re excited to grow with you!

o The Kitchen Foundation: You know your way around Western cuisine, pasta, and sauces, and you keep things clean, safe and organised.

o The Tech & Prep Skills: You can follow recipes like a pro, keep clear notes, and aren't afraid of a Google Sheet or Excel spreadsheet (a huge bonus!).

o Agile & Flexible: You’re ready to switch gears, bouncing between the R&D processes for testing and real outlet kitchens for live service shifts!

THE VIBE: WHO YOU ARE

o Part foodie, part strategist: You love geeking out over new dish ideas, but you also get a kick out of making them fast, efficient and profitable.

o Not your average line cook: You’re looking to break out of routine prep lines and step into the world of multi-brand creation, menu design and F&B business operations.

o Self-Starter Energy: You take total ownership of your projects but you’re also a team player who vibes well with outlet crews.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

o See your creations go live: Put your signature spin on dishes, test them and watch them land on real menus across multiple outlets.

o Learn the whole playbook: Master everything from top-secret sauce testing to recipe costing, sourcing cool ingredients, writing SOPs and training outlets team members.

o Level up your career: Fast-track your path into culinary R&D, brand management or F&B operations with hands-on multi-unit experience under your belt!