Job Title
: Development Chef
Industry:
FMCG – Food
Location:
Cork
The Role
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a
Development Chef
to join a fast-paced FMCG food manufacturing business supplying branded and private-label products to leading Irish and European retailers.
This is a hands-on, creative role focused on developing high-quality, innovative food products from
kitchen concept through to factory scale-up
. Working closely with the NPD, Technical and Commercial teams, you will play a key role in bringing new ideas to life and translating customer briefs into commercially viable, manufacturable products.
Key Responsibilities
* Develop and create
new food concepts, recipes, and product prototypes
in line with customer and market briefs
* Support
NPD and EPD projects
from early concept through to factory trials and launch
* Work closely with
NPD Technologists and NPD Account Managers
to ensure concepts can be scaled for commercial production
* Prepare samples for
internal reviews, customer presentations, and retailer meetings
* Lead and support
factory trials
, ensuring recipe integrity and quality is maintained during scale-up
* Modify and refine recipes to improve
taste, texture, shelf life, cost, and manufacturability
* Maintain high standards of
food safety, hygiene, and allergen control
within the development kitchen
* Keep up to date with
food trends, ingredients, flavours, and consumer preferences
* Support continuous improvement and innovation within the product development function
The Ideal Candidate
* Professionally trained chef or food professional with experience in
product development, manufacturing, or high-volume catering
* Experience working in an
FMCG, food manufacturing, or retail-focused environment
* Strong understanding of
recipe development, ingredients, and cooking processes
* Ability to translate
kitchen recipes into scalable manufacturing processes
* Creative, organised, and commercially minded
* Comfortable working in a
fast-paced, customer-driven environment
* Excellent communication skills and able to work cross-functionally
Desirable Experience
* Exposure to
factory trials and product scale-up
* Understanding of
food safety, allergens, and shelf-life management
* Experience working on
retailer-led NPD or private-label products
* Familiarity with
specification, costing, and recipe management systems