R&D Chef – Menu & Culinary InnovationDepartment: Research & Development / Culinary InnovationLocation: Mumbai (with travel to key cities for trials and training)Reporting to: Head – Production & Product QualityRole PurposeThe R&D Chef is the culinary engine behind Mad Over Donuts’ menu – responsible for creating globally inspired, locally loved products that are true to the brand and scalable across all kitchens. This role leads recipe innovation, menu improvement, kitchen trials, and menu engineering support so that MOD always offers a contemporary, commercially sharp and operationally feasible range of donuts, beverages and related products.Key Responsibilities1. Menu & Recipe DevelopmentDevelop new products and platforms (donuts, beverages, brownies, limited-time offers, seasonal ranges, gifting and occasion-led products, and more) aligned with brand positioning and customer insight.Standardise recipes with precise measurements, process flows, equipment requirements and costing, ensuring they can be consistently replicated across all production units and stores.[1][2]Lead structured tastings to refine flavour, texture, appearance and overall experience; maintain MOD’s “global standard” benchmark for indulgence and quality.2. Innovation, Trends & BenchmarkingContinuously scan global and Indian QSR/bakery trends: flavours, formats, ingredients, dietary shifts, and category adjacencies.Benchmark against leading global and regional brands to ensure MOD’s menu stays contemporary and competitive, while remaining distinctive.Build and maintain a rolling innovation pipeline and calendar (core upgrades, LTOs, collabs, festive ranges) with clear concepts and roles for each launch.3. Kitchen Trials & Production Scale-UpPlan and execute lab/kitchen trials from bench-top to pilot; lead scale-up trials with Production and QA to validate feasibility, consistency and capacity.Troubleshoot product or process issues during trials and early launch phases, adjusting recipes or methods without compromising the brand promise.Document and hand over robust SOPs, recipe cards, photos and process videos to production and training teams.4. Menu Engineering & Optimisation SupportPartner with the Head of Production, Finance and Marketing on menu engineering: analyse performance by item and category, and recommend rationalisation, upgrades or new hero products.Optimise recipes and builds for contribution margin and operational simplicity while maintaining perceived value and guest delight.5. Quality, Hygiene & ComplianceEnsure all new recipes and processes comply with food safety regulations (including FSSAI) and internal quality standards.Maintain complete and up-to-date documentation: recipe cards, trial reports, sensory evaluation notes, costing sheets and shelf-life studies.6. Costing, Sourcing & Vendor CollaborationPrepare detailed costings for all new and revised recipes; proactively suggest value-engineering options where needed without diluting brand experience.Work with Purchase & Supply Chain to identify and evaluate new ingredients, vendors and formats that enable innovation and cost-effective scale.7. Training & Cross-Functional CollaborationConduct recipe demos, workshops and “chef tables” for production, city kitchen and store teams to embed new products and standards.Collaborate closely with:Production & QA: for process design, quality parameters and scale-up.Marketing: on storytelling, naming, hero shots and key USPs for campaigns and launches.Operations: on execution practicality and feedback from stores and guests.Skills & CompetenciesStrong culinary creativity with solid technical grounding in bakery/patisserie and dessert/QSR-style innovation.Expertise in recipe standardisation, portioning, costing and process documentation.High sensory acuity (taste, aroma, texture, visual) and ability to translate feedback into precise recipe adjustments.Good understanding of food safety, shelf-life, and basic packaging/handling considerations.Comfortable working in both R&D lab and high-volume production environments; hands-on problem solver.Clear communicator and collaborator across culinary, operations, marketing and supply chain teams.Qualifications & ExperienceDiploma / Degree in Culinary Arts, Hotel Management, Food Production or related field.[1]3–8 years’ experience as Chef / R&D Chef in QSR, bakery, patisserie, HORECA, FMCG, cloud kitchen or food manufacturing.Exposure to bakery/confectionery or dessert categories strongly preferred; experience with multi-city or multi-unit brands is an advantage.
Job Title
Chef