Culinary Experience Specialist

About the Role:

Kinder’s is seeking a passionate, execution-focused, and creatively driven Culinary Experience Specialist to help bring our flavor to life—in the kitchen, in the field, and across digital platforms. This role is designed for a culinary professional who wants to grow inside an ambitious, fast-growing organization while representing Kinder’s through exceptional food execution, recipe development, and operational excellence.

This position begins with a training program designed to build deep fluency in Kinder’s products, brand standards, food safety, and cross-functional collaboration. Upon completion, the Culinary Experience Specialist will transition into a dynamic, fail forward role supporting our Culinary team across product development, customer events, and content creation.

We are a fast-growing company committed to bringing amazing flavor solutions that are as exciting and delicious as they are simple to use. We are obsessed with quality. We care deeply about how our brand shows up in the real world — on grills, in kitchens, at events, and across digital channels. While we’ve been around for 80 years, we believe we’re just getting started.

As our footprint continues to expand nationwide across retailers including Costco,

Walmart, Sam’s Club, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, Safeway, and many more, we are investing in culinary talent who can represent Kinder’s with excellence, credibility, and operational discipline.

How You Will Have an Impact at Kinder’s

The Culinary Experience Specialist will play a critical role in supporting Kinder’s culinary development, field culinary execution, and brand storytelling through food. This role blends hands-on cooking, product testing, recipe development, field execution, and cross-functional partnership.

You will begin with a six-month cross-functional development program spanning Culinary, Product Development, Innovation, Quality, Brand, Sales, and Operations. Following successful completion, you will operate as part of the Culinary team, supporting the culinary needs of the business through recipe creation, product application, culinary events, and consumer engagement initiatives.

This role will report to the Culinary Director and work cross-functionally with Studio (Brand), Growth, Sales, Quality, Product Development, and Operations as needed.

Primary Responsibilities

Culinary Foundations & Development Program

Develop deep fluency in Kinder’s full portfolio of sauces, seasonings, rubs, and future product innovations

Participate in hands-on culinary training focused on protein execution, grilling, smoking, recipe development, and scalable food preparation

Support internal tastings, sensory evaluations, and competitive benchmarking exercises

Gain exposure across Product Development, Innovation, Quality, Brand Management, Sales, and Operations through rotational learning experiences

Build a strong understanding of Kinder’s quality standards, food safety expectations, and consumer experience philosophy

Complete certifications and training requirements necessary to fulfill the role

Field Culinary Experience Support

Support field culinary experiences at customer events, trade shows, retailer demos, consumer activations, and internal company events

Execute high-volume cooking with consistency, professionalism, and brand alignment

Set up, maintain, and operate mobile cooking environments safely and efficiently

Engage directly with customers and consumers to represent the Kinder’s brand authentically

Maintain field equipment and event readiness standards

Support event planning logistics, including ingredient preparation, transportation coordination, and on-site execution

Ensure strict adherence to food safety and sanitation standards at all events

Culinary Development & Recipe Support

Assist with recipe development and product application testing for new and existing products

Create and refine consumer-friendly recipes that showcase Kinder’s products and inspire confidence in home cooks

Test recipes for accuracy, consistency, and repeatability across a variety of cooking methods and skill levels

Support Product Development and R&D teams with product evaluations, sensory documentation, and culinary feedback

Participate in internal tastings, product reviews, and competitive benchmarking exercises

Prepare samples and support internal culinary presentations

Maintain organized documentation of recipes, product feedback, and testing results

Contribute culinary insights that support innovation initiatives and future product development

Culinary Content & Brand Support

Partner with Brand, Digital, and Content teams to support culinary storytelling and product education initiatives

Provide culinary guidance for recipe content, product applications, website content, and marketing materials

Support recipe preparation, food styling, photography, and video content production as needed

Help build and maintain a library of brand-aligned recipes and culinary applications

Contribute cooking tips, preparation techniques, and usage ideas that enhance the consumer experience

Help ensure all culinary content reflects Kinder’s standards for quality, flavor, and accessibility

What You Bring to the Table

Education / Experience

2–6+ years of professional culinary experience (restaurant, catering, hospitality, culinary events, test kitchen, or CPG culinary environments preferred)

Experience working in Michelin-starred or other highly acclaimed restaurant environments is a strong plus

Ability to thrive in fast-paced, high-variability environments

Experience cooking in high-volume or event environments strongly preferred

Comfortable cooking both independently and as part of a team

Experience supporting recipe development, product testing, or culinary content creation is a plus

Strong execution skills and attention to detail

Strong organizational and documentation skills

Ability to lift, transport, and set up cooking equipment

Strong communication skills when interacting with customers and consumers

Culinary degree preferred but not required

Strong understanding of food safety principles and sanitation practices

ServSafe certification required (or ability to obtain within 60 days)

Personal Characteristics

Builder mindset with a strong sense of ownership

Calm under pressure

Passionate about flavor and execution excellence

Highly adaptable and resourceful

Team-oriented with low ego

Creative thinker with strong attention to detail

Energized by bringing brands to life through food

Passionate about delivering great experiences that feel authentic and human

Curious and eager to continuously learn and grow

Location & Travel

Based onsite in Walnut Creek, California

Travel required to support customer events, retailer activations, trade shows, and culinary initiatives as needed

Pay Transparency

The expected starting salary range for this role is $105,000–$115,000 per year. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range based on the location of the role. The amount a particular employee will earn within the salary range will be based on factors such as relevant education, qualifications, performance, and business needs.