Recipe Development Chef

The Johns Hopkins University is seeking a Recipe Development Chef to join part of the Culinary Innovation Team.  This position will support the Hopkins Dining Team in recipe development and ensure that quality standards are met in our various food service locations on Homewood and Peabody campuses with a focus on student satisfaction and engagement, quality execution, and service. The qualified candidate will work closely with the Campus Culinary team in the development and execution of menus, recipes, vendor selection, and product selection. Collaborating with the Dietitian and Sustainability Manager to create recipes that are wide-ranging from culturally diverse, healthful, plant-forward, and locally sourced, and are created to anticipate the needs and desires of our communities needs and desires to align with the Hopkins Dining vision.

This individual will play a crucial role in enhancing the culinary experience for students and ensuring the highest standards of quality in our dining services. The successful candidate will be responsible for testing and creating recipes, collaborating with students to understand their needs, and working closely with front-line associates to ensure that recipes are executed with precision and excellence.

Hopkins Dining manages a self-operated dining program that services our students, staff, and faculty with both retail and residential operations in seven locations on the Homewood and Peabody campuses. JHU will be expanding the footprint of dining with the addition of the Hopkins Student Center, SNF Agora Institute, and additional planned improvements.

The Recipe Development Chef will report to the Campus Executive Chef and work in collaboration with the Director of Culinary Innovation, Campus Executive Chef, Dietitian, Sustainability Manager, and Food Service Systems Team to strategize and develop innovative recipes, menus, programming, and engagement with students.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Culinary Excellence

•  Exemplifies the traits of a Culinary Leader: Passionate, Dedicated, Knowledgeable, Enthusiastic with a strong drive to be on the cutting edge of Culinary Innovation.
• Work collaboratively with all kitchen staff and supervisors.

Recipe Development

• Develop innovative and diverse recipes that align with Hopkins Dining's culinary vision.
• Stay current with culinary trends and incorporate them into the menu offerings.
• Research ingredients, flavors, and cooking techniques to continuously improve the dining experience.
• Accurately formulate, test, and document all recipes and formulations using standard forms and procedures.
• Assure all recipes are prepared and presented on time and at a high quality by standard recipes and requirements established by the Director of Culinary Innovation utilizing traditional forms and procedures.
• Maintain a clean, sanitary, and safe culinary environment, ensuring best practices, standards, and policies are followed.
• Create and maintain testing schedule and timeline with support from the recipe admin team.
• Assign goals weekly and monthly to meet deliverables.
• Create, test, and edit recipes as needed.
• Coordinate large-scale testing with the Culinary team to ensure batch, transportation, and production are feasible.
• Certify new products by conducting testing, observing market trends, and modifying recipes.
• Fundamental knowledge of the food service industry: i.e., intermediate terminology; identify standards of personal hygiene, sanitation, and safety; proper knife technique; identify liquid and dry measurements; identify ingredients used for cooking and baking; ability to read and follow a standard recipe.
• Strong written and verbal communication and ability to effectively communicate and read the English Language.

Quality Assurance

• Implement and oversee quality control measures to ensure consistency and excellence in all dishes.
• Establish and maintain standardized recipe procedures to be followed by front-line associates.
• Conduct regular audits and inspections to ensure adherence to recipe standards and identify areas for improvement.
• Ability to train operators and support teams on proper recipe testing procedures to ensure that we capture the best recipes from the field.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Collaboration with Students

• Engage with students to understand their preferences, dietary needs, and feedback on current menu offerings.
• Host tastings and gather input from student focus groups to incorporate their ideas into the menu.
• Exhibit a strong commitment to religious dietary standards and dietary restrictive diets with a strong ability to develop for all diets.

Training and Support

• Work closely with front-line associates, providing training on recipe execution and presentation.
• Address any challenges or questions related to recipes, ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow in the kitchen.
• Work with the Director of Culinary Innovation on any special projects.

Menu Optimization

• Analyze menu performance and collaborate with the Culinary Innovation Team to identify opportunities for menu optimization and enhancement.

Application Process

• Interested candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and a portfolio of recipes developed or contributed.

Ideal Candidate Experience 

• Ability to demonstrate, teach, and integrate knowledge of,
• Principles of Cooking and Culinary Fundamentals and Production Systems.
• Formula and Recipe Development (ratios, e.g., percent vs. per batch, yield).
• Culinary Uses and Applications of Products.
• Accommodating Allergens and Dietary Preferences.
• Flavor Building (e.g., top, mid, and base notes; fond, stock, cooking method, seasoning).
• Ability to 'Convert' from f.i.t. to cafe (e.g., effects of scale-up on finished product).
• Weigh and Measurement Conversions.
• Food Service Commercial Kitchen Equipment and Tools.
• Large-scale production (e.g., technologies affecting products).
• Regional and Authentic representations of World Cuisines (including preparation, spicing, and presentation).
• Food Safety (HACCP), Workplace Safety, Sanitation and Organization.
• Food Safety Practices and HACCP and the ability to identify.
• Food Sanitation (including prevention of foodborne illnesses, etc.).
• Previous experience working in a union environment.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Must be able to lift a minimum of 25 pounds.
  

• The employee must be able to work on their feet 8 hours per day, excluding breaks.
  

• Exposure to kitchen heat and humidity, handling hot pots and pans.
  

• Safe handling of kitchen equipment, including sharp knives and equipment with sharp edges.

Additional Information

• This position is considered essential personnel and will be asked to be on-call via phone as needed during the semester as a point of contact for contract partners and internal parties and may need to report to campus to manage emergencies.
• This position will also need to execute flex hours (including weekends) to accommodate maintenance and service work or other office events during non-business hours, typically quarterly.

Special Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Proven ability to lead and develop a diverse team.
• Ability to maintain organization in a changing environment.
• Exhibits initiative, responsibility, flexibility, and leadership.
• Able to communicate effectively with the management team, students, family members, and team members.
• Ability to taste and evaluate food and beverage products.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a complex workload, prioritize tasks, and use good judgment in providing services based on goals.
• Project management or start-up experience a plus
• Proven experience in a similar role within the culinary industry.
  

• Strong written and verbal communication and ability to effectively communicate and read the English Language
  

• Strong knowledge of culinary trends, ingredients, and cooking techniques.
  

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with students and front-line associates.
  

• Detail-oriented with a keen sense of taste and presentation.
  

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic culinary environment.
  

• Passionate about food, cooking, trends, and dining.
  

• Possess a flexible-spirited professional demeanor; demonstrate a strong work ethic and embrace a team environment.
  

• Organized detail with the ability to multi-task. Self-motivated, demonstrates the ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
  

• Ability to exhibit proper food handling procedures following local and state food codes.

• Associate's Degree or equivalency defined as ACF CEC credentials; minimum 3 years of progressive culinary supervisory experience.
  

• Knowledge of food and hygiene regulations (HACCP) and knowledge of food allergies, intolerances, and special dietary needs.

• Culinary degree or equivalent experience in recipe development and quality assurance.

• A valid driver's license is required.
  

• ServSafe and Allertrain certification is required and must be obtained within three months of employment if not currently held.
  

• Ability to maintain projected budget through food costs and labor costs.
  

• Commitment to job schedule and hours.
  

• Culinary Degree preferred.

• Previous experience working in a union environment.
• Previous experience with CBORD NetMenu, Jamix, Galley, or similar Menu/Recipe software.

Classified Title: Executive Sous Chef 
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Recipe Development Chef   
Role/Level/Range: ACRP/04/MD  
Starting Salary Range: $55,200 - $96,600 Annually ($72,244 targeted; Commensurate with experience) 
Employee group: Full Time 
Schedule: Varies / 5 days per week 
Exempt Status: Exempt 
Location: Homewood Campus 
Department name: ​​​​​​​Hopkins Dining  
Personnel area: University Student Services