Maya Kaimal Foods is known for making high quality Indian sauces and ready-to-eat meals using the best ingredients and traditional methods. Founder Maya Kaimal grew up in a multi-cultural family with an Indian father and American mother. She is a Julia Child award-winning author of three Indian cookbooks, and is a former photo editor of Saveur magazine. She and her husband launched her namesake company with three sauces from their Brooklyn apartment in 2003.

Today at Maya Kaimal Foods, we are constantly innovating fresh approaches to bringing Indian flavors to an ever-widening audience, and maintaining our brand as the gold standard in great-tasting, all-natural Indian food. Maya Kaimal products are sold in all retail channels including Natural, Grocery, Mass, and Club.  http://www.mayakaimal.com/

As the Research and Development Chef, you will work alongside the Product Development Chef and Chief Culinary Officer as part of the Culinary team. You will develop recipes in the R&D kitchen in Rhinebeck, New York, and work with our manufacturers to commercialize them, traveling to the factories as needed. You will collaborate closely with our Operations and Quality departments, sourcing new ingredients, reviewing packaging, and exploring new manufacturing processes. Our current portfolio has FDA and USDA products including: hot fill acidified simmer sauces, retort beans (dals and chanas) and rice, and tetra packed soups.

If you are passionate about food and the science behind it, are a good communicator and are both an analytical and creative thinker, then we would love to hear from you! An interest in Indian or other global cuisines is a definite plus. This is an excellent opportunity for a candidate who is interested in working with a dedicated team at a fast-paced growing company with products in multiple categories.
 

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop new products from concept phase through successful commercialization
• Design and conduct plant trials and new product start-ups
• Creates product development schedules that are required to meet project timelines
• Learn and utilize on-line specification system (NetSuite, Flavor Studio)
• Design and execute experiments and prepare results for review
• Drive product cuttings, plant trials, and testing
• Maintains a clean, organized and safe work area, including the cleaning of equipment, utensils and work surfaces

Requirements:

To be successful, the ideal candidate should possess the following education, skills and experience:

• Degree in Culinary Arts or Food Science, or Culinology degree, or CRC-Certified Research Chef
• Computer skills (Word, Excel, PPT)
• Ability to problem-solve effectively and adapt to a quickly changing work environment
• Good organizational skills and attention to detail
• Active member of IFT, RCA or similar Chef’s Association is a plus
• Familiarity with FDA and USDA regulations for labeling is a plus
• CPG experience is a plus
• Ability to travel to manufacturing facilities (travel 10%)

Attractions:

• Competitive compensation package including equity, health insurance and a 401(k) plan with company match
• Opportunity for future career growth, networking, and exposure to senior CPG and PE professionals
• Become an integral part of an organization that is positioned, financed and energized for growth
• Help establish Maya Kaimal Foods as THE Category Leader in modernizing South Asian cuisine
• Be part of a collaborative, entrepreneurial culture with cross functional input