Culinary Innovation Chef and Test Kitchen Manager

About the position The Test Kitchen Manager is responsible for overseeing all day-to-day operations of El Pollo Loco's on-site test kitchen, ensuring it runs smoothly, efficiently, and at the highest culinary standards. This role combines strong culinary expertise with organizational leadership, managing everything from ingredient prep and equipment maintenance to external culinary activations and detailed documentation. The Test Kitchen Manager plays a key role in supporting innovation, maintaining operational excellence, and partnering with the Culinary Team to bring new menu ideas to life. Responsibilities • Oversee all day-to-day activities in the on-site test kitchen, including food deliveries, ingredient prep, build line set-up and tear-down, and end-of-day clean-up. • Support showings and events by collaborating with the Culinary team to coordinate weekly internal tastings as well as large-scale showings for franchisees, agencies, and external partners. • Serve as project lead for all external culinary events and activations, managing logistics, ingredient ordering, staffing, on-site execution, and post-event wrap-up. • Partner with Sr. Director of Culinary in new product idea generation, iterations, and initial testing for Culinary and Marketing leadership. • Manage equipment upkeep, sanitation, and overall organization of the test kitchen to ensure readiness and compliance with food safety standards. • Maintain meticulous records of testing processes, recipe formulations, and product specifications to support future use and scalability. • Coordinate and manage ingredient testing with Culinary Team members, ensuring accuracy and consistency in results. Requirements • Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science or a related field required. • Minimum 10+ years of experience in a professional kitchen, restaurant, or media test kitchen, with proven experience in recipe development and culinary operations. • Food Handler's Certification required • Strong culinary background with experience in recipe development, cooking techniques, and food science. • Effective leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to guide and collaborate across teams. • Skilled at troubleshooting recipe failures, production challenges, and logistical issues under pressure. • Strong working knowledge of various types of kitchen equipment, with the ability to quickly learn new tools and technologies. • Meticulous approach to testing, documentation, and adherence to food safety protocols. • Ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize tasks, and maintain a highly organized and sanitary workspace. • Ability to work at the Support Center consistent with the hybrid work policy. Nice-to-haves • Prior experience managing kitchen operations, events, or activations strongly preferred. • ServSafe Manager Certification preferred. Apply tot his job