Wonder

Culinary Commercialization Manager, Robotics

Wonder$128K — $135K *
Food & Beverages
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 7+ years of restaurant and/or kitchen management experience.
  • Expertise in vendor management and ingredient sourcing.
  • Proficient in menu mix analysis and forecasting usage.
  • In-depth knowledge of Fast Casual and Quick Service Restaurant operations.
  • Experience in culinary R&D processes including recipe scaling and product launches.
  • Strong understanding of high-volume kitchen systems and food safety practices.
  • Exceptional communication skills to lead cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

  • Lead vendor relations for ingredient sourcing and supply chain logistics.
  • Conduct internal tastings for input on raw ingredients and recipes.
  • Collaborate with engineering to validate new ingredients on robotic systems.
  • Serve as the culinary expert for B2B client menu adaptations.
  • Develop operational manuals and food safety protocols for users.
  • Support B2B clients during pilot launches and menu changes.
  • Manage the test kitchen and support demos, training, and testing.

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation package with equity.
  • 401(k) plan with company contribution.
  • Choice of medical, dental, and vision plans.
  • Company-paid short and long-term disability coverage.
  • Flexible paid time off for exempt employees, paid vacation, and sick leave.
  • Paid parental leave and discounted meals.
Full Job Description
About The Opportunity

We’re looking for a Culinary Commercialization Manager, Robotics to drive menu and recipe adaptation on our automated platforms, lead ingredient sourcing, and manage hands-on culinary testing. Reporting to the Sr. Director of Culinary Platform Strategy, you will play a vital role in bringing Wonder’s culinary vision to life on our robotic systems and providing expert culinary support to our enterprise B2B customers.

The Impact You Will Make:

  • Ingredient Sourcing & Supply Chain: Lead vendor relations and procurement logistics to identify, source and procure ingredients. Create order guides, evaluate and track costs and develop ingredient spec documentation. 

  • Ingredient and recipe analysis: Lead internal tastings of raw ingredients, co-manufactured products and production recipes as part of the r&d and procurement process.  Focused on quality standards and scalability.
    Hardware & B2B System Validation:  Partner with the engineering team to test and validate new ingredients on our automated systems with particular focus on our B2B customers.

  • B2B Customer Integration: Serve as the primary culinary subject matter expert for external enterprise clients, helping them translate their custom menus onto our robotic hardware platform.

  • Operational Readiness & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Build comprehensive operational manuals, prep guides, and food safety protocols (HACCP/FSMA) for end-users operating the robotic systems.

  • Support Pilot Launches: provide on the ground support to our B2B clients during testing, training and launches: new store openings, menu changes and line extensions.  

  • Cross-Functional R&D: Collaborate with the Wonder CE team and the Sr. Director of Culinary Platform Strategy to test and adapt ingredients and recipes on the robotic systems.  Providing feedback, proposed modifications and ensuring quality standards are achieved. 

  • Prototype IKC Support: Provide support, as needed for demos, training and testing on our automated systems; including the day to day management of our test kitchen - Partnering with Culinary Operations Manager and Engineering team.

What You Bring to the Table

  • 7+ years of restaurant and/or kitchen management experience.

  • Experience setting up new vendors, leading ingredient cuttings, managing order guides and vendor ordering platforms.

  • Experience with menu mix analysis, setting pars and forecasting usage. 

  • Practical knowledge of Fast Casual and Quick Service Restaurant operations, with an eye toward speed and high-volume consistency.

  • Experience with the culinary R&D process, scaling recipes, bench testing, leading menu roll outs and new product launches.

  • Strong understanding of high-volume kitchen systems, line flows, and food safety.

  • Solid culinary skills and familiarity with a wide variety of standard kitchen equipment.

  • Comfortable working alongside engineers; ability to quickly master and troubleshoot tech/software interfaces.

  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; confident leading cross-functional huddles and writing technical SOPs.

  • Advanced proficiency in Excel (data tracking, inventory modeling, matrix building).

The Ideal Candidate Profile

You are a rare hybrid: part R&D Chef, part sourcing lead and a technical systems thinker. You love the fast pace of food service and are fascinated by automation. 

This role requires a minimum of 4 days a week in the office, with additional days as

needed based on project demands.

This role is based in our Boston office in Charlestown, MA

Massachusetts: $128,000-$135,000 per year.

Wonder uses geographic-specific salary structures, which means the salary offered may vary depending on where the job is located. The final salary offer will take into account various factors, such as the candidate's skills, education, training, credentials, and experience.

Benefits

The benefits applicable to this role include a competitive compensation package with equity and a 401(k). We also offer a choice of medical, dental, and vision plans, company paid short and long term disability coverage, paid time off including flexible time off for exempt employees, paid vacation for non-exempt employees, and paid sick leave in compliance with applicable law in addition to paid parental leave, discounted meals and exclusive perks across the Wonder family of brands.

Eligibility, effective dates, and available plan options vary by employment classification and location. To learn more about benefits for this role, visit our Careers page here. 

About Wonder

World of Wonder Productions is an American production company founded in 1991 by filmmakers Randy Barbato and Portsmouth-born Fenton Bailey. Based in Los Angeles, California, the company specializes in documentary television and film productions, with credits including the Million Dollar Listing docuseries, RuPaul's Drag Race, and the documentary films Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Together, Bailey and Barbato have produced programming through World of Wonder for HBO, Bravo, HGTV, Showtime, the BBC, Netflix, and VH1. World of Wonder is perhaps best known for its contributions towards LGBTQ programming, for which they won an Outfest Annual Achievement Award in 2011. Their most well known LGBTQ production is RuPaul's Drag Race, having managed the career of drag queen and titular host RuPaul for many years before this, eventually producing the franchise alongside the majority of its live shows, podcasts, television specials, and conventions.
Learn more about Wonder
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Founded
2015

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