Senior Research Chef APAC - Ninja Culinary

About Us 

SharkNinja is a global product design and technology company, with a diversified portfolio of 5-star rated lifestyle solutions that positively impact people’s lives in homes around the world. Powered by two trusted, global brands, Shark and Ninja, the company has a proven track record of bringing disruptive innovation to market and developing one consumer product after another has allowed SharkNinja to enter multiple product categories, driving significant growth and market share gains. Headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts with more than 4,100 associates, the company’s products are sold at key retailers, online and offline, and through distributors around the world. 

AI at SharkNinja

At SharkNinja, we’re building an AI-native culture. We’re not waiting for the future; we’re creating it. Our people are expected to experiment boldly, adopt new tools, and continuously raise what’s possible to create meaningful impact for our consumers. If you believe the best way to do your job hasn’t been invented yet, you’ll fit right in.

Position Summary:

The Ninja Test Kitchen is looking for a Senior Research Chef, APAC to join our vibrant group of global chefs and food scientists. Our team takes a unique approach to product development, blending culinary arts and the science of food. The Ninja Test Kitchen shapes the product roadmap, development and story creation.

The Ninja Test Kitchen is highly collaborative, and team members are expected to contribute feedback and problem-solving ideas across all projects. Team members are expected to have a strong knowledge of the industry, to be familiar with the latest food trends, and to foster a curiosity for product development. This position will be based at our Corporate Headquarters in Needham, MA.

Responsibilities:

• Conduct research and development exploration and testing on competitive products to inform product strategy/roadmap


• Drive product strategy and roadmap decisions in partnership with cross-functional and regional leadership


• Develop and lead exploratory test strategy to push the limits of what’s possible with new product ideas to inform the product story and determine hero recipes


• Define and own KPIs for ideal performance across new product functions, and validate prototypes to ensure KPIs are being met


• Meticulously records testing results and shares results as needed with key stakeholders in a timely fashion


• Develop preset programs and function recipe requirements


• Mentor junior chefs and food scientists, providing technical guidance and helping raise the team’s overall development capabilities


• Validate recipes, and assemble all relevant material information, that highlight the product feature and benefits


• Assists with developing and testing recipes to highlight products for demonstrations and marketing materials


• Assists, attends and presents at internal and external events, as needed

Qualifications:

• 3+ years of related culinology/culinary/food science experience or a related field, preferably at a consumer goods company


• Degree from an accredited Culinary Arts program, or Culinology or Food Science or Nutrition; Bachelor’s Degree with a focus on Marketing or Communications; or combination of education and experience


• A mindset geared toward building relationships across multi-functional teams, coupled with excellent interpersonal skills


• Highly-effective communication skills – both written (presentation/email) and in-person (ability to host succinct, effective conversations that solve problems and ability to make effective presentations to all levels of management, including SharkNinja’s executive leadership team)


• Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize effectively, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and stay organized in a fast-paced environment


• Proven ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment in ambiguous situations, and influence stakeholders across functions and regions


• A desire to learn and grow in a passionate environment.  The ability to embrace transparency and shifting priorities while learning from each decision and focusing on the path forward


• Comfort with standard data acquisition tools (thermometers, texture analyzer, photo capture, etc.)


• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint


• Curiosity for and comfort using AI tools to accelerate research, recipe development, and workflow efficiency


• Familiarity/experience with cuisines and culinary trends of APAC regions


• Comfort with international hours – role will be joining calls with teams in other parts of the world that may fall early in the day or evening


• Desired but not required: Bilingual (Japanese, Chinese, or Hindi)