Culinary Development Chef

About the role We are seeking a talented and creative Culinary Development Chef/Sous Chef to join the Hardlyworkingco team. This is a full-time position that combines leadership in the kitchen with culinary innovation. Working under the direction of the Founder(s) and the Executive Chef, this role is hands-on — testing recipes, costing menu items, sourcing ingredients, and training kitchen crews so that every new dish lands the way it was designed to. What you'll be doing 1. Recipe Testing & Execution Own recipe testing for new and seasonal menu items, from initial concept through to a service-ready build. Test on the kitchen line during agreed off-peak windows so live service isn't disrupted. Validate taste, consistency, and repeatability before any dish is signed off. 2. Menu R&D under Founder Direction Translate the Founder's brand vision and creative briefs into structured, testable recipe concepts. Maintain a clear development pipeline and keep the Founder(s) updated against key milestones. 3. Food Costing Calculate food cost percentages and ingredient yields for every menu item, flagging variances against target margins. Keep costing and recipe data accurate and current in the recipe management system. 4. Kitchen Quality Control SOPs Draft and maintain SOPs, station build guides, and plating references for new and existing items. Keep documentation aligned with how the kitchen actually executes. 5. Ingredient Sourcing Source ingredients from multiple suppliers, balancing quality, cost, and reliability of supply. Prioritise ingredients that cross-utilise existing stock to protect storage capacity and reduce waste. Validate price stability and lead times before locking a new ingredient into a recipe. 6. Food Tastings Prepare and present tastings, incorporating feedback into further iterations. Keep a clear record of how each dish evolved through revisions. 7. Training Outlet Kitchen Crew Train outlet kitchen crew on new and existing menu items, certifying teams can replicate dishes to standard without supervision. Build simple training aids (photos, short videos, or written guides) to scale training across shifts and outlets. Check in post-rollout to catch execution issues early. What we're looking for Minimum 2 years of culinary experience within a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR), including experience in recipe development, R&D within F&B. Hands-on experience with recipe costing and standardisation for multi-outlet or scaling operations. Experience training or leading kitchen crew, with strong technique and plating discipline. Skills & Competencies Strong palate and culinary creativity, with the discipline to work within a Founder-led creative direction. Good working knowledge of food costing, ingredient sourcing, and supplier evaluation. Meticulous documentation skills for recipes, yields, and SOPs. Comfortable presenting and receiving feedback directly from Founders and senior stakeholders. Team-oriented, hands-on, and willing to work across kitchens and outlets as needed.