Job Description

Mama’s Creations, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAMA) is a leading marketer and manufacturer of fresh deli prepared foods, found in over 8,500 grocery, mass, club and convenience stores nationally. The Company’s broad product portfolio, born as MamaMancini’s, from a rich history in Italian foods, now consists of a variety of high quality, fresh, clean and easy to prepare foods to address the needs of both our consumers and retailers. Our vision is to become a one-stop-shop deli solutions platform, leveraging vertical integration and a diverse family of brands to offer a wide array of prepared foods to meet the changing demands of the modern consumer. For more information, please visit

Based in our East Rutherford, NJ headquarters, we have an excellent opportunity for a highly skilled and innovative R&D Chef to lead product development across our retail and foodservice channels for all brands under the Mama’s Creations umbrella. The incumbent will drive innovation by balancing culinary tradition with modern technique, and with a commitment to craftsmanship, ensuring every product reflects the high standards of Grandma Quality.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leverage consumer insights, competitive intelligence, and market trends to shape the culinary innovation pipeline while remaining true to our heritage.
• Collaborate closely with the sales team and key customers to develop customized culinary solutions.
• Lead research on functional ingredients and work with procurement to identify and source Grandma Quality components aligned with both innovation and tradition.
• Partner with marketing to provide creative input on packaging, product positioning, and go-to-market strategies.
• Create, document, and refine formulations for all new product concepts in collaboration with Quality Control.
• Lead development and oversee seamless scale-up with manufacturing, actively participating in pre-production and plant trials to ensure consistency, quality, and efficiency.
• Continuously evaluate and renovate existing products to ensure alignment with our Grandma Quality standards, honoring our heritage while adapting to today’s consumer expectations.
• Represent Mama’s Creations at customer meetings, trade shows, investor events, and board presentations with confidence and professionalism.
• Supervise, develop, and mentor R&D assistant(s).

Essential Qualifications:

• Culinary Arts degree from an accredited culinary institution.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in culinary leadership, with a strong focus on R&D in food manufacturing or commercial kitchens.
• Deep expertise in commercial kitchen operations, food safety and sanitation.
• Strong knowledge of flavor profiles, food categories, ingredients, and food production techniques.
• A passion for craftsmanship and an eye for detail, with a track record of delivering high-quality culinary innovation.
• Demonstrated success in product development and commercial product launches.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; must be able to lead cross-functional projects and inspire collaboration.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines while maintaining a strong sense of culinary integrity.

· Willingness and ability to travel up to 20% between company locations, customer sites, and trade events.

Preferred Qualifications:

• CRC (Certified Research Chef), CEC (Certified Executive Chef), or similar certification preferred.
• NJ Certified Food Protection Manager preferred.
• Bilingual (Spanish) a strong plus.

We offer a comprehensive compensation package that includes a base salary ($140k+) plus 20% bonus eligibility, paid time off, holiday pay, medical, dental, vision, and life insurances, FSA, and 401(k.)

Applicants should submit a resume to humanresources@mamascreations.com for immediate consideration. 

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