R&D Chef Gennext

Reports to: Kubra Aydınlı

Scope: local

Location: Umraniye/ Istanbul

Terms & Conditions: min 3-4 days in office

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. 

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

JOB PURPOSE

Unilever is the place where you can bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world.  If you are < passionate about food innovation, eager to learn, and ready to shape the future of taste and sustainability > then this role is just for you!

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

• Support the development of new product concepts by assisting in kitchen trials and sample preparation

• Collaborate with chefs, food scientists, and marketing teams to explore innovative recipes and formats

• Conduct research on culinary trends, ingredients, and flavour profiles to inspire future innovation

• Assist in maintaining kitchen hygiene and ingredient stock levels

• Contribute to sensory evaluations and internal tasting sessions

• Document recipes, test results, and feedback in an organized manner

• Help organize and participate in product tastings, demos, and presentations

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

• Culinary student or recent graduate with a passion for food innovation

• Interest in R&D, product development, or food science is a plus

• Previous kitchen or foodservice experience (internship, part-time, or coursework) preferred

• Familiarity with global cuisines and modern culinary techniques is an advantage

Skills

• Creative mindset with strong attention to detail

• Good communication and collaboration skills

• Eagerness to learn and experiment in a fast-paced environment

• Basic understanding of food safety and hygiene

• Ability to manage time efficiently and handle multiple tasks

• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• intermediate level English

Leadership

• You are energized by delivering fantastic results. You are an example to others – both your results and your resilience. You are constantly on the lookout for better ways to do things, engaging and collaborating with others along the way.

• As an individual you are the one responsible for your own wellbeing and delivering high standards of work. You must also focus on the Consumer and what they need. You are humble and have your head up, looking around to interpret evidence and data smartly, spot issues and opportunities to make things better.

• Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviours
  • PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results. Has an owner’s mindset, using data and insight to make decisions.
  • PERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Actively builds own wellbeing and resilience.
  • CONSUMER LOVE: Whatever their role, always looks for better ways to serve consumers. Invests time inside and outside to understand the needs of consumers.
  • PURPOSE & SERVICE: Has humility, understanding that leadership is service to others, inside and outside Unilever.
  • AGILITY: Explores the world around them, continually learning and developing their skills.

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicates from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. 

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.