Home Chef is building new ways to navigate the booming meal kit delivery industry. Our team is a unique mix of creators, chefs, entrepreneurs, and trailblazers and we’re growing quickly. Our customer-first mentality, combined with a zest for supporting our peers, helped us bring home Built in Chicago’s Startup of the Year Moxie award in 2017. If you’re ready to be part of the action, we’re ready to connect with you. There are no limits to where we can go together.

The Director of New Product Development will be a key member of the product team, primarily responsible for the launch of new Home Chef meal solutions to support company growth objectives. You will take full ownership of the new product development process, including conducting customer and market research, developing a multi-year product roadmap, and driving new products from design to launch. You will also build out and manage a team of 2-3 people to support new product development efforts across direct to consumer and retail distribution channels.

Leverage customer and market research to build out Home Chef’s Product Roadmap

• Conduct primary research, leverage internal resources, and manage 3rd party firms to quickly and efficiently answer key customer and market research questions
• Use research to identify new products or product improvements that will help Home Chef achieve its key business objectives
• Work with product team and Home Chef leadership to build a 1-2 year product roadmap, constantly refining to reflect our latest learnings on customer, industry, and competition

Drive new products from ideation through to Launch

• Execute on the product roadmap, efficiently driving new products through design, prototyping, testing, and launch
• Foster communication and collaboration between product, operations, tech and marketing organizations throughout the product development lifecycle 
• Maintain Home Chef’s agile, data-driven, and “test, learn, improve” approach to new product development

Build and Manage the New Product Development Team

• Build team of 2-3 full-time resources to support new product development objectives
• Manage the new product development team, ensuring that team members are high-performing and embody Home Chef’s core values

Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability and/or other characteristics needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.

• 8-10 years of experience in consumer insights, customer research, new product development or R&D
• Track record of successful new product launches; having launched products in food, retail or other consumer-facing industries a plus
• Ability to work effectively across functions to drive complex projects to completion
• Data-driven mindset and strong analytical skills
• Passion for food, consumer products and working in a fast-paced, high-growth, entrepreneurial environment
• Must be based in Chicago IL
• Completion of a four-year degree program in a related field 

Perks/Benefits:

• Candidates can experience Home Chef as a customer - enter promo code PEOPLE30 for $30 off your first order!
• Direct access to senior management – our leadership team works alongside our team members every day
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Generous paid time off (PTO) policy
• 401k program
• Flexible spending accounts for qualified medical, dependent care, parking, or transit expenses
• Free water taxi, discounted gym membership, and daily bike storage for Wrigley building employees
• Cold brew coffee on tap at no charge
• Employee discounts for Home Chef meal kits
• Free lunch every Friday and snacks and beverages on hand every day
• Casual dress

Home Chef is an equal employment opportunity employer