Product Development & Operations Lead

Job Description

Product Development & Operations Lead

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Firenze Italian Street Food | Chicago, IL

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$75,000–$90,000 annually | Full-time | On-site

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Are you the kind of person who loves cooking as much as solving problems?

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We’re looking for a strong operator who can lead people, develop great food, and turn ideas into reality.

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Maybe you’re already working in food, or maybe you’re great at what you do and looking to bring those skills into the food industry.

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You might come from business operations, engineering, project management, consulting, or a professional kitchen. Your background matters less than your ability to take ownership, solve problems, lead people, and get things done.

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You must genuinely know how to cook, have good food judgment, and enjoy getting your hands dirty.

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This is a hands-on player-coach role. You’ll manage a culinary development assistant while working alongside them in the kitchen, researching, cooking, testing, improving, and turning ideas into great food that can be consistently reproduced.

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You'll manage a culinary development assistant while working alongside them in the kitchen, researching, cooking, testing, improving, and turning ideas into great food that can be consistently reproduced.

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About Firenze

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Firenze Italian Street Food is a growing Chicago-based food company focused on making craveable food using high-quality, clean ingredients.

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From Italian sandwiches and freshly baked schiacciata to salads, bowls, breakfast products, and catering, we believe simple food can be extraordinary when every detail is done right.

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We're obsessed with the details that turn good food into exceptional food. Take something as simple as a roasted sweet potato. The cut, seasoning, cooking temperature, moisture, and holding method can completely change the experience.

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But great flavor is only the beginning. What's the actual yield and waste? How long does it hold at its best? Can we do 90% of the work ahead of time and finish the last 10% right before serving? And can our kitchen team reproduce it consistently?

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We don't expect you to know all the answers. We expect you to own finding them.

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We work with experienced chef consultants and are willing to bring in additional expertise. Your job is to find answers, test them, and turn what you learn into better food.

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First, make it exceptional. Then understand why it's exceptional. Finally, figure out how to reproduce it consistently and profitably at scale.

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You'll report directly to our Head of Strategy & Operations.

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What You'll Do

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Develop Great Food

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• Own product development projects, from research and testing through finished, production-ready recipes.
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• Cook, test, compare, and refine products until they meet our standards for flavor, texture, and quality.
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• Research techniques, troubleshoot challenges, and work with chef consultants and other specialists to find the best solutions.
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• Improve existing products while considering ingredient costs, labor, equipment, holding times, and consistency.
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Lead by Doing

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• Directly manage and develop a culinary assistant, setting priorities, coaching, and providing feedback.
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• Work alongside your team member in the kitchen, preparing food, running tests, and solving problems together.
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• Independently organize projects, manage priorities, and keep work moving without constant supervision.
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• Support kitchen preparation and production when needed.
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Build Systems That Scale

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• Document recipes, testing results, yields, ingredient specifications, and standard operating procedures.
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• Translate successful recipes into repeatable processes that our kitchen team can consistently execute.
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• Track progress, communicate findings, and proactively recommend improvements.
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Who We're Looking For

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We're more interested in how you think, work, and learn than in your job title.

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• A proven doer: You've independently owned projects, solved problems, and delivered results.
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• A strong communicator: You communicate clearly, document what you're learning, provide regular updates, and know when to ask questions or raise concerns.
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• Highly organized: You can manage priorities, document details, and keep multiple projects moving.
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• You genuinely know how to cook: Whether you learned professionally or at home, you have strong practical skills, a good palate, and experience improving recipes through trial and error.
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• Resourceful and analytical: You're comfortable with Excel, numbers, and basic calculations. You know how to research, experiment, measure results, and learn from people with more expertise.
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• Humble and coachable: You welcome feedback, ask good questions, and are comfortable admitting what you don't know.
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• A hands-on leader: You can guide another employee, earn the respect of experienced kitchen staff, and work right alongside them.
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• Focused on quality: You have high standards, strong follow-through, and know how to balance perfection with practical execution.
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Professional chef experience and formal management experience are not required. Genuine cooking ability, good food judgment, and demonstrated ownership are.

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What This Role Is — and Isn't

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This isn't a traditional executive chef position, and we're not looking for someone to take over our menu. It's also not a desk job.

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You'll spend significant time cooking, testing, cleaning, and refining products alongside your assistant. We're looking for someone who enjoys doing the work as much as leading it.

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Opportunity to Grow With Us

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Firenze is a lean, entrepreneurial company with ambitious growth plans.

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Your first priority is to master food development, build great systems, lead your team, and consistently deliver great food.

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Once you've established success in that role, you'll have opportunities to wear other hats, potentially spending 10–20% of your time helping with new store openings, marketing and social media, operational improvements, or special projects.

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We value versatile people who want to contribute beyond their immediate responsibilities while maintaining ownership of their core work.

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Compensation, Benefits & Schedule

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• Compensation: $75,000–$90,000 annually, depending on experience.
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• Schedule: Primarily weekdays, typically 7:00 AM–3:30 PM, approximately 40–45 hours per week.
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• Location: Chicago, IL — full-time, in-person.
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• Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off.
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• Growth: Opportunities for expanded responsibilities and compensation as Firenze grows.
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• Food safety: Ability to obtain the applicable Illinois/Chicago food protection manager certification within 60 days of starting.
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How to Apply

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Please apply through LinkedIn and briefly answer these two questions by messaging us or emailing us at View email address on ziprecruiter.com. We value thoughtful, genuine answers over polished résumés.

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1. Tell us about a project or process you independently improved. What was the problem, what did you do, and what was the result?

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2. Tell us about something you've cooked or baked that you worked to make noticeably better. What did you change, how did you evaluate the results, and what did you learn?

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We welcome applicants from both culinary and nontraditional backgrounds.

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If you love food, enjoy solving problems, and want to help build something great, we'd love to hear from you.