Job Opportunity & Summary
KitchenTown is the Bay Area’s leading full service food innovation center, supporting clients with consumer and market research, product development, and commercialization. Since 2014 we’ve helped hundreds of companies develop, launch, and scale impact-driven food products.
We’re looking for a mid-level Food Innovation Researcher to join the KitchenTown team – someone who loves quantitative research methods and can jump into the details on survey design and analysis, and who also feels comfortable conducting qualitative research.
Ideal candidates will leverage their experience in CPG / food industry research and strategy in order to research, analyze, and synthesize compelling business opportunities. They also bring strong project management skills to drive cross-functional, internal teams and client stakeholders.
As a strong generalist researcher and efficient project manager, you will be a critical part of ensuring goals are met for clients, which range from local startups to multinational CPGs. .
Responsibilities:
- Research
- Lead and support market and category analysis
- Support design and execution of quantitative consumer research studies
- Support design and execution of qualitative consumer research
- Desktop research - Use publicly available and/or syndicated data or POS sales data to generate segment and category insights and reports
- Collaborate with clients and KT Directors to translate business questions into research designs and analytics plans.
- Synthesize research findings into decks and presentations
- Develop and deliver succinct category presentations to clients
- Help grow the research team and function at KitchenTown through improving processes and tools.
- Project management:
- Manage and track project timelines and information to meet established milestones
- Detailed note taking during client and internal meetings
- Document, communicate, and track cross-functional team meeting agendas and action items
- Organize project folders and deliverables
- Prepare materials to help ensure clear client communication throughout the course of a project.
Qualifications & Experience:
- 3-5 years experience in CPG or food service (especially marketing or strategy roles)
- 3-5 years of experience in insights & innovation, marketing, business analytics, and/or strategic planning
- Flexible generalist research, with an emphasis on quantitative (but ready to jump in and lead an in-depth-interview if needed)
- Strong knowledge of food industry insights and trends
- Experience with leveraging data (i.e. Nielsen/IRI) to inform decision making
- Strong analytical and business acumen
- Proven experience managing stakeholders or clients
- Strong attention to detail and a love for building polished reports/deliverables
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, scrappy, and sometimes ambiguous environment
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Advanced computer skills (Google Suite, Microsoft Office, project management systems, Database management systems.)
Nice to have:
- Familiarity with Japanese language and business culture
- Previous experience in client services / consulting
Compensation
- This is a full-time, exempt role.
- This position is hybrid-remote, with expectations for regular team and client meetings in-person at our headquarters in San Mateo, CA.
- Salary commensurate with experience. We are not able to provide relocation at this time.
- Salary range: $100-130,000
- 401K + employer contribution
- Health benefits
- Parental leave
- Volunteer time off (VTO)
- Annual professional development budget
Application Instructions
Please email your cover letter and resume with subject line “Food Innovation Researcher” to careers@kitchentowncentral.com
About KitchenTown
KitchenTown is a food startup incubator and global innovation platform helping to develop, commercialize, and launch impact-driven food products (https://kitchentowncentral.com/). At its 30,000 square foot campus in the San Francisco Bay Area, food startups and legacy food brands have access to a commercial scale-up facility, product development lab, market research and brand development services, and a community of entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers from every facet of the food industry. Founded in 2014, KitchenTown has worked with hundreds of startups, collaborating to drive positive change in our food system
KitchenTown is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.