Test Kitchen & Engineering Operations Coordinator

What You Will Be Serving Up:

Own day-to-day readiness of the KFC Global Test Kitchen and adjacent engineering workspace by maintaining a safe, sanitary, audit-ready environment and ensuring equipment, smallwares, and ingredients are available, functional, and properly stored. This role enables on-time product evaluations, demos, and development work through disciplined execution of food safety, allergen controls, inventory rotation, and timely escalation of maintenance or supply risks.

Who is KFC?

KFC, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc. (NYSE: YUM.), is a global chicken restaurant brand with a rich, decades-long history of success and innovation. It all started with one cook, Colonel Harland Sanders, who believed in doing things “the hard way,” because nothing ever got done right by cutting corners. Hard work, hospitality and integrity are still core to our brand today.

While we’re grounded in our heritage, we’re always looking forward to the future and evolving to make it easier for our customers to enjoy our chicken. Through digital innovation, our goal is to make KFC available everywhere, implementing a frictionless & friendly experience leveraging scalable technology stack and standards and accelerating rollouts via multiple channels. And we’re growing… a new KFC restaurant opens somewhere in the world every six hours.

As we grow, KFC is committed to doing so responsibly through commitments like our 2025 global plastic packaging goal and the KFC Harvest program, which to date has donated over 82 million pounds of food to our local communities around the world. Our purposes is feeding people’s potential, whether that means helping team members get through school, turn their passion for fried chicken into a career, or being a positive force in our communities. We fight inequality and believe in all people. Everyone has a seat at our table: from millionaires to truck drivers, to our more than 800,000 Team Members, to our customers around the world, KFC treats everyone like family. 

Our people are what make us distinctively KFC, and we value every opportunity to celebrate the unique perspectives and backgrounds they bring to our company. To learn more about KFC Global, check out our company page here. 

Here's How You Will Spice Things Up:

Kitchen Operations & Equipment Management (50%)

• Maintain an audit-ready test kitchen and engineering workspace (prep, dish, storage, coolers/freezers) with clear organization standards and daily reset.

• Own dishwasher station readiness and throughput to ensure same-day turnaround of clean wares while meeting sanitation standards.

• Ensure equipment and smallwares are clean, functional, and staged for use; perform basic cleaning/maintenance and escalate repairs with clear issue descriptions.

• Own walk-in cooler and freezer organization, temperature checks, labeling, and FIFO inventory rotation; flag quality risks and out-of-spec conditions immediately.

• Own par levels for ingredients, packaging, disposables, and cleaning supplies; place orders, receive deliveries, and maintain accurate on-hand counts.

• Support product evaluations and development work by setting up and breaking down kitchen stations and evaluation areas.

• Pull chicken from freezer for controlled thawing; execute marination according to procedures.

• Prepare breading flour; set up breading tables; bread and cook chicken to support evaluations and food demonstrations.

• Support food demos, tastings, and small events, including prep, service assistance, and cleanup.

• Execute food safety, sanitation, and allergen controls (cleaning schedules, date marking, and temperature logs) and take immediate corrective action when standards are not met.

• Assist with sensory panels, product cuttings, and evaluation planning (sample prep, labeling, flow, and teardown).

• Support waste reduction efforts and flag inventory or quality risks to test kitchen leadership.

• Serve as a day-to-day partner to the Test Kitchen Manager and developers by communicating kitchen readiness, constraints, and priorities.

Engineering Operations & Equipment Management (40%)

• Set up and break down kitchen equipment in accordance with operational and safety standards.

• Clean, sanitize, and maintain equipment to KFC food safety and quality requirements; document completion when required.

• Perform routine readiness inspections (cleanliness, function, safety) before use; tag out and escalate nonconforming equipment.

• Coordinate equipment scheduling and staging to meet evaluation timelines and operating hours; proactively surface constraints and tradeoffs.

• Troubleshoot basic equipment issues and escalate maintenance needs as required.

• Maintain work/test areas to a defined daily reset standard and ensure critical cleaning supplies and smallwares are in-stock to support planned work.

Logistics, Deliveries & Equipment Returns (10%)

• Receive and verify deliveries against orders; ensure correct storage, labeling, and prompt issue escalation for shortages/damage.

• Prepare equipment for return shipment (clean, disassemble, protect, and package) to prevent damage and ensure complete kits.

• Coordinate equipment pickup and returns with internal team and external partners.

• Maintain accurate equipment and inventory records (status, location, custody) to support audits, returns, and replenishment decisions.

What You Bring to the Table:

• 1-3 years of experience in a restaurant, catering or food preparation environment
• Experience with commercial kitchen equipment and sanitation practices preferred
• Strong understanding of food safety and cleanliness standards (ServSafe certification preferred)
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Ability to lift 50 lbs. and handle kitchen equipment safely
• Positive team-oriented mindset and effective communication skills
• Ability to stand on your feet for extended periods of time and move freely
• High school diploma or equivalent

What’s In It for You:

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Opportunity to innovate within a global brand and make a significant impact.
• Collaborative, fast-paced work environment with a focus on professional growth and development.

Salary Range: $47,000 - 55,000 annually + bonus eligibility. This is the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining pay, we'll consider the successful candidate’s location, experience, and other job-related factors.