Food Innovation & Systems Architect (Part-time, Equity only - No pay till funds)

Job Description (equity-based Role)

Role Title

Founding Innovation Lead – Food, Devices & IP

(Equity-based | Core team role | Long-term)

About Kefilo

Kefilo is building a next-generation food & nutrition ecosystem focused on clean cooking, gut health, transparency, and scalable systems.

We are not just a food brand—we are building processes, devices, and IP that redefine how food is cooked, preserved, and served at scale without compromising nutrition.

This role sits at the core of Kefilo's innovation engine.

Role Objective

To design, develop, and systematize unique cooking methods, kitchen devices, SOPs, and processes that are:

• Nutritionally superior
• Operationally scalable
• Difficult to replicate
• Patentable / IP-protectable
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Food R&D & Process Innovation
• Develop novel cooking methods that preserve nutrients, gut bacteria, and texture
• Experiment with low-heat, fermentation-based, batch-optimized cooking techniques
• Innovate alternatives to commercial processing while maintaining shelf life & safety
• Device & Utensil Innovation
• Conceptualize and prototype custom cooking utensils, vessels, or kitchen devices
• Redesign traditional tools for modern, scalable, hygienic use
• Work with fabricators, engineers, or local manufacturers when needed
• SOP & System Architecture
• Build core SOPs for:
• In-house protein prep (tofu, paneer, curd, etc.)
• Fermentation & storage
• Batch cooking & portioning
• Hygiene & safety workflows
• Convert tacit cooking knowledge into repeatable systems
• Patent & IP Enablement
• Identify patent-worthy ideas across:
• Devices
• Processes
• Cooking techniques
• Food system workflows
• Support drafting of:
• Invention disclosures
• Prior art research inputs
• Technical documentation for patent filing (Legal filing handled separately)
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Work closely with:
• Kitchen team
• Nutrition & wellness team
• Founders
• Translate innovation into real kitchen execution, not lab-only ideas
  

Who This Role Is For

• Someone with hands-on R&D or innovation experience (food tech, mechanical, product, biotech, or applied research)
• Thinks in systems, not recipes
• Comfortable working in early-stage, low-resource environments
• Obsessed with how can this be done differently and better
• Interested in building IP, not just products
  
  

What This Role Is NOT

• Not a routine chef role
• Not a quality control-only role
• Not a corporate R&D desk job
  
  

Compensation Structure

• Equity-based founding role
• No fixed salary in the initial phase
• Equity finalized through:
• Multiple discussion rounds
• 1-month NDA-based working cohort
• Cofounder / core-member agreement
• Equity vesting post company structuring & funding
  

Impact of This Role

• Direct ownership of Kefilo's core IP moat
• Long-term influence on:
• Product innovation
• Brand defensibility
• Technology roadmap
• Opportunity to co-create patented food systems, not just meals

Skills: innovation,cooking,devices,fermentation