Director, Animal Nutrition and Regulatory Affairs

About FYTO

At Fyto, we are partnering with farmers to build a sustainable food system at a global scale. Since launching out of MIT in 2019, we have developed an innovative robotics platform that grows ultra-efficient, nutritious aquatic plants to feed people, plants, and animals. Our systems use much less energy, water, land, labor, and fertilizer than conventional approaches. Want to grow with us? We believe in helping you apply your talents in new and impactful ways. Join our team of engineers, scientists, and business professionals to create solutions to today’s most pressing challenges

About the Role

Fyto is commercializing nutritious aquatic plant production at scale and we’re looking for a Director of Animal Nutrition and Regulatory Affairs to drive our animal science and maintain our regulatory progress as we prepare to launch first products into California’s dairy feed market and beyond.

Developing and implementing regulatory strategies and managing regulatory submissions to ensure products are approved in a timely manner will be key for success in this role. Overseeing ruminant nutrition will require flexible leadership in areas such as directing 3rd party feed trials, working with animal nutritionists on ration formulations, collaborating with industry and academic leaders, providing technical sales support, and other various duties focused on dairy producer satisfaction.

You'll bring a deep technical understanding of livestock nutrition along with extensive experience navigating state and federal regulation for new agricultural products. You’ll also have a passion for introducing novel products that help farmers accelerate, and profit from, the transition towards a more sustainable food system. If successful, Fyto could positively transform our global food system - your work will be instrumental in achieving this vision.

This position can be remote or based at Fyto Headquarters in Petaluma, CA. Some travel (estimated 10-20%) throughout California (primarily in San Joaquin Valley) and beyond will be required. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and are subject to a background check.

Requirements

What you’ll do

• Responsible for the development, implementation, maintenance, and overall success of Fyto's global regulatory and nutrition programs and strategies, with an initial focus on the commercialization of novel dairy feed in California.
• Oversee preparation and submission of regulatory documentation. Communicate with agencies (e.g. CDFA, FDA, AAFCO) about pre-submission strategies, potential regulatory pathways, and follow up of submissions under review. Ensure compliance with all regulations and statutes during the development and sale of Fyto’s products.
• Organize all relevant product information to ensure ingredients, formulations, and claims are in compliance with state and federal regulations. Review and approve regulatory impact resulting from product or process changes.
• Collaborate with the Commercial, Plant Science, Engineering, and Operations teams to ensure their work enables, and is compliant with, Fyto’s overall regulatory objectives.
• Direct Fyto’s ongoing dairy feed trials and future ruminant research initiatives.
• Apply working knowledge of commercial livestock production to direct the creation and support the sale of differentiated animal feed products. Win the trust and loyalty of producers by providing practical dairy nutrition recommendations and solutions.
• Collaborate with nutritionists, animal scientists, and veterinarians to troubleshoot complex, on-farm nutrition challenges.
• Engage established networks within related organizations including trade associations, agencies, and consultants to advance Fyto’s research and commercial objectives.

Your required qualifications

• 5+ years of work experience in regulatory and animal nutrition roles, with direct responsibility for managing successful registrations across multiple regulatory authorities and supporting key animal science aspects of new product launches
• Deep understanding of California’s feed regulations and proven ability to get new products into the market
• Bachelor’s degree in ruminant nutrition or a related discipline, masters or PhD preferred
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Deep domain and technical understanding of the cattle industry, preferably California dairy
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to quickly establish trust with producers
• Able to collect and translate on-farm observations into actionable recommendations
• Knowledge of leading ruminant nutrition and veterinary protocols and products
• Ability to think critically and demonstrate troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment and ability to adjust workload based on changing priorities
• Ability to thrive in the occasional ambiguity and roller-coaster ride of a startup environment
• Owner mindset – willing to pitch in on everything to help the company succeed
• Have a valid driver’s license and good driving record

Physical activity requirements

• Walk across a variety of terrains, including uneven surfaces
• Climb, jump, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch and install equipment
• Stand for extended time periods
• Lift and carry up to 25 lbs.
• Work in conditions with varying humidity, sunlight and temperatures (32°– 95° depending on the season)

Fyto is committed to equal opportunity and complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. Fyto does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status in its recruitment processes and employment practices.