FR&D Product Development Intern

About us 

Based in Berkeley, CA, UPSIDE Foods grows meat, poultry, and seafood directly from animal cells.  These products are not vegan or vegetarian—they are delicious meat, made without the need to raise and slaughter billions of animals. UPSIDE Foods recently became the first company in the world to receive the US FDA greenlight for cultivated meat, and UPSIDE’s cultivated chicken will be available to consumers following USDA inspection and label approval. 

Founded as the world’s first cultivated meat company in 2015, UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) has achieved numerous industry-defining milestones, including being the first company to produce multiple species of meat (beef, chicken, and duck). The company believes that people shouldn’t have to choose between the foods they love and a thriving planet, and is working to build a better food system with access to delicious, humane, and sustainable meat, poultry, and seafood. UPSIDE Foods has won various industry awards, including New York Times’ Good Tech Awards, FastCo’s Next Big Thing in Tech, and the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation by the National Association for Business Resources. UPSIDE Foods has raised a total of $608 million, including from the Abu Dhabi Growth Fund (ADG), Baillie Gifford, Bill Gates, Cargill, John Doerr, John Mackey, Kimbal and Christiana Musk, Norwest, Richard Branson, Softbank, Temasek, Threshold, Tyson Foods, and others. 

About this internship 

UPSIDE has grown fast over the last two years, and the momentum continues! The Product Development intern will work within the broader Food Research and Development team to create the next generation of cultivated meat products. Specifically, this internship will focus on the evaluation and implementation of novel ingredient technologies into our cultivated meat formulations. This will include running analytical and qualitative (sensory) tests on product prototypes and working closely with Food Scientists and Food Technologists on the team in the development of new product concepts. 

Responsibilities include

• Aid in the batching, mixing, forming, and evaluation of a variety of product prototypes. 
• Screen, evaluate, and implement novel ingredient technologies; specifically those that relate to texture and color enhancement. 
• Support the execution of experiments within the product development and sensory teams. 
• Maintain organizational standards within our lab and test kitchen spaces. 

About you

• B.S. (rising or graduating senior) or M.S. in food science, food engineering, animal science, nutrition, or related field with previous experience working within a company (internship acceptable). 
• Strong intellectual curiosity and scientific problem solving skills. 
• Excellent communication and organizational skills, with a team player mentality. 
• Experience working with proteins and fats in food formulations is a plus. 

Who you’ll work with

• This role will report into the Sr. Food Scientist on the Product Development team and will work most closely with the PD, applications science, and sensory teams. 

Length of internship

• 10-12 weeks

Compensation Range: $25/hr-$28/hr* 
*Pay may vary depending on factors including job-related knowledge and skills.

UPSIDE Foods is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Our company-wide mission is to create a product for everyone, so we are deeply committed to having teams and leaders that reflect this mission.