Head of Finance

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. For more information, please visit www.upsidefoods.com.

About this job

We are hiring a Head of Finance (VP) to build out our finance function as we continue our journey towards commercialization and scale. This is an exciting and unique opportunity for a driven, proven finance professional with 15+ years of experience to build and lead a finance organization that will help UPSIDE thrive and ultimately achieve its commercial and mission impact goals. In addition to being a broad financial athlete, we’re also looking for someone with exceptional communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills; a passion for excellence and a strong sense of urgency; and a team builder who wants to have fun at work while working hard to change the world. 

The Head of Finance will lead all core finance activities and functions, including financial reporting,  budgeting and forecasting, financial planning and analysis, accounting, and treasury and cash management. They will also partner with our CEO and COO on future financing efforts and build relationships with existing and prospective investors. The head of finance will be a key partner in developing strategy, evaluating and structuring different business models, exploring different capital financing structures, and leading work on scenario planning. This individual will have a critical seat at the table in defining the next chapter for UPSIDE. Additionally, this role will drive continuous improvement in our infrastructure, systems, processes and controls as we grow and scale.

This role will report directly to the Chief Operating Officer and will work closely with the leadership team and numerous cross-functional teams within the company. The Head of Finance will also interface with external stakeholders, including prospective and existing investors and the Board of Directors.  

Responsibilities include… 

• Building out and leading an efficient and effective, multi-function finance team that will help UPSIDE achieve its commercial and mission impact goals through efficient resource, capital and risk management
• Leading all core finance activities and functions, including financial reporting,  budgeting and forecasting, financial planning and analysis, accounting, and treasury and cash management.
• Evaluating and advising the Senior Leadership Team on the potential impact of different business model and partnership options, conducting long-range planning, and helping develop and inform enterprise strategies 
• Streamlining departmental financial and business intelligence (including a regular cadence of strategic financial reviews, ensuring synching between different teams to ensure one enterprise version of the truth) 
• Assist CEO/COO in planning and execution of equity and debt financing and cash management strategies 
• Assist with the review of critical commercial partner & vendor agreements to identify financial forecasting implications
• Manage all operational accounting to ensure timely reporting on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis
• Assess financial and operational risks and implement controls, policies and procedures

About you…

• Bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting. MBA or CPA preferred.
• 15+ years of relevant senior financial experience, preferably spanning start-up and larger organizations through periods of significant growth and covering a wide range of financial disciplines (accounting, financial planning & analysis, investor relations, cash management and treasury). Strategy or banking background is a plus.  
• Financial acumen with strong financial modeling skills and expertise with financial statements.
• Proven strategic thinking and problem solving capabilities with respect to financial strategy and resource allocation
• Superior organizational skills, attention to detail, strong work ethic, and high degree of urgency
• Ability to manage competing priorities and drive towards deadlines
• Love working at multiple levels - from strategic, long-term to engaging in the details.
• A great team leader and coach who is eager to roll up your sleeves and build a team that can have fun while working hard to change the world
• High level of interpersonal maturity, poise and professionalism.
• Thrive in dynamic, ambiguous environments with evolving responsibilities; growth mindset and highly flexible and adaptable 
• Ready to make a ~5 year commitment to this next chapter in your career

Who you’ll work with…

• You’ll work with and lead our team of talented existing financial and accounting professionals and have a chance to build out the team 
• This role will partner with every function in the company! It’s a rare opportunity to learn about all parts of the business and industry and to shape the future of UPSIDE 
• You’ll work directly and closely with our Chief Operating Officer and interact regularly with our  Leadership team and Directors across the organization
• You’ll be a key point of contact for our existing and future investors and help lead financial updates for our Board of Directors 

Key Contributions in the First Year…

• Build out a robust finance function and define the strategic vision for the finance organization 
• Evaluate different business models and potential partnerships through thoughtful strategic financial planning and perspective  
• Develop finance dashboards and establish (quarterly) business reviews 
• Create core financial models that can help the organization track progress against key goals and report out internally and externally  
• Define the financing strategy for our first commercial plant 

UPSIDE Benefits!

• Stock options for all full-time incoming team members!
• 90-100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for team members (medical [including HSA and FSA], dental, and vision)
• Pet insurance for your furry family members!
• Unlimited PTO
• DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Council and People Engagement Programs
• Company-sponsored learning & development opportunities

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.