Sr. Director, FSQA

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 job

UPSIDE has grown fast over the last two years, and the momentum continues! The Sr Director of Food Safety and Quality will lead the overall food safety and quality strategy for UPSIDE Foods. We’re looking for someone who enjoys fast-paced growth, is comfortable with change, and is passionate about building the best team and culture in this developing industry. This position will be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive food safety and quality strategy for the organization, supporting both the FDA and USDA relationships, inspections, post-market compliance plans, adverse event reporting and label approval process associated with production. This role will report directly to the SVP of Supply Chain & Manufacturing. 

Responsibilities include… 

• Develop and implement a comprehensive food safety and quality strategy for the organization
• Oversee the development and implementation of food safety and quality policies, procedures, and systems
• Ensure compliance with all relevant food safety regulations, standards, and guidelines
• Lead continuous improvement efforts to enhance food safety and quality performance
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and address food safety and quality issues
• Lead and manage the food safety and quality team, including setting goals and objectives, providing leadership and direction, and evaluating performance
• Act as the primary point of contact for food safety and quality matters with customers, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders
• Monitor and report on food safety and quality performance, including implementing effective reporting and communication systems
• Responsible for risk assessment and avoidance related to product quality and supplier compliance
• Stay up-to-date with industry developments and trends in food safety and quality

About you…

• A minimum of 15+ years Food Safety/Quality/Regulatory Compliance program execution
• Proven experience and skills in leading team members, developing careers, empowering team members to operate with a high level of influence and independence, providing functional direction while setting clear goals and expectations, and providing performance feedback to advance individual and team performance
• Detailed knowledge of HACCP, FSMA, statistical process control, GMPs, CIP, sanitary design, and total quality management principles or techniques. (PCQI certification preferred)
• Demonstrate technical knowledge of Food Safety, Food Processing (as related to meats, poultry and seafood), applicable USDA and FDA Regulations,CAPA/Root cause analysis, Food Allergens, Document Control, Customer Complaints, Crisis Management, Specification Development, Quality Standards, Quality Systems, Sanitary design and Environmental Monitoring, 
• Demonstrated experience collaborating, influencing and communicating effectively across all levels and teams across the organization
• Exceptional presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Adept at understanding and contributing to discussions with colleagues in technical functions and connecting the dots to business outcomes
• Structured and analytical thinker with the ability to distill complex issues into structured frameworks and concrete plans

Who you’ll work with…

• 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.
• While we expect growth in all functions in the next 1-2 years, this role will most frequently interact with our EPIC teams including: Manufacturing, Technical Operations, MSAT, and Business Operations. 

Key Contributions in First Year…

• Develop and implement food safety & quality plans and critical metrics to assure compliance with regulatory requirements
• Establish quality training and systems including GMP, food safety, regulatory requirements, and quality measurement systems
• Continue to scale the food safety & quality team to support UPSIDE Foods growth

Compensation Range: $200,000 - $240,000*
*Pay may vary depending on factors including job-related knowledge and skills.

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.