Sr. Engineering Manager

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 as we expand into our new commercial facility! The Sr. Engineering Manager will oversee the construction of the commercial facility, coupled with building out their high performing team of engineers (automation, process, facility) and maintenance technicians. This individual will actively participate in planning and designing of the new commercial plant, factory acceptance tests and startup activities to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements. Focus on safety during construction, commissioning and startup is of paramount importance. The role will also be responsible for building, mentoring and leading a team of automation, process and utility engineers, as well as facility and maintenance technicians. They will work closely with project engineering, EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction partners) and contractors of various trades and backgrounds. The ideal candidate will have broad experience in BioPharma or Food Manufacturing, ranging from design and factory testing to onsite equipment installation and commissioning. 

Responsibilities include

• Evaluate existing and proposed system designs (facilities, utilities, and production equipment) and ensure compliance with application requirements.
• Collaborate with the site construction teams and engineering partners. 
• Independently perform and lead hands on installation of new equipment in the commercial plant.
• Build and lead a team of facilities, automation and mechanical engineers, performing various tasks supporting asset management strategy and facility operations (design and maintenance).
• Develop and implement a plan for routine and predictive maintenance and calibration programs, ensuring compliance with Regulatory, Human and Food Safety standards. 
• Take a leading role in the development of an asset management strategy with program, process, and procedure development in support of the strategy.
• Recommend improvements in equipment operating procedures, design or configurations that improve cost performance, operational performance, efficiency, and reliability, while remaining within OEM warranty specifications.

About you 

• BS/MS in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical or related Engineering field with 12+ years of relevant hands-on engineering experience in a FDA regulated environment; including a lead manufacturing role in 1 or more of the following fields: Process, Automation, Mechanical, Reliability or Facilities Engineering.  
• Preferred experience with Process Automation (Allen-Bradley, PLC, DCS) driven systems, S88 standard, data historian (OSI PI), BMS, and change management systems. 
• Experience building/managing a high performing and diverse team. 
• Experience with sanitization and cleaning procedures in biotech manufacturing facilities.
• Preferred experience in cell culture and aseptic processing.
• Experience with CMMS systems.
• Experience designing, optimizing, and maintaining typical building utilities equipment including: Chillers, Pumps, Compressors, Boilers, Ventilation Systems etc.

Who you’ll work with 

• This role will gain full understanding of the new facilities, utilities, FDA and USDA processes during the design phase, while working with UPSIDE’s project team and the EPC partners.
• Oversee the buildout of the new facility, while continuously interacting with the project and construction teams.

Key Contributions in First Year 

• Oversee construction, commissioning and qualification for all manufacturing equipment and processes.
• Execute the labor plan and ensure successful onboarding and training of the engineering and maintenance teams.
• Participate in the design phase of the commercial facility construction project and provide valuable input in the respective area of expertise, with focus on safety, operational readiness, ease of use and maintainability.

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.