By growing meat directly from animal cells we're making future-friendly, real meat that makes you and the world smile. We stand for all of the good, and none of the bad. UPSIDE Foods is making our favorite food a force for good.
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
The Sr. Food Process Engineer will report to the Sr. Manager of Food Process Engineering and Commercialization and will lead the development of novel cultivated meat products through various equipment technologies and engineering solutions. The ideal candidate will have experience in process engineering, food science, and the production of meat or alternative protein products. We are searching for someone with advanced to expert knowledge of meat processing equipment and food processing solutions to optimize the overall quality of our cultivated meat products.
Responsibilities include
- Designs and continuously improves food processing systems for cultivated meat products. Specify the methods, process steps, and the plant, machinery and equipment required to deliver the end product within specified cost and quality parameters.
- Identifies and leads communication with a portfolio of equipment vendors to obtain designs, process flow, and layouts.
- Independently manages projects to explore, design, install, commission, and validate new food manufacturing equipment across various locations.
- Design and manage experiments on a wide spectrum of food processing technologies to optimize texture of cultivated meat.
- Provide support to Product Development and Food Manufacturing teams to drive results on key projects.
- Support pilot and scale-up efforts through data collection, presenting summaries to key stakeholders in an organized and concise manner on a regular basis.
- Effectively interacts and collaborates with other functional leadership to drive projects to completion.
About you
- M.S. or Ph.D in food manufacturing, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, meat science, food science, or related fields. Research emphasis on food manufacturing technology is a plus. 8+ years of relevant experience or PhD in the same disciplines with 5+ years of experience (including post-doctoral).
- Advanced knowledge of common meat or alternative protein processing equipment is a must, specifically within fresh meat processing and further processing technologies.
- Experience in meat and/or plant protein chemistry.
- High self-accountability; being able to execute on individual commitments independently while also working collaboratively within a team.
- Ability to work and communicate cross functionally at all levels within the organization.
- Passionate about applying your technical skills to making delicious meat products.
- Can-do attitude, full of integrity, excited to work under our Big Tent philosophy.
Who you’ll work with
- This role will partner with Food Manufacturing, Bioprocess Process R&D, Sensory, and Regulatory teams to develop and commercialize cultivated meat production technologies.
- This role will most frequently interact with our Bio Processing, Product Development and Food Manufacturing teams.
Key Contributions in First Year
- Lead development of process flow and layout of manufacturing plant operations through startup and commercialization.
- Create and own strategy to identify novel processing technologies for our cultivated meat products.
- Identify, select, install, and commission new processing equipment to support product development.
Compensation Range: $95,250 - $165,000*
*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.