Pilot Plant Supervisor

About us

At the forefront of farming and food, Memphis Meats is innovating new ways to produce real meat, without the need to breed, feed and slaughter animals. Our process begins with an animal cell, which is cultivated and harvested as meat. Memphis Meats is a mission-driven company focused on bringing to meat lovers an authentic product that is truly humane, sustainably produced, nutritious and delicious! We are now expanding our team of dedicated professionals across disciplines to make better meat for a better world.

About this role

This role will initially be focused on supporting the development and scale-up of novel platforms for the cultivation of cell based meat and be responsible for large scale bioprocess operations.  Long-term, this role will expand to include supervisory responsibilities of operational staff within a pilot-scale bioprocess facility, where you, in collaboration with others, will be responsible for the safe and efficient operation of pilot-scale equipment. 

We are searching for a person with scientific and operational expertise, capable of executing and troubleshooting experiments independently.  The ideal candidate would have a history of working with an interdisciplinary team to develop, implement, and continually maintain novel bioprocess methods and operating procedures, leading to process transfer into production.  In depth working knowledge of vessel hardware, controller automation, data capture, and culture data analysis are critical for success. This position involves daily operational work on several concurrent projects, followed by analysis and interpretation of the data.  

Additionally, you will be supporting the startup of a new pilot-scale facility.  This will include working on the creation of documentation related to equipment startup and bioprocess operations, and execution of test plans or procedures through both hands-on participation and in a supervisory role.  You will be involved in the recruitment and hiring of operational staff, procurement of non-capital and capital equipment/materials required within the facility, and general oversight of day-to-day operations to ensure successful startup and production of batches according to schedule and overall company objectives.

Duties include

• Understanding of theory and concepts of cell-based meat production, including assembly and preparation of equipment for experiment execution or production use, and execution of lab and pilot-scale bioreactor cultures
• Supporting the execution and analysis of process development experiments ranging from bench through pilot scale, leading to process transfer to commercial scale.
• Participate in prototype development, installation and evaluation of new bioreactor technologies.
• Summarizing and synthesizing experimental plans and results in an organized, concise, and logical manner, both verbally and visually.
• Support installation of new bioreactor equipment, as well as execution of acceptance testing and operational debugging of said equipment.
• Provide input into, and help author equipment commissioning plans, test protocols and reports
• Development and ongoing maintenance of operational documentation (SOPs, batch records, process descriptions, etc). 
• Review and approve proposed changes to systems and procedures
• Collaboration and influence within and across teams
• Identification of potential problems and appropriate proactive solutions
• Supervision of daily pilot plant operations, including assignment of work tasks, resolution of troubleshooting efforts, and being accountable for completion of tasks to meet project and production demands.
• Manage and administer all aspects of people processes, including:

• Training of personnel on operational tasks and best practices relevant to their roles
• Coaching and development of staff by ensuring setting of realistic goals and providing regularly-scheduled feedback
• Collaborating with our recruitment team for hiring of future pilot plant operational staff
• Adhering to and enforcing good practices around safety, cleanliness, and waste handling; takes immediate action to correct any potential safety issues.
• Work schedule could include shift work, evening or night hours, or full off-shift hours

About you

• B.A or B.S degree preferably in Life Sciences or engineering, with minimum of 5+ years relevant experience in a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical development and/or manufacturing setting
• Ability to establish priorities and work independently in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Demonstrated expertise with a range of bioreactor platforms and control systems
• Experienced with development of new bioprocesses, and process transfer to production
• Detail oriented and well-organized
• Flexible, creative, and clever in technical problem solving
• Ability to draft, enforce, and follow Standard Operating Procedures
• Ability to relate with people at all levels within an organization, including diverse cultures
• Comfortable working in, and leading in a team based environment
• Comfortable presenting in front of large groups consisting of peers and/or management.
• Must be willing and able to work evening/night hours and weekends, as needed
• Excited to contribute to the knowledge base of a novel industry
• Mission-aligned, strong desire to change the world