Chief of Staff

About us At Shiru we believe that food should be delicious and nourishing without negatively affecting our planet. Acknowledging our growing global population as well as the imminent effects of climate change, Shiru’s mission is to create better protein ingredients that will catapult us into a sustainable food future. 
With our mission in mind, Shiru makes high quality, functional food proteins through better leveraging our precious environmental resources. To do this, we employ technologies originally  created to solve problems in adjacent industries, including computational biology, machine learning, and industrial fermentation and bioprocessing.
We apply computational intelligence to find the most functional natural food proteins in the world, harnessing the inherent ability of microflora to produce them. We then partner with food and beverage companies to incorporate these unique protein ingredients into everyday products. Shiru is now expanding our team of dedicated professionals across multiple disciplines to make enhanced protein ingredients for a better world.
About the role As Shiru’s Chief of Staff you will influence everything from Shiru’s high-level strategy to its day-to-day operations. You will be the CEO’s right hand (or left hand - she’s a lefty) and confidant, taking on projects that are vital to the success of a rapidly growing, venture-backed food tech startup. Along the way, you’ll lead and contribute to cross-functional initiatives spanning strategic planning, investor relations, branding & marketing, operations, business development, and HR.
About you First and foremost, you’re ambitious, optimistic, kind, and curious. You crave a fast paced environment and variability in your day-to-day, and thrive within ambiguity. You’re equal parts strategic thinker and effective doer, with a bias towards action and the hustle to address immediate needs while anticipating upcoming ones. You have extreme attention to detail and a high bar for communication and clarity in your work. You’re low ego, and know that humility and confidence are not mutually exclusive. Finally, you have a passion for sustainability, groundbreaking innovation, and food.

Responsibilities

• Act as an extension of the CEO, executing on the company’s highest priority initiatives while scoping and managing longer-term strategic projects
• Manage and optimize the CEO's agenda, maximizing the impact of her time and energy
• Knock down silos across the business, ensuring efficient transfer of knowledge and steady communication across a growing, multidisciplinary team
• Maintain relationships with customers, partners, investors, and other key contacts on behalf of Shiru and the CEO
• Prepare investor materials and manage investor communications
• Drive efforts related to building and maintaining Shiru’s public relations and brand
• Assist with recruiting and onboarding efforts for key early team members

Requirements

• Minimum bachelor’s degree, MBA preferred
• 3-5 years of experience in a fast paced bizops, strategy, or operations role, preferably at an early-stage or growth-stage tech company
• Project management chops, and the ability to apply rigor and consistency across multiple initiatives simultaneously
• Stakeholder management expertise that comfortably spans personality types, business functions, and geographies
• The ability to move fast and maintain meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills - you’ll be interfacing with everyone from C-suite executives to PhDs to investors
• The grit and humility it takes to build a business from the ground up
• A culture-forward, inclusive mindset that prioritizes diversity and equity

At Shiru, we're looking for people with passion, grit, and integrity. You're encouraged to apply even if your experience doesn't precisely match the job description. We’re expecting your skills and passion to stand out—and set you apart—especially if your career has taken some extraordinary twists and turns. Please join us in this singular opportunity to create the future of food!  
Shiru is an equal opportunity employer who values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Shiru offers competitive compensation and employee benefits along with an attractive equity package commensurate with candidate qualifications.