Sr. Manager, Raw Material Characterization & Development

almost 2 years ago
Full time role
San Francisco, CA, US... more
San Francisco, CA, US... more

Company

Memphis Meats creates real, edible meat products from stem cells instead of living animals. At Memphis Meats, our mission is to ...

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Job Description

About us

At the forefront of farming and food, UPSIDE Foods 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. The founding company of the industry, UPSIDE Foods is a mission-driven organization 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 Job

The R&D Sr. Manager for raw material qualification, characterization, and scalability will have the unique opportunity to lead efforts to ensure consistency in raw materials for cell culture media, and contribute to the scale-up of dry powder and liquid media manufacturing. This individual will oversee the team charged with developing raw material characterization, qualification, and scalability. This team will also provide scalability support for the cell culture media from lab to production, including troubleshooting, filtration, chemical interactions, etc. This role resides in R&D and must work cross-functionally with MSAT, Process Development, Commercial Manufacturing, Quality, and Regulatory teams. The role will collaborate closely with scientists, engineers, and data experts to formulate and execute a scalable cell culture media production strategy for cultivated meat. 

A successful candidate will characterize, qualify, and develop a robust raw material pipeline for cell culture media components. They will be a critical stakeholder in troubleshooting processes related to cell culture media manufacturing and feel comfortable developing a scientific knowledge base by learning new methods from peers, seminars, and scientific literature.

Responsibilities include…

  • Lead projects to characterize, qualify, develop, and scale up raw materials for cell culture media manufacturing to produce cultivated meat.
  • Troubleshoot issues related to raw materials used in cell culture media as well as a complete dry powder and liquid media.
  • Work with R&D, PD, Quality, and Regulatory teams to develop specifications for raw materials used in cell culture media and produce dry powder and liquid media at a small scale.
  • Manage our small-scale media production team supplying prototypes to R&D, Process Development, Manufacturing, and other functions.
  • Develop small-scale models representative of large-scale component/media preparation for troubleshooting.
  • Fosters a team environment collaborating scientifically with direct team members and scientists in other departments. Open to new ideas and often seeks critical feedback from colleagues, and demonstrates effective cooperation.
  • Mentor and supervise others in areas of expertise. Builds upon and strengthens new solutions in a positive and collaborative manner.
  • Develop and nurture internal and external relationships with key colleagues, collaborators, and vendors.
  • Actively engage external scientists and internal customers in research collaborations where appropriate.

About you…

  • B.S./M.S. in chemistry, biochemistry, bioengineering, or closely related science with 10+ years of industrial cell culture media-related, research and development experience in biopharmaceutical or similar industries OR Ph.D and 5+ years of experience.
  • Experience with characterization and qualification of raw materials used in cell culture media.
  • Understanding cell culture media manufacturing (liquid, powder processing, and handling) from benchtop to commercial scales.
  • Experience troubleshooting media scale-up in various systems.
  • Experience leading teams and projects.
  • Competent with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, statistical software, etc.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills.

Desirable skills

  • Working knowledge of the statistical design of experiment techniques (DOE).
  • Mammalian and/or avian cell culture and recombinant protein expression. e.g.  generation of stable cell lines expressing relevant levels of an r-protein.

Who you’ll work with…

  • This role will sit in R&D and partner with many functions in the company from MSAT, Manufacturing, Process Development, Quality, and Reg.,  It’s a rare opportunity to learn about technical aspects of the company from R&D to large-scale operation.

Key Contributions in First Year…

  • Mentor scientific staff managing raw material qualification within 3 months.
  • Develop a comprehensive raw material characterization roadmap tailored to the specific needs of cultivated meat within 6 months.
  • Lead projects to develop unique raw materials for use in cell culture media within the first 6 months.
  • Manage prototype and small-scale media production within the first 6 months.
  • Partner with engineering and MSAT to develop technologies to scale cell culture media use and production in the first year.
  • Build a cross-functional team and identify technical gaps within the first year.

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.

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