Economics Associate

Nature’s Fynd is a groundbreaking food tech company born out of NASA-supported research on extremophiles in the geothermal pools of Yellowstone National Park. Our novel fermentation technology produces a sustainable source of complete protein using only a fraction of the resources required by traditional agriculture. As the challenge to feed the world’s expanding population grows, our mission is to create amazing foods and materials that provide sustainable choices and nurture the planet.
We’re looking for passionate, driven, and ambitious people to join our fast-growing team.
The Economics Associate will play a critical role in developing economic models and frameworks to guide the commercialization of our novel fermentation technology. You will be responsible for researching and synthesizing insights across the universe of protein technologies – assessing market readiness, strategic positioning, and cost profiles. Your work will include process optimization, sensitivity analyses, and dynamic forecasting. We are looking for someone who is both passionate about sustainability & analytics and looking to accelerate their professional development. The role is based in Chicago (with flexibility for remote work environment), and with flexible start dates in Q1 2022. Compensation will be in line with industry standards.

What you will do:

• Conduct economic research to guide the scale-up and commercialization of our technology, working closely with the Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Product Development, and Marketing teams
• Develop economic frameworks and models to assess competitor technologies and business models
• Conduct sensitivity analyses, process optimization, and dynamic forecasting
• Lead research on market trends, policies, and other factors influencing global protein markets
• Gather and consolidate data inputs for core economic models to support data-driven insights and reporting

Your profile:

• Highlight Analytical and Organized: you can quickly drive to insights, finding scrappy ways to solve complex problems, while maintaining attention to detail and organization 
• Strategic Thinking and Intellectual Rigor: you can balance thorough analysis with high-level strategic thinking to focus on what matters most 
• Comfort with Ambiguity: you are comfortable taking nebulous concepts with limited direction and translating them into concrete insights and actions
• Kind, Optimistic, and Fun: you enjoy collaborating on challenging problems and investing in the success of those around you 

Preferred qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, STEM, or related field
• 1-3 years of experience in financial modeling/business analysis (ex: Microsoft Excel)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Passion for building a more sustainable world
• Experience with biotechnology, manufacturing, or programming a plus