Food Manufacturing Process Engineer

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. Upside Foods 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 job

The Food Manufacturing Process Engineer will report to the Senior Manager of Product Development and Manufacturing and will support the development of novel cultivated meat products through various equipment technologies. The ideal candidate will have experience in both research & development and the production of meat or alternative protein products. We are searching for someone with in-depth knowledge of meat processing equipment and food processing practices to optimize the overall quality of our cultivated meat products. 

Responsibilities include…

• Independently manages and executes projects to explore, design, install, commission, and validate new food manufacturing equipment. 
• Leads communication with equipment vendors to obtain designs, process flow, and layouts. 
• Design and execute experiments on twin-screw extrusion to optimize texture of various cultivated meat raw materials.
• Provide support to Product Development and Food Manufacturing teams to drive results on key development projects. 
• Translate learnings at pilot scale into commercial scale production, including technology transfer to production teams. 
• Support pilot and scale-up efforts through data collection, presenting summaries to key stakeholders in an organized and concise manner on a regular basis.

About you...

• M.S. in manufacturing/industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, food science, or related fields. Research emphasis on food manufacturing technology is a plus. 4+ years of relevant experience or PhD in the same disciplines with 1 year of experience. 
• In-depth knowledge of twin screw extrusion is a must, specifically within food processing (meat/alternative proteins).
• Expertise in meat and/or plant protein chemistry.
• Familiarity with common meat and alternative protein processing technologies. 
• Experienced in the statistical design and execution of experiments. 
• Ability to translate primary research into practical applications. 
• Detail-oriented and well-organized. 
• High self-accountability; being able to execute on individual commitments independently while also working collaboratively within a team. 
• Ability to create and follow Standard Operating Procedures. 
• Ability to work and communicate cross functionally at all levels within the organization. 
• Passionate about applying your technical skills to making delicious meat products. 

Who you’ll work with…

• This role will partner with manufacturing, R&D, sensory, and regulatory teams to develop and commercialize cultivated meat products. 
• This role will most frequently interact with our Product Development and Manufacturing teams.
• While we expect growth in all functions in the next 1-2 years, this role will most frequently interact with our R&D and Tech Ops teams.

Key Contributions in First Year…

• Develop process flow and layout of manufacturing plant operations through startup and commercialization.  
• Design experimental pipeline to identify novel processing technologies for our cultivated meat products. 
• Identify, select, install, and commission new processing equipment to support product development. 

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.