About us

Based in Berkeley, CA, UPSIDE Foods grows meat, poultry, and seafood directly from animal cells. These products are not vegan or vegetarian—they are delicious meat, made without the need to raise and slaughter billions of animals. UPSIDE Foods recently became the first company in the world to receive the US FDA greenlight for cultivated meat, and UPSIDE’s cultivated chicken will be available to consumers following USDA inspection and label approval.

Founded as the world’s first cultivated meat company in 2015, UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) has achieved numerous industry-defining milestones, including being the first company to produce multiple species of meat (beef, chicken, and duck). The company believes that people shouldn’t have to choose between the foods they love and a thriving planet, and is working to build a better food system with access to delicious, humane, and sustainable meat, poultry, and seafood. UPSIDE Foods has won various industry awards, including New York Times’ Good Tech Awards, FastCo’s Next Big Thing in Tech, and the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation by the National Association for Business Resources. UPSIDE Foods has raised a total of $608 million, including from the Abu Dhabi Growth Fund (ADG), Baillie Gifford, Bill Gates, Cargill, John Doerr, John Mackey, Kimbal and Christiana Musk, Norwest, Richard Branson, Softbank, Temasek, Threshold, Tyson Foods, and others.

About this Job

UPSIDE has experienced hyper growth over the last two years and we are seeking an innovative individual who enjoys fast-paced growth and is passionate about changing the future of food. The engineer/scientist in cell culture media will support, develop, and execute studies with small-scale models. This individual will perform experiments, analyze and interpret data, communicate results, and make recommendations to drive research forward. They will collaborate very closely with scientists and engineers from various functions, such as process development and tech transfer engineers, to ensure a scalable cell culture media formulation for cultivated meat.

Responsibilities include

• Developing and executing benchtop scale small-scale mixing models to support scale-up activities.
• Designs and executes experiments independently or with team/project lead guidance for complex experiments.
• Communicates well with stakeholders, including Manufacturing and MSAT, to understand and troubleshoot issues related to raw materials or processes used to produce cell culture media (liquid and dry powder).
• Proficient in data collection, interpretation/analysis and has excellent communication skills to summarize study proposals and results to key stakeholders.

About You

• Ph.D. in chemical engineering, biochemistry, bioengineering, chemistry, or closely related science or B.S. candidates with 6+ years or M.S. candidates with 4+ years of relevant experience in the biopharmaceutical/bioprocess, cell therapy, or similar industry are also encouraged to apply.
• Strong understanding of component solubility and stability in various media/solutions.
• Working knowledge/understanding of scale-up considerations for cell culture media/process.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and cross-functional environment.
• Industrial or academic cell culture media troubleshooting or development experience is a huge plus.
• Working knowledge of the statistical design of experiment techniques (DOE) is preferred.

Who you’ll work with

• A talented team dedicated to optimizing media and processes to make a safe, cost-effective, and animal component-free cell culture medium. The role will sit in R&D and partner with many functions in the company, from MSAT, Manufacturing Operations, Process Development, Quality, and Regulatory Affairs. It’s a rare opportunity to learn about the technical aspects of the company, from R&D to large-scale operations.

Key Contributions in First Year

• Complete assigned activities to build out the small-scale model within the first 3 months.
• Partner with engineering and MSAT to develop technologies to scale cell culture media use and production in the first year.
• Troubleshoot formulation and process issues related to cell culture media scale-up.

Compensation Range: $66,000 - $115,000*
*Pay may vary depending on factors including job-related knowledge and skills.

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.