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. In a historic first, UPSIDE Foods received regulatory approval to sell its product in the US in June 2023.

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 continues to grow as the leaders in the cultivated meat industry! We’re looking to expand our Supply Chain team by adding an experienced leader to drive strategic sourcing strategies and business development conversations as a Sr. Procurement Manager. You will be responsible for developing category strategies as we scale up, managing internal and external stakeholders, and driving towards the best cost, supply, and professional relationships as we pursue our mission to produce world-class meat products! The ideal candidate is someone who can influence others, quickly problem solve, is self-motivated, and comfortable with ambiguity.

Responsibilities include

• Develop and execute market-competitive category management strategies which include internal stakeholder requirements, negotiations, list of suppliers and/or alternatives to a negotiated agreement.
• Provide current marketplace trends in price, suppliers, and/or other conditions affecting business in assigned categories with ability to analyze supply & demand factors within key categories.
• Manage and maintain relationships with suppliers while continuously developing critical relationships with various suppliers at senior levels.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships between the procurement team and internal customers providing appropriate levels of service and addressing priorities as needed.
• Identify suppliers and products for new lines of business with continuous growth including working with early development of R&D.
• Translate business strategies, challenges, and opportunities into sourcing opportunities.
• Recruit and maintain suppliers that provide high quality products and services at a better price while maintaining the highest code of ethics and conduct.
• Developing a digital transformation roadmap to enable optimization, improve visibility, traceability, and sustainability.
• Up to 25% domestic and international travel required.

About you

• Bachelor's degree with 8+ years of overall supply chain or business experience with 3+ years of strategic sourcing and/or business development experience.
• Experience in cell culture media, biotech, life science, food production, or similar industry preferred.
• Has developed and executed multiple sourcing strategies at the same time in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical skills and uses data to drive towards quick decision making.
• Enjoys fast-paced and complex environments, mentoring team members, and always striving to make processes and experiences better.
• Comfortable with evolving responsibilities and flexible to adapt within a developing company.

Who you’ll work with

• This role will partner with every function in the company! It’s a rare opportunity to learn about all parts of the business and industry from R&D, Operations, and Finance to Legal, Engineering, and Marketing.

Key Contributions in First Year

• Develop 1-2 Strategic Sourcing Strategies by the end of 2023 to unlock future growth.
• Assist in delivering high-quality, low-cost materials while ensuring scalability.
• Develop internal and external relationships which will allow UPSIDE Foods to grow to commercial scale and beyond.

Compensation Range: $84,000.00 - $145,000*
*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.