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Scientist I

Berkeley, CA
About us:
Based in Berkeley, CA, UPSIDE Foods grows meat, poultry, and seafood directly from real 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 doing so, the company aims to address some of the most pressing environmental, animal welfare, and public health challenges, while still giving people the meat they love. 
 
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) and to sell a cultivated meat product in the United States. 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 World Changing Ideas Awards, 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:
The Scientist I on the Upside Foods Analytical Research and Development (ARD) team will develop new analytical methods and bioassays and establish routine workflows to support R&D, Production, Regulatory, and Quality efforts at UPSIDE. The Scientist will work closely with senior members of the ARD team and critical collaborators from across the organization to understand analytical priorities and establish a plan for execution. Establishing new methods may involve onboarding or modifying existing instrumentation. The Scientist will design and execute experiments, analyze and interpret data, communicate results, and make recommendations to drive forward the development and validation of methods intended for routine execution. This laboratory-based position is for an innovative, enthusiastic individual who enjoys fast-paced work.
 
Responsibilities include:
  • Execute and optimize sample preparation, method development, validation studies, data analysis and reporting to expand our assay portfolio with a focus on high-throughput.
  • Onboard and validate new bioanalytical assays.
  • Onboard, oversee, and maintain analytical instrumentation.
  • Document all laboratory activities and write standard operating procedures for new and updated methods.
  • Train junior team members to execute the assays for routine analysis.
  • Survey literature to understand current state-of-the-art scientific technologies and practices and make recommendations for instrumentation, methods, and workflows to achieve analytical objectives.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert for analytical chemistry topics to assist in collaborative problem solving.
About you:
  • Ph.D. in Chemistry (preferably with a focus on Analytical and/or Food Chemistry) or related field or M.S. with 4+ years of experience.
  • Hands-on experience across multiple analytical instruments, including GC-MS (required), HPLC-MS/DAD/CAD/RI, GC-FID, GC-O, and ICP-MS.
  • Experienced in developing quantitative analytical methods, including validation and deployment.
  • Experience with food matrices, flavor analysis. 
  • Experience with bioanalytical techniques, ligand-based (ELISA), and cell culture assays.
  • Commitment to safety and good laboratory practices.
  • Ability to utilize statistics programs to analyze and interpret data, communicate and provide recommendations as needed.
  • Desire to grow with a small team to establish foundational analytical capabilities.
Who you’ll work with:
  • The primary contact will be with the Analytical Research & Development team.
  • Collaborate with internal customers across R&D, Production, Regulatory, and Quality to understand analytical needs and execute analysis as needed
Key contributions in the first year:
  • GC-MS assay method development incorporating MS/MS and GC-O technology. 
  • Design and execute experiments for quantitative analytical testing.
  • Deploy chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis for flavor and/or micronutrients for routine testing analysis, including writing SOPs and training personnel as needed.
  • Identify key flavor markers to meet target cultivated meat flavor profiles
  • Mentor junior team members
Compensation Range: $90,000 - $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
  • Employee Engagement Council
  • 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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