Program Manager (Manufacturing)

About us

Vow is a cultured meat company on a mission to feed billions and create food that’s good for your tastebuds, your health and your planet.

We’re bringing together cutting edge innovations in science, engineering, culinary and design to  create new meats that meat lovers can choose selfishly because it’s nutritious and delicious, and we’re doing so in a sustainable way.

The role:

As a Program Manager at Vow, you’ll be responsible for driving the team towards aggressive build out and commercialisation timelines both as a part  of Vow’s second facility right here in Sydney and future global facilities. The factory is already under construction, but we’ll be looking to scale manufacturing lines to ensure that this factory can produce Vow’s products at scale and distribute them across Asia and Australia - critical goals that help to bring the cost of our products down to create delicious, sustainable food. 

This role will see you coordinating across many stakeholders with a variety of technical skills  and diverse backgrounds, ranging from bioreactor operators, to automation engineers, to food processing, regulatory and quality. We’re looking for a highly organised, efficient coordinator who can map out and manage project planning one day but also drill down into the technical details, challenge timelines, and support our teams with high-priority execution. This role is about getting the best out of an amazing team through ambitious goal setting, clear communication and an unrelenting determination to clear the path ahead. We’re open to candidates that come both from technical or generalist backgrounds; we’re more focused on your ability to manage complex pieces of work, learn quickly, rally people around you, deliver outcomes and bring a “can do” attitude to the floor every single day.

The experience/skills you will bring:

• Experience managing projects in a fast-paced environment (e.g. manufacturing, startups) with exposure to technical teams. The core project management skills we’re looking for include the following: 
• Project planning (scope)
• Cost management (budget)
• Speed (time)
• 1-2 years experience being a direct people manager. In this role you will manage an initially small team that is likely to grow with Vow over time.  
• Great communication skills and an ability to empathise with and effectively lead diverse teams.
• Top notch organisational skills. You’re across everything (high level and details) to a fault. 
• Clear track record of reliability and ability to consistently deliver on tight timelines, especially in high-pressure situations.
• Either a relevant or applicable technical background (e.g. engineering, biotechnology, science) or a generalist with a strong technical inclination or experience e.g. product or program manager
• Passion for learning and continued growth, and an eagerness to operate and create clarity in ambiguous environments.

Note: you do not need to satisfy 100% of the points listed above. If you have some of the skills and believe you could make an impact in this role, please apply - we want to hear from you!

You will:

• Define & own goals and key monthly objectives  across project(s) in Vow’s manufacturing expansion plans 
• Ensure the team is executing on relevant  project plans in the most timely and effective way possible. 
• Ensure that there are sufficient lines of communication across workstreams in manufacturing when required and also provide succinct but relevant updates to leadership.
• Ensure that manufacturing costs are being effectively tracked so that the team can make informed financial decisions 
• Challenge the team to think creatively about the way in which problems that arise in manufacturing are resolved.
• Report to Vow’s Head of Manufacturing and be responsible for directly managing a team of technical contributors. 

What success looks like:

In the first month, you’ll ramp up on all things Vow and cultured meat and develop a holistic understanding of the happenings across Vow’s factory expansion. You’ll spend a lot of time being a “sponge” by getting to know people across all teams at Vow but specifically those within manufacturing.

Over the next few months, you’ll be expected to take high levels of ownership over critical manufacturing project(s) such as the build out of our second factory. This will involve working with workstream leads to assemble & install new bioreactor lines, introduce new products into our food processing room & improve operating procedures. To achieve this you’ll ensure the team has a clear set of goals and executable objectives that are both ambitious but achievable. 

In your first year at Vow, you’ll become an expert in the happenings of Factory 2 and manufacturing. You will have developed a strong trust with the various workstream leads involved in delivering on critical aspects of Vow’s mission by building out the physical space that allows us to create our products. You will have played a key role in ramping up the capacity of Vow’s production capability and ensuring we can sell irresistible food to a great number of people. 

In the years beyond, you’ll explore the applications of project management in manufacturing across the business. This could be in the continued fit out of Factory 2 or subsequent factories that come online as Vow continues to grow. 

Who we are and why join:

• We are building a diverse, mission-led dream team of “Vowzers.” Our mission is to make food products for everyone. To do that well we need a workforce that’s representative of the people we serve. We celebrate multiple approaches and points of view - so we’re building a culture to match. Be yourself and come as you are.
• Work on cutting-edge technology. We’re bringing together cutting-edge innovations in science, engineering, and food, to recreate the world’s most tantalising and unique culinary experiences. All without compromising on ethics or our planet along the way. Since our inception in 2019, we have held the title of being the first startup to cultivate meat from the cells of an undomesticated animal, and have served up our exotic meats ranging from kangaroo dumplings to alpaca sliders in tastings with world-renowned chefs.
• Work with and learn from the best. Our team includes some of the world’s top scientists, innovators, operators, and creatives with decades of industry experience. Despite our experiences though, we all strive to build, break, learn, and repeat. We see the impossible as temporary and strive to learn and support our company and fellow Vowzers' growth as much as possible.
• We’re fully funded and ready to go. We are a growing Aussie biotech start-up backed by Blackbird Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Grok Ventures, Tenacious Ventures, P7 Ventures, Toyota Ventures, and PeakBridge VC.

Vow perks and benefits:

• Everyone is an owner. In addition to competitive base salaries, each and every ‘Vowzer’ owns equity in the company so we can all benefit from our hard work and future success.
• Generous paid parental leave. We offer 8 weeks of paid caregiver leave and an additional 8 weeks paid leave for the birth giver.
• Generous relocation budget & support. Support for interstate or overseas team members and their families (including pets!)
• Flexible working hours and location. We value work-life balance. While we’re mostly back in the office, you’re free to choose the best way for you to work.
• Unlimited personal leave. At Vow we recognise that sometimes you need time off to recuperate, look after your mental health, or simply deal with an emergency. We put unlimited personal leave in place to empower you to truly bring your best self to work every single day and you are always paid for days taken off as personal leave.
• Heaps of tasty samples from our culinary centre. Our fantastic "food inventors" on the Vow team are always cooking up new product prototypes, and all Vowzers are given the opportunity to taste, give feedback, and learn from their culinary prowess.
• An awesome converted warehouse “campus” in Alexandria. Complete with a glass-walled lab, manufacturing line, free snacks, a culinary centre, and professional-grade coffee machine in our cafe, as well as a DIY workshop for all hands-on projects.
• Human and dog friendly office! An inclusive community and culture, in a welcoming office, complete with friendly “Vowzer” dogs!
• A variety of social clubs. We encourage all our Vowzers to build the culture with us and share what you love by creating social clubs across the business. From book clubs to hiking groups, we’re always looking for ways to learn and engage with our team.