Associate Director, Analytical R&D

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. The founding company of the industry, UPSIDE Foods is a mission-driven organization 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

As the head of the Analytical Research & Development (ARD) team, you will manage,grow, and mentor a skilled organization to accelerate the build-out of analytical tools to support the R&D, Product Development, Regulatory, and Quality organizations at UPSIDE Foods. Your team will offer analytical services, such as new method development, optimization, workflows, and validation of in-house and external assays, to support a variety of analytics. You will serve as an analytical chemistry subject matter expert and be responsible for the overall operation of the ARD team, including managing the lab and personnel, and administrative functions. You will provide a critical resource to the company by driving a culture of operational excellence, with personnel productivity and quality methods to ensure data integrity. The ideal candidate will have experience building out and maintaining efficient analytical teams and a demonstrated track record establishing new methodologies in complex matrices to support core R&D and product objectives. We’re looking for someone who is flexible and innovative, passionate about optimization, and excited to collaborate with multiple UPSIDE Foods teams.

Responsibilities include 

• Developing methodologies and tools to enhance research capabilities, including onboarding new equipment, increasing throughput, and growing a portfolio of in-house analytical capabilities.  
• Hands-on, technical leadership in the laboratory while providing performance management, including hiring, supervising, and developing ARD team members in a supportive team environment.
• Stakeholder engagement, including efficiently cross-collaborating with multiple team leads and SMEs to provide customized solutions and anticipate needs within budget and timelines.
• Team leadership and direction for establishing high quality analytical methods to support R&D, Product Development, Regulatory, and Quality and design and implement a team growth strategy in collaboration with leadership. 
• Championing a culture that values efficiency, service, continuous improvement, growth mindset, and proficiency in state of the art analytical methodologies

About you

• A PhD in Chemistry or a related field with 5+ years of technical expertise (HPLC-DAD/FD/RID, GC-FID/MS, ICP-MS, LC-MS, automation, sample prep, and molecular biology assays) and 3+ years of managerial experience leading and developing a team.
• Cultivates analytical innovation and upholds scientific integrity to the highest standards to enable strategic growth of the ARD team. This includes mentoring team members, establishing short and long-term objectives, timelines, and budgets and holding partners and team accountable for delivery for business-critical needs.
• Outstanding oral and written communication skills, with proven ability to communicate effectively with individuals from a variety of levels and backgrounds.
• Actively plans and aligns across the organization, and is willing and able to adjust to shifts in focus, juggling multiple analytical methods and workflows.

Who you’ll work with

• You will report directly to the Sr. Director of Process Development within the R&D Organization.
• You will collaborate closely to deliver solutions across R&D teams, including Upstream Development, Cell Culture Media, Process Development, Food R&D, and Discovery teams.
• You will work closely with the Food Safety, Quality, and Regulatory teams to ensure appropriate validated methods are being employed for testing and regulatory compliance.
• You will coordinate with the Operations and Lab Operations teams to enable administrative and laboratory functions, respectively.

Key Contributions in First Year

• Deliver on key method development (including sample prep) and validation objectives by supporting and leading the ARD team.
• Work with Sr. Director and stakeholders to build a strategic roadmap for establishing analytical testing needs across the company.
• Significantly increase the analytical capabilities of UPSIDE Foods via lab performance, instrumental capabilities, established methodologies, and customer-friendly workflows.

Compensation Range: $115,500 - $200,000* 
*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.