About us
Vow is a food company - a very different one. We’re creating real meat products from animal cells instead of the animal itself. We’re bringing together cutting-edge innovations in science, engineering, culinary and design to make sustainable food that’s both irresistible and available to billions of people worldwide.
The role
Vow is looking for a Manufacturing Operations / Production Lead to join our Manufacturing team, who would be responsible for driving continuous cultured meat production, factory improvement, scale up, and execution of Vow’s products going to market. This is an incredible opportunity to learn and apply the latest techniques in cultured meat manufacturing as they move from research to application. The nature of the work necessitates patient, careful and considered attention towards sensitive processing systems. You will constantly improve our manufacturing processes to ensure they run efficiently and cost-effectively while remaining on the cutting edge of cultured meat tech.
You will work day-to-day with a team of incredible scientists, engineers, operators, and designers who are relentlessly passionate about food and creating a better future for our planet.
The experience you will bring:
- A background in managing production in food or biopharmaceuticals
- Experience in forecasting production needs including production volumes, personnel, equipment capacity and capability
- Experience in implementing food manufacturing and packing line facilities/processes
- Knowledge of Food HACCP plans or Quality Management Systems (ISO9001, ISO13485 or similar)
- Proven track record of improving manufacturing line efficiency, production output, and cost reduction
- Effectively manage a team and co-ordinate day to day factory operations
- Flexibility to carry out shift work/weekend work if required
- Knowledge of brewing, fermentation or bioreactor operations up to at least 2000 L (20 hL) is ideal, but not a must
- Experience in a laboratory setting working is ideal, but not a must
A ‘hacker mentality’, or a non-traditional pathway into science is a big plus for us. We are looking for candidates who can work autonomously and always feel empowered to find better ways to do things. Ultimately this role will be shaped around the right candidate. If you love the mission and have evidence that you can make a strong contribution towards it, we want to speak to you.
You will;
- Drive continuous manufacturing process; from thawing cells, to large-scale cell culture, to maturation and final harvest
- Manage and mentor our team of Manufacturing Technicians, co-ordinating rosters and process schedules
- Continuously improve and develop Vow’s manufacturing process through automation, quality control systems, and cost reduction
- Ensure our manufacturing process adheres to Vow’s HACCP plan and quality management system
- Meet manufacturing business objectives and consumer demands, including stock levels, COGS, financial budgets, and production timeframes
- Report manufacturing outputs, improvements, and future roadmaps to company leads
- Quickly respond to, and swifty resolve interruptions to production or failed QC batches
- Collaborate with our multidisciplinary team of engineers, food inventors and product designers to solve manufacturing problems in new ways and to create the most amazing food products the world has ever seen
What success looks like in this role:
- In your first month you will have successfully integrated yourself into Vow’s Manufacturing Team. By the end of the first month you would have created a well oiled production line alongside the Manufacturing Technicians.
- After 3 months you will have implemented multiple process improvements within the Manufacturing pilot plant and achieved necessary production targets for our first product launch in Singapore.
- By the end of your first year at Vow you will have made significant contributions to help the Manufacturing team successfully bring amazing new products to market at a profit. You will have played a key role in transforming our manufacturing factory/s into a non-stop cultured-meat making machine.
Vow, more than just a job.
Who we are and why join:
- We are building a diverse, mission-driven 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 culture 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 leading 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 for 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.
You don’t have to have every listed requirement and skill to be a great fit - you may even teach us something about what we should be looking for! If you are passionate about this opportunity and think you have the skills to succeed, please apply! If not, but you know someone who might be interested, please share this post.
