Prolific Machines is on a mission to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture. We believe that we have the only solution to make cultured meat at a price that is competitive with factory farming. We are looking for mission-driven, skilled, and kind people to help create the alternative we need to transition to a more sustainable and healthy future.
Diversity: We value diverse people, perspectives, and knowledge. To this end, we aim to foster a sense of belonging that enables everyone to bring their whole, authentic self to work everyday. We are committed to growing a diverse and inclusive team that encompasses all types of people. We believe this can only be achieved by acknowledging the ancestral, historic, and current systemic and communal inequities.
The position:
In order to dramatically reduce our reliance on factory farming, it is critical to develop tasty whole-cuts of meat in addition to unstructured/ground products. We believe that our core technology is uniquely suited to solving the challenging problem of growing a complex, delicious meat tissue in the lab. The founding scientist/engineer on this project will lead efforts to further technically de-risk and scope this structured meat project and will set up processes and collaborations across biology, engineering, and product to enable these efforts. There will be ample opportunity for growth in this role as we expect the structured product team to grow over the coming year(s) which will be necessary to address this uniquely difficult problem.
Responsibilities:
- Lead de-risking and development of a scalable structured meat prototype as well as set up processes across many disciplines (biology, hardware engineering, bioprocess development, and product) to execute the plan.
- Function as the systems engineer/architect of this product - you will need a reasonable technical understanding of all parts of the system, strong communication skills, ability to evaluate and address risk, and a strategic vision for the project.
- Investigate a broad array of biomaterials, tissue engineering methods, and other solutions that could enable tissue growth ex vivo to identify solutions that are scalable and fall within the product and business specifications required. You will develop and execute a strategy for evaluating the feasibility of these different approaches.
- As the project matures, you will define and be the technical lead for the multidisciplinary team that will deliver the company’s first structured meat prototype.
What you’ll bring
- A PhD in a relevant engineering or scientific field (e.g. Bioengineering, Materials Science, etc.) and 3+ years of work experience OR a BA/BS with 8+ years of work experience.
- Experience applying a systems engineering approach to solve complex, interdisciplinary problems with a focus on scalability (i.e. experience directly scaling up a process in industry or working on a prototype with a clear vision for how it will scale).
- A broad knowledge of biomaterials, tissue engineering, bioprinting, and other approaches that could enable tissue growth in the lab and experience screening a variety of approaches to solve a specific problem.
- The ability to develop and present a compelling & comprehensive vision that is grounded in data, and the motivation and excitement to lead a project from its infancy (including managing projects and people).
In addition, you recognize yourself in the following
- You are an effective integrator - you are a quick learner and effective facilitator and can integrate knowledge, data, and experience from others to make efficient progress.
- You combine a curious and open mind to innovative approaches with a knowledge of what works.
- You are a thoughtful, fun coworker who cares deeply about the company's mission and culture.
- You thrive in a dynamic environment and can take on the plurality of challenges that are inherent to startups.
Location: The San Francisco Bay Area (Emeryville)
Compensation: Competitive salary (bi-weekly payments), stock options (subject to vesting), performance-based bonus, and free lunch every day!
Benefits: Outstanding Health, Vision & Dental Insurance (including full spouse coverage), at least one all-expense-paid team holiday per year, flexibility in schedule and unlimited vacation days.
Evaluation: In lieu of the traditional application process of a CV and cover letter, we would rather give you an opportunity to tell us about yourself on your own terms by answering the below three questions. How you answer these is up to you: in words (narrative or otherwise), video, or visually. However, we do ask that it is concise (e.g less than 200 words for written answers). If applying by video or visually please send your application to jobs@prolific-machines.com.
