Scientist, Analytical R&D (6 month fixed-term)

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 more than $600 million in funding from a diverse group of leading U.S. and global investors, including top-tier venture capital firms, sovereign investment funds, strategic food and agriculture partners, and prominent technology and sustainability investors.

About this job:

UPSIDE Foods is seeking an innovative, enthusiastic, and experienced Scientist, Analytical R&D (6 month fixed-term) to join our Analytical Research and Development (ARD) team in support of Lucius Labs and Upside Foods. In this role, you will be responsible for the end-to-end development, optimization, validation, and tech transfer of high-impact analytical assays necessary for routine operations.

This is a fast-paced, laboratory-based role requiring strong method development expertise in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), spectroscopy, and rapid bioanalytical assays.

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:

• Education & Experience: Ph.D. in Chemistry (preferably with a focus on Analytical and/or Food Chemistry) or related field or M.S. with 4+ years of industry experience specializing in rapid method development and validation.
• Mass Spectrometry Expertise: Deep hands-on experience with LC-MS instrumentation and sample handling, including developing robust multi-analyte gradients.
• Spectroscopy & Bioassay Experience: Proven experience building spectral libraries with FTIR and/or RAMAN instrumentation, overcoming matrix inhibition/enhancement is highly preferred.
• Matrix Familiarity: Strong background working with complex matrices, cell culture media, or food/biomass matrices. Experience working with micro-sampling or small-volume extractions is a plus.
• Collaboration: Strong communication skills with a track record of successfully executing tech transfers and training laboratory personnel.

Who you’ll work with:

• Primary Team: You will report to and work closely with the Analytical Research & Development (ARD) team.
• Cross-Functional Partners: Collaborate heavily with permanent staff at Lucius Labs, as well as , raw materials, cell culture media, upstream development and production teams.

Key contributions:

• Bioanalytical assay method development incorporating LC-MS/MS and FTIR
• Design and execute experiments for quantitative analytical testing.
• Mentor junior team members
  
  

Compensation Range: $120,000-$145,000
*Pay may vary depending on factors including job-related knowledge and skills.

UPSIDE Benefits!

• Stock options for all full-time incoming team members!
• 83-100% 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.