Senior Research Associate, Process Development

Location: Emeryville, CA

Department: Process Development

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:

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Research Associate to support bioprocess development for cell culture process characterization and optimization. This role will focus on executing experiments in bench-scale bioreactors and supporting the development and implementation of automation for lab workflows, as well as contributing to downstream process development, including cell separation and concentration. This is a hands-on role requiring independent experimental execution, troubleshooting, and data analysis. The successful candidate will interpret results, recommend next steps, and clearly communicate findings to cross-functional teams. The Senior Research Associate will also lead discrete technical projects or workstreams within PD/MSAT, contributing to process scale-up and manufacturing-relevant outcomes in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Responsibilities include:

• Lead discrete technical projects or workstreams within PD/MSAT, including planning experiments, coordinating with stakeholders, and driving timely execution.
• Execute suspension cell culture experiments in bench-scale bioreactors to support upstream process development and data generation.
• Perform routine cell culture assays and support process optimization and robustness studies.
• Design and execute experiments, applying statistical analysis and data visualization tools to interpret results.
• Analyze data and generate clear, high-quality technical documentation and reports.
• Present experimental findings and recommendations in team and cross-functional meetings.
• Partner with Cell Line, Media Development, PD/MSAT, Manufacturing, and Engineering teams to support cross-functional data generation and process understanding.

About you:

• B.S. in a relevant scientific or technical discipline with 4+ years, or M.S. with 2+ years of industry experience.
• Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture processes is required; experience with suspension cell culture in controlled bioreactor systems is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated proficiency in experimental design, statistical analysis (e.g., JMP), and data visualization or reporting tools (e.g., Tableau or equivalent).
• Strong background in experimental data analysis, interpretation, and technical documentation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present and discuss experimental results clearly and effectively.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced and cross-functional environment.

Who you’ll work with:

• This role sits within the Process Development (PD) team and collaborates closely with Cell Line Development, Media Development, MSAT, Manufacturing, Engineering, and Food R&D to understand how process parameters impact both process performance and final product quality.

Compensation Range: $85,000 - $100,000*

*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
• 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.