Food Technology & Production Lead

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.

Vow is looking for our first Food Technology and Production Lead to create a new team within Vow that builds the in-house capability to manufacture our delicious products. You will get the opportunity to build the function from scratch and establish a food manufacturing production line that's set to redefine the culinary landscape.

• Experience taking food production from concept to reality. Designing and implementing food manufacturing lines that are safe, scalable and efficient.
• Proven experience in a leadership role within a food manufacturing environment with the ability to motivate and guide a diverse team.
• In-depth knowledge of food safety regulations, quality control standards, and production processes including HACCP
• Knowledge and background in Food Technology, Food Science or a related field.
• Solid problem-solving abilities and a proactive approach to addressing production challenges.
• Commitment to maintaining a safe and efficient working environment.

• Collaborate with the product design team to translate innovative ideas into viable products. 
• Lead the development of new manufacturing processes for the production of innovative food products. 
• Develop new processing technologies, equipment design, and process control to minimize waste and optimize production efficiency.
• Proactively address and resolve production issues, minimizing downtime and disruptions. 
• Ensure adherence to quality control standards and apply principles of food chemistry and microbiology to ensure product quality and safety. 
• Collaborate with the supply chain and marketing departments to create efficient production schedules, considering resource allocation and production goals.
• Enforce and promote safety protocols, ensuring a secure working environment for all employees.
• Guide and motivate the team to achieve daily, weekly and monthly targets. 

Within 3 months, you will:

• Build the in house capability to manufacture our first product. You will assess the suitability of our current manufacturing process and implement improvement initiatives to reduce lead time and cost.

Within 6 months, you will:

• Be growing a motivated and well-trained production team that consistently delivers excellent results as we exponentially scale up production.
• Bring our second product to market, turning prototypes into reality, building scalable efficient and safe production systems. 

Within 12 months, you will:

• Play a critical part in designing and building our third factory in 2025, running multiple products at a huge scale.

• We are building a diverse, mission-led 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 cultivate 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 top 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.

• 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 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.