The Senior Associate Brand Manager will lead product development for cultivated meat, managing projects from ideation to launch while analyzing market trends and collaborating across teams.
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 a total of $608 million, including from the Abu Dhabi Growth Fund (ADG), Baillie Gifford, Bill Gates, Cargill, John Doerr, John Mackey, Kimbal and Christiana Musk, Norwest, Richard Branson, Softbank, Temasek, Threshold, Tyson Foods, and others.
About this job:
As a Senior Associate Brand Manager - Product & Innovation for UPSIDE Foods, you will play a crucial role in driving the development of a breakthrough new category: cultivated meat. Driving creation of delicious products from concept to launch for a world-changing company requires a creative and analytical thinker with a passion for food innovation and the ability to work collaboratively across various departments.
You’ll lead a cross-functional team of colleagues from R&D, Food R&D, consumer insights, sales, finance, and supply chain, and manage the end-to-end commercialization process to bring our novel products to market. This position is best suited for someone who has a strong bias for action, ownership mentality, ability to deal with ambiguity, and strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills across both food and science (so fluency with biology is a bonus). This person must be comfortable working both horizontally and vertically across an organization to keep multiple projects and priorities moving forward to achieve deadlines.
Responsibilities include:
- Lead the ideation, development and execution of new products
- Analyze market trends, data, and competitive intelligence to identify trends and opportunities
- Develop product concepts, prototypes, and formulations in collaboration with R&D, Food R&D, and chef advisors
- Partner with Brand and Consumer Insights counterparts to identify the knowledge gaps, define and initiate the learning plan to optimize the 6Ps of led initiatives
- Manage the product commercialization process and lead cross-functional teams (including R&D, Marketing, FR&D, Supply chain, Sales & Finance) ensuring timely, on budget and successful project completion
- Contribute to the organization’s innovation strategy and 3Y pipeline by identifying trends, consumer whitespace, and innovation territories that are aligned with our go-to-market strategy and points of difference
- Partner with the Brand & Sales team to develop compelling product launch plans, product positioning, packaging, and promotional strategies and customer & sales presentations
About you:
- Bachelor’s Degree (or advanced degree) in Business, Marketing, Biology, or related field
- 3+ years of experience, with experience launching a food product (prior experience in new product innovation, or CPG preferred)
- Strong project management skills with ability to successfully handle multiple projects simultaneously and deliver on timelines (Experience in cross-functional team management preferred)
- Ability to bridge the realities of our cell biology with optimal food product experience
- Outstanding verbal, written and interpersonal communications skills
- Creative thinker with strong analytical skills
- Operates with a sense of urgency
- Strong leadership and results driven
- Passion for mission-driven food innovation
- Growth mindset and consumer-oriented
Compensation Range: $105,000 - $130,000*
*Pay may vary depending on factors including job-related knowledge and skills.
*Pay may vary depending on factors including job-related knowledge and skills.
UPSIDE Benefits!
- Stock options for all full-time incoming team members!
- 90-100% 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.
Top Skills
Consumer Insights
Cross-Functional Team Collaboration
Food Science
Market Analysis
Marketing
Product Development
Project Management
Similar Jobs
Fintech • Financial Services
The Senior Branch Premier Banker will acquire and deepen relationships with affluent clients, advising them on financial options and managing business risks while adhering to compliance and licensing regulations.
Fintech • Financial Services
Assist Financial Advisors with client service and operational tasks, facilitate requests, track referrals, and provide systems support. Act as a liaison for clients and contribute to serving and growing client relationships.
Top Skills:
MS Office
Fintech • Financial Services
As a Teller, you'll handle customer transactions, support digital banking solutions, minimize risks, and interact professionally with clients to build relationships.
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Los Angeles is a global leader in entertainment, so it’s no surprise that many of the biggest players in streaming, digital media and game development call the city home. But the city boasts plenty of non-entertainment innovation as well, with tech companies spanning verticals like AI, fintech, e-commerce and biotech. With major universities like Caltech, UCLA, USC and the nearby UC Irvine, the city has a steady supply of top-flight tech and engineering talent — not counting the graduates flocking to Los Angeles from across the world to enjoy its beaches, culture and year-round temperate climate.
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
