About us
Vow is a cultured meat company on a mission to feed billions and create food that’s good for your tastebuds, your health and your planet.
We’re bringing together cutting edge innovations in science, engineering, culinary and design to create new meats that meat lovers can choose selfishly because it’s nutritious and delicious, and we’re doing so in a sustainable way.
The role:
As an Operations Lead (Manufacturing) at Vow, you’ll be responsible for driving the team towards aggressive build out and commercialisation timelines both as a part of Vow’s second facility right here in Sydney and future global facilities. Quite simply we are looking for a driver not a passenger, someone who’s highly adaptable, learns fast, loves working in and around technical teams and is insatiably motivated. These traits are more important than any specific technical background. Literally apply if you think you will smash it out of the park!
The purpose of this role is to successfully rally teams to deliver on critical company goals that you’re accountable for e.g. reducing our cost of goods to < $X/kg or collecting data from the bioreactor line for regulatory submissions to enter new markets. This inherently requires a holistic approach. To do this effectively you’ll be a master project planner, a fast & high quality executor, an expert stakeholder manager and an insanely clear communicator.
Note: when we say operations we mean we are looking for a talented operator NOT leading day to day manufacturing operations. A lot of this work typically falls under “project management” but nothing is standard here at Vow.
The experience/skills you will bring:
- Experience managing projects in a fast-paced environment (e.g. manufacturing, startups) with exposure to technical teams. The core project management skills we’re looking for include the following:
- Project planning (scope)
- Cost management (budget)
- Speed (time)
- Great communication skills and an ability to empathise with and effectively lead diverse teams.
- Top notch organisational skills. You’re across everything (high level and granular details) to a fault.
- Clear track record of reliability and ability to consistently deliver on tight timelines, especially in high-pressure situations.
- Either a relevant or applicable technical background (e.g. engineering, biotechnology, science) or a generalist with a strong technical inclination or experience e.g. product or program manager
- Passion for learning and continued growth, and an eagerness to operate and create clarity in ambiguous environments.
Note: you do not need to satisfy 100% of the points listed above. If you have some of the skills and believe you could make an impact in this role, please apply - we want to hear from you!
You will:
- Define & own goals and key monthly objectives across project(s) in Vow’s manufacturing expansion plans
- Ensure the team is executing on relevant project plans in the most timely and effective way possible.
- Ensure that there are sufficient lines of communication across workstreams in manufacturing when required and also provide succinct but relevant updates to leadership.
- Ensure that manufacturing costs are being effectively tracked so that the team can make informed financial decisions
- Challenge the team to think creatively about the way in which problems that arise in manufacturing are resolved.
- Report to Vow’s Head of Manufacturing and be responsible for directly managing a team of technical contributors.
What success looks like:
In the first month, you’ll ramp up on all things Vow and cultured meat and develop a holistic understanding of the happenings across Vow’s factory expansion. You’ll spend a lot of time being a “sponge” by getting to know people across all teams at Vow but specifically those within manufacturing.
Over the next few months, you’ll be expected to take high levels of ownership over critical manufacturing project(s) such as the build out of our second factory. This will involve working with workstream leads to assemble & install new bioreactor lines, introduce new products into our food processing room & improve operating procedures. To achieve this you’ll ensure the team has a clear set of goals and executable objectives that are both ambitious but achievable.
In your first year at Vow, you’ll become an expert in the happenings of Factory 2 and manufacturing. You will have developed a strong trust with the various workstream leads involved in delivering on critical aspects of Vow’s mission by building out the physical space that allows us to create our products. You will have played a key role in ramping up the capacity of Vow’s production capability and ensuring we can sell irresistible food to a great number of people.
In the years beyond, you’ll explore the applications of project management in manufacturing across the business. This could be in the continued fit out of Factory 2 or subsequent factories that come online as Vow continues to grow.
Who we are and why join:
- 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.
Vow perks and benefits:
- 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.
