Pilot Plant Manager

Company: Wildtype
Location: San Francisco
Posted on: August 7, 2022

Job Description:

Job DescriptionAbout WildtypeWildtype is on a mission to create the cleanest, most sustainable seafood on the planet, starting with sushi-grade salmon. We're pioneering cellular agriculture to protect wild species and our oceans, and to reverse trends of global food insecurity. Wildtype will provide consumers with a new option for real seafood that provides the same nutritional benefits as the most pristine wild-caught fish, without common contaminants such as mercury, microplastics, antibiotics, or pesticides.We were founded in 2016 by Aryé Elfenbein, a cardiologist and molecular biologist, and Justin Kolbeck (CEO), a former US diplomat who served in Pakistan and Afghanistan, in an effort to solve one of the world's biggest problems: how to feed a growing population without stripping the earth of its natural resources and biodiversity. Investors include L Catterton, Jeff Bezos, Spark Capital, CRV, Temasek, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert Downey Jr.'s Footprint Coalition, among others. Come join us in transforming our food system for good!What you will own at Wildtype

• Oversee plant operations, including hands on management of day-to-day operations on the production floor
• Run our biotechnology-driven food manufacturing process, and ensure consistent high-quality production of our seafood products
• Hire and develop a team of manufacturing professionals
• Own production and manufacturing staff scheduling that is informed by production targets
• Develop and lead plant safety programs and champion Wildtype's safety culture for scaled up operations
• Continuously improve and optimize our production efficiency as we scale up in technology, facilities, production volume, and labor
• Streamline production, maximize yield, and reduce waste
• Ensure a high performance environment while upholding a commitment to quality
• Build KPIs for production targets, team performance, and fiscal considerations
• Effectively solve for any production issues using proven root cause analysis tools
• Implement and maintain standard procedures, protocols, and related documentation as well as staff training programs. Ensure compliance with all state and federal regulations
• Establish and monitor plant operating budget, and identify and implement improvements to positively impact profitabilityHow you'll interface with other teams
  • Work with our QA lead to develop and implement all necessary regulatory systems and processes
  • Collaborate routinely and effectively with quality, facilities, engineering, and R&D teams
  • Work with Operations to ensure appropriate inventory of product raw materials and other consumables required to run the plant facilityWhat we'd like you to teach us / What you bring to the table:
    • Previous experience as a plant manager or assistant plant manager
    • 5+ years of experience in overseeing operations at a food grade manufacturing facility
    • 2+ years of management experience, with a collaborative & empathetic leadership style
    • Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, and root cause analysis experience
    • Experiencing working with FDA / GMP requirements and regulations
    • Previous experience in a biotechnology environment and / or food manufacturing
    • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, and navigate frequent new product/process introductionsWhat we'll teach you
      • How cellular agriculture works and how it could completely change our food system by reducing our dependence on animal agriculture this century
      • How to work with and lead in a fast-moving, interdisciplinary team working at the leading edge of several fieldsImpact plan
        • Within 1 month you will have adapted your experience in leading manufacturing organizations to Wildtype's unique context. You will have set your professional development goals for the next twelve months and will have completed your first end-to-end production run with help from our subject matter experts. Finally, you will have partnered with our commercial team and founders to develop a production schedule for the next six months.
        • Within 3 months you will have played a leading role in hiring our first dedicated production team members. You will have worked closely with our EH&S and food safety leads to implement a best-in-class crewmate and product safety program. You will have also assisted in onboarding of our first quality hire, with whom you will coordinate closely to ensure our products are of the highest quality. You will have reviewed and approved all production SOPs and will have trained your team to be production ready.
        • Within 6 months you will have grown the production team substantially, including shift leads. Undoubtedly, you will have worked closely with a number of teams across the company as we bring our production capabilities fully online and encounter a number of operational and logistical challenges. You will have embraced these challenges as learning opportunities for the production team and will have implemented a robust Corrective Action/Preventative Action process. You will have established clear KPIs for the manufacturing team and will be closely managing them to help Wildtype achieve its company-wide objectives.
        • Within 12 months you will have helped to onboard and train the manufacturing team at our first large-scale production plant. You will be the go-to person in the company for expertise on scaled production of our products and support the growing team on working through all new facility challenges. You will have supported expanding the production team to at least 25 professionals, who will be operating on a multi-shift schedule. Most importantly, your efforts over the preceding months will have culminated in the first commercial launch of a cultivated seafood product in the world, and you will be actively partnering with our leadership team as we push to rapidly increase our production capacity. To learn more about Wildtype and see our newest updates, check out our blog! Wildtype is committed to building a diverse workplace spanning multiple dimensions including race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity, and veteran status.

Keywords: Wildtype, San Francisco , Pilot Plant Manager, Professions , San Francisco, California