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:

UPSIDE Foods is seeking a dynamic and creative development Chef to join our culinary innovation team. This role will focus on developing and testing new food concepts, traveling with the leadership team supporting sales meetings and marketing events, and collaborating with internal teams and external partners. The ideal candidate has a strong culinary background, a passion for innovation, and thrives in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment.

Responsibilities Include:

• Concept Development: Create, test, and refine innovative recipes and food products aligned with brand vision, trends, and customer preferences.
• Sales Support: On-site and travel to meeting locations throughout the US with UPSIDE Foods leadership team for sales meetings and events providing culinary support, menu item presentation and logistics coordination.
• Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams including marketing, operations, QA, and supply chain to ensure feasibility and scalability of new items.
• Pilot Programs: Support in-market testing and pop-ups; gather feedback and iterate on prototypes.
• Supplier & Partner Engagement: Collaborate with suppliers on ingredients and processes for new recipe development.
• Training & Support: Assist with training kitchen teams on new product rollouts and preparation techniques.
• Documentation: Maintain accurate records of recipes, procedures, test results, and feedback.

About You:

• Degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, or a related field.
• Minimum 5+ years experience in culinary development, preferably in foodservice or CPG.
• Proven ability to create innovative food concepts from ideation to execution.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively (50%).
• Strong understanding of flavor profiles, ingredient functionality, and regional cuisines.
• Excellent communication and charismatic presentation skills.
• Adaptable, self-motivated, and highly organized.
• Experience working with food brands or restaurant groups preferred.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing processes and regulatory standards preferred.
• Background in plant-based, global, or health-forward cuisines is a plus.

Compensation Range: $125,000 - $160,000*
*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
• Employee Engagement Council
• 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.