Senior Process Engineer

Overview

Are you looking to make a difference in the world? Tender Food is revolutionizing the food industry by solving a major global challenge: how to make meat production ethical and sustainable. Going beyond the existing plant-based burgers, we are developing alternative meat whole-cuts using innovations in materials science, manufacturing and even tissue engineering. This will transform how the world consumes meat and protein. Spun out of Harvard University and the Wyss Institute in 2020, Tender Food is actively recruiting our core technical team.

We are looking for a Process Engineering Lead to define, develop, and scale Tender’s technology and products to commercial scale. You will report to the Chief Technology Officer and work with our Innovation, Development, and Operation Teams. To be a great cultural fit, you will have a passion to change the world for the better. You are not just looking to cash a paycheck – what you do for work matters to you. 

You Have:

• BS, MS, or PhD in chemical engineering, food science, mechanical engineering or 8+ years of a proven track record of developing and scaling up similar processing systems (food processing, textile processing, polymer science, )
• 3+ years of experience successfully leading, prioritizing, and executing multiple process development projects.
• Proven track record of developing novel processes, designing experiments to define QA/QC parameters for setting a process envelope, and scaling processes to support manufacturing capacities.
• Proven experience in leading equipment specification, installation, commissioning, qualification, and verification
• Great at building systems and a world-class project manager – everyone fights to have you on their team
• Knowledge in FDA GMP food processing
• Understanding of food product requirements (COA, supplier qualification, sensory evaluation)
• Fundamental understanding of macromolecular principles and their impact mixing, transferring, and heating at scale 
• The ability to thrive in an environment of uncertainty and to define standards for excellent work
• Proven track record of collaborating with diverse technical teams to solve complex problems
• Ability to travel as necessary to oversee pilot line deployment and troubleshooting.
• Excitement about joining an early-stage startup, where you will work autonomously on high-impact projects, wear multiple hats, and solve critical challenges.
• At Tender, we encourage you to apply if you have most of the qualifications listed above but not all.  We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your relevant experiences and transferable skills.

How To Stand Out (Preferred Qualifications):

• Experience with CRO/CMO  
• Experience writing manufacturing SOPs and conducting relevant trainings. 
• Proven track record working in OSHA, Six Sigma, HACCP, Sanitary 3-A, sanitary design, CIP systems, USDA, or other food production standards/regulations.
• Experience collaborating with multiple teams to build process quality control steps, scaling process from the bench to pilot line and beyond, developing process understanding on key steps, and leading root cause analysis on the process failures.
• Proven ability to make decisions by turning uncertainty into calculated risks.
• Eagerness to spend time as an individual contributor to get multiple projects out the door in the next 6 months with hands on work; opportunity to grow into leading a small team depending on company priorities over time.
• Experience designing and running experiments that drive fundamental understanding of processes and enable the design of platforms that are usable, efficient, and scalable.
• Experience in leading projects with accountability, transparency, and empathy across multiple teams.Effectively motivated project members with different personal styles to meet production and technology goals.  
• Ability to balance multiple priorities, including managing and defining technical directions across teams, coordinating resources, and managing process understanding and learning.

Why work with us? 

At Tender Food, we are deeply committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion. Our goal is to create an environment and company culture where people from all walks of life can come together in an inclusive manner and be an amazing force for good! 

• You’ll get to join us on our mission to radically transform the meat industry – one of the most polluting industries on our planet. 
• You’ll get to work with a diverse group of people that cares deeply about what we are trying to solve.   
• You’ll join an organization that values transparency and honesty. 
• You’ll have ownership over what you do and how you do it. 
• You’ll join a really fun, interesting and dynamic place to work! 
• You’ll join a young startup that is experiencing very rapid growth!