Production Associate
Vow
Location
Sydney
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
Manufacturing
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
We are looking for a Production Associate to join our cells Production team. This hands-on role is all about operating and troubleshooting large-scale cell culture production processes (up to 20,000L) to deliver consistent, high-quality product.
You’ll spend most of your time hands-on with our equipment and systems - monitoring growth, carrying out feed and harvest steps, keeping a close eye on performance, and fixing issues as they arise. While much of the work is structured and process-driven, there’s always an element of problem solving and improvement as conditions change and new challenges emerge.
This role is high-impact. The processes you run every day are what make it possible for Vow to bring new kinds of food to the world at scale. If you’ve worked in food, brewing, fermentation, chemicals, or any other large-scale production environment, this is your chance to use those skills to help bring delicious cultured meat products to market
The experience you will bring
A Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Biochemistry, Chemical Engineering, Bioprocess Engineering, Food Science, or a related scientific discipline.
Hands-on experience with production processes at scale (e.g. food manufacturing, brewing, fermentation, chemicals, or related industries).
Biological, mechanical or technical aptitude - confident operating, adjusting, and troubleshooting production equipment.
Understanding of process discipline - comfortable following established procedures with precision, while adapting when unexpected issues arise.
Experience monitoring and recording process data to ensure consistency and support improvements.
Team player with clear communication and a bias to action, able to work effectively in a high-functioning production environment.
Excellent time and project management skills, with the ability to work effectively in fast-paced, evolving environments
Exposure to quality and safety systems (HACCP, GMP, ISO standards) is beneficial.
Flexibility for shift or weekend work when required.
You will;
Oversee the end-to-end manufacturing process, from cell thaw and expansion through to large-scale cell culture, maturation, and harvest
Operate and troubleshoot bioreactors and other large-scale bioprocessing equipment with a focus on biological performance and consistency
Perform routine in-process monitoring and data recording to ensure each batch meets defined quality and food safety standards
Use your understanding of cell biology and biochemistry to interpret process data, identify deviations, and support continuous improvement
Maintain detailed records of batch metrics and deviations from SOPs to support quality control, root-cause analysis, and process optimisation
Follow and contribute to Vow’s Quality Management System, including updating SOPs and supporting process documentation for reproducibility and regulatory compliance
Collaborate with R&D and Engineering teams to ensure new processes and changes are successfully integrated into production
Support general facility upkeep and equipment maintenance, maintaining a clean and safe working environment
What success looks like in this role:
In your first month you will have successfully integrated into Vow’s Production team. You’ll be confidently following established processes, learning the details of our large-scale cell culture operations, and running routine steps under guidance.
After 3 months you’ll be running production processes independently, spotting issues early, and taking ownership of troubleshooting day-to-day challenges. You’ll also begin identifying opportunities for small process improvements and contributing ideas to make operations smoother and more reliable.
By the end of your first year you’ll be a key contributor in scaling our production, owning parts of the process, and working closely with Engineering, R&D, and Quality teams to embed improvements into routine production. Your impact will be felt in both the consistency of output and the way new processes are brought online.
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, been called The Spaceship of the cultured meat industry by Forbes and launched our first product under the brand Forged in some of the hottest restaurants in Singapore.
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.
Unlimited personal leave. At Vow we recognise that sometimes sh*t happens. We don’t want you to stress about work when you need to deal with an emergency or are struggling with something truly difficult. We offer unlimited personal leave to empower you to truly bring your best self to work every single day.
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, 2 factories, shower and towel service, bike rack, free snacks, a culinary centre and plenty of collaboration and chill zones.
Human and dog friendly office! An inclusive community and culture, in a welcoming office, complete with friendly “Vowzer” dogs!
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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.
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