This role oversees the Berkeley R&D lab and leads the transition to a new ~25,000 sq ft facility, which will house the world's largest adherent cell culture bioreactor alongside growing R&D and product development teams. Working with the Director of Bioprocess Engineering (BPE), the Facilities Manager will own the buildout from design through commissioning, then run the facility day-to-day.
Responsibilities
Drive the buildout of Mission Barns’ next facility: work with R&D and product development teams to set scope and priorities, and manage architects, contractors, and specialty vendors to deliver them
Lead commissioning and startup of building systems, utilities, and process equipment with BPE, against defined acceptance criteria
Plan and execute the transition of operations from the Berkeley lab, including the safe transfer of critical materials and equipment
Own and mature the facility risk management program (asset criticality, FMECAs, risk register, and root cause investigations), applying it to the new facility so critical systems are proven before they are depended on
Own critical monitoring and alarm systems, from commissioning through day-to-day response, including after-hours on-call coverage
Own EHS programs, training, and regulatory compliance, including the permits the new facility will require
Oversee day-to-day facility operations, including building systems, utilities and gases, and the preventive maintenance, calibration, and inspection program
Manage the facilities team, budget, vendors, and service contracts, growing the team as operations expand
Requirements
5+ years of facilities management experience in biotech, pharma, food manufacturing, or a comparable laboratory or manufacturing environment
Demonstrated experience delivering a lab buildout, relocation, or major renovation, including managing contractors, schedules, and budgets
Technical fluency with laboratory building systems and utilities, and the curiosity to understand the bioprocess and what it needs from the facility
Experience running a preventive maintenance program in a CMMS
A proactive approach to risk: anticipate how systems can fail and put controls in place before they do
Demonstrated use of AI to accelerate and improve the quality of facilities work, with the judgment to verify what it produces
A self-starter with a bias for action who thrives in a fast-paced, hands-on startup environment
Willingness to obtain required certifications, such as DOT hazmat shipping and hazardous waste manifest signing
Excellent organizational and communication skills, and a collaborative approach to working with technical teams
Nice to have:
Ownership of a biotech or bioprocess facility buildout from design through startup
Millions of jobs, with real people getting hired every day
200,000+
New jobs added daily
7,000,000+
Verified job listings
1,000,000+
Tailored applications submitted
Familiarity with food-grade (USDA/FDA) or GMP facility requirements
Certifications such as CFM, CMRP, PMP, or OSHA 30
Technical fluency with bioprocess equipment and utilities, such as bioreactors, CIP/SIP, plant and clean steam, clean dry air, process gases, purified water, and waste treatment systems
Experience with structured risk management tools such as FMEA/FMECA, asset criticality assessment, risk registers and bow-tie analysis, root cause analysis, and commissioning and qualification
Hands-on ownership of EHS programs and regulatory compliance in California, including permitting process facilities (pressure vessels, air emissions, wastewater discharge)
Experience managing tenant improvement projects on behalf of a tenant
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision coverage
Flexible holiday and vacation time policy
401k
Commuter benefits
Snacks and drinks
Lifestyle/health benefits
Ample opportunity for career advancement
Other perks
About the Company
At Mission Barns, the company is building a cell culture process to ultimately make healthier, tastier, and cheaper animal fat in a more sustainable way without needing to rear and slaughter animals. Over the last 8 years, they have set scalable foundations for their first product, cultivated pork fat, by building a novel adherent cell culture bioreactor, achieving the first regulatory clearance in the world for any cultivated fat product via FDA and USDA clearance in March 2025, and developing a porcine cell culture system with novel, cost-scalable, and food-grade process reagents and porcine adipogenic cell lines that can proliferate enough to meet global pork fat demand.
