Where Uncommon talent and unprecedented technology meet.

Uncommon is a purpose-driven company, creating breakthrough technologies that will help solve some of the world’s biggest health, sustainability and animal welfare challenges.

Our focus is on bringing superior cultivated pork products to market. At a time of growing inflation and shrinking natural resources, we believe that creative problem-solving is the most effective and sustainable way to address the global growth in protein consumption.

Core to our approach is our uniquely designed product delivery platform and our patented pioneering RNA-powered strategies to cultivate meat without genetic modification. It’s this approach and numerous other technological breakthroughs which position us to uniquely deliver nutritional and abundant protein products the market will crave.

Our brilliant team are experts in their respective fields, drawn from around the world. We’re passionate, curious, innovative and at the forefront of the ground-breaking work being done in this exciting and rapidly growing sector. Uncommon is a well-funded biotech company, backed by some of the world’s most admired investors. We’ve experienced spectacular growth over the last few years, reaching exciting milestones and we continue to grow every quarter.

We are seeking a Head of Product to guide an already strong team to meet these requirements. Our main facility is based in Cambridge, UK, with future facilities and offices likely in other global markets.

The role

As the first company in the world to cultivate bacon, we are now preparing the product team and company for future investment and commercialization. While the work we do as Uncommon is naturally for the common good, success in the market will be driven by delivering against key attributes across sensorial, nutritional and cost requirements.

As Head of Product, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and co-creating our cultivated pork portfolio. You will be an expert in food-related NPD and applications and have a strong track record of delivering with meaningful impact. You'll lead the Product team and will have the technical and managerial skills and experience to make a significant contribution to our innovative research and development processes.

You will report to our VP of Marketing who has strong consumer insight, F&B and brand positioning experience as you lead the product team to achieve milestones moving our products from prototypes to restaurant and retail-ready offerings.

We’ve made significant progress towards the creation of our first commercially viable products and you’ll have an immediate impact by perfecting the taste, texture and nutritional profile of our current bacon and pork belly products - and also play a lead role in creating the next generation of products as we continue to expand our range.

This role will be based at our new headquarters in Cambridge, UK where we have purpose-built our labs and a high-spec product development kitchen. We’ll need you to be onsite and hands-on with our product development, collaborating closely with the rest of the team - however, we offer as much flexibility as we can for working remotely. Occasional travel to manufacturing sites, suppliers, etc. will also be required.

What you’ll be doing:

• Leading the approach to optimise our technical execution, so that we create a market-leading product range that meets consumer expectations
• Building the necessary knowledge of ingredients & their functionality – relevant to sensory, nutritional and cost requirements of each product’s defined value proposition
• Developing links with the supply base to unlock innovation for novel equipment/technology & manufacturing processes
• Line-managing, growing and mentoring a team while working closely with the VP of Marketing, COO and cell science teams
• Adhering to all market regulations to ensure product compliance and safety in respective regulatory markets
• Championing product quality, in conjunction with the commercial, supply chain and technical teams
• Creating process - Establishing and implementing best practices for the long-term success of our product development activity - process and innovation strategy
• Coordinating workflows within the team and when working with other teams

What we think you need:

• Degree in Food Sciences/Food Engineering; Chemistry/Chemical Engineering or related fields
• Significant experience in the food industry
• A natural skill for technical problem-solving
• A strong track record of developing and launching consumer-preferred food products to market
• A high of organisation, with the ability to respond positively to unplanned events in a fast-paced environment
• A high level of comfort with autonomous working and a strong goal-orientated focus
• A bold approach to getting things done and being hands-on
• Previous experience leading and developing a team for a common goal
• Demonstrable knowledge of managing regulatory hurdles in different geographical markets
• Aptitude for assimilating complex scientific information and communicating to a non-scientific audience
• The ability to influence key stakeholders at every level of the organisation

We’d love it if you also have:

• Experience working with contract manufacturing partners
• In-depth knowledge of wider global legislation (USDA, etc.)
• A well-developed tasting palate and the ability to communicate sensory attributes

Reward:

Alongside a competitive base salary, all our people get these benefits:

• Share options
• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
• Enhanced parental leave pay
• Cycle-to-work scheme and wellbeing allowance
• Flexible hours
• "Make your work life easier" annual stipend
• Regular team dinners and social activities
• Snacks, fruits, tea, coffee and more!

Uncommon recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, disability, age, and other protected status as required by applicable law. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by incumbents assigned to this job. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the functions, responsibilities, duties and skills required for the position, and Uncommon LTD retains the discretion to modify.