Head of Manufacturing Operations (12-Month Contract)

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. Want to join us?

We’re on the search!!!

The Role+

We’re looking for a powerhouse operator to take the reins as Vow’s Head of Manufacturing. This is a rare chance to help shape the future of food at scale.

We’re not just building another food company. We’re building an entirely new category of meat. And we need someone to own the entire operating engine that brings that vision to life, from raw materials and cell cultivation to food manufacturing and global logistics. You’ll be the steward of world-class manufacturing, the architect of Vow’s scale-up, and the calm, focused operator at the heart of one of the world’s most ambitious food startups.

Vow has already achieved what most cultured meat companies dream about: regulatory approval, commercial production, and live sales in the market in Singapore. With our launch in Australia and New Zealand expected imminently, now, it’s time to move from thousands of servings to millions, and you’ll lead the team that makes that possible.

You’ll partner closely with our CEO, lead and grow high-performing teams across manufacturing, supply chain, quality assurance, and facilities, and ensure that Vow’s operations scale seamlessly to match our ambitions.

Your Experience+

Who you are:

• Deep operator. You have built, led, and scaled operational functions that are complex, fast-moving, and quality-critical
• Systems thinker. You can zoom out to architect the big picture, then dive deep into the details when needed. You naturally spot bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and you're always looking for ways to build better systems. You're comfortable leveraging digital tools and data systems to drive decisions, automate operations, and enable efficient, data-driven scaling.
• Calm under pressure. You’re grounded and focused when things get intense. You’re confident in uncertainty, and you thrive in environments that are scaling fast.
• Builder of people. You’ve grown high-performing teams and love coaching leaders to unlock their best. You build accountability, trust, and clarity everywhere you go.
• Ambitious and relentless. You're not afraid of big goals. You’re focused, fast, and tenacious about execution.
• Mission-driven. You want your life’s work to matter and you care deeply about creating a more sustainable, more delicious food system for the planet.

(We are open to and able to sponsor international candidates for this role and provide relocation support to make the move easier)

The experience you’ll bring:

• 7+ years in operations, manufacturing, supply chain, or general management, with at least 3 years in executive or senior leadership roles.
• Proven track record scaling complex manufacturing or supply chain operations from startup to global scale.
• Deep experience with regulatory compliance, quality systems, and operational risk management in regulated, high-performance environments.
• Demonstrated success in building and developing strong, empowered teams.
• You’ve worked closely with product, commercial, and R&D teams to align operations with the broader business—and made the whole system sing.

What you'll do+

• Lead all operational teams across manufacturing, supply chain, facilities, logistics, and more.
• Build scalable systems that ensure we meet our quality, regulatory, and cost goals while enabling rapid scale.
• Own the delivery of Vow’s growth plan from the inside - ensuring product gets made, shipped, and loved in every market we enter.
• Champion operational excellence, building a culture of continuous improvement and high performance.
• Collaborate with the CEO and executive team to steer Vow’s long-term strategy and execution.

Success is+

• In 30 days, you’ve mapped every element of our operational landscape, from supply chain vulnerabilities to production capacity to cost drivers. You’ve identified immediate inefficiencies and implemented quick wins that deliver real results. You’ve assessed your team and made the calls needed to unlock performance.
• In 90 days, you’ve overhauled key systems to unlock scale and reduce cost, eliminated bottlenecks in production or logistics, and set a new standard for operational excellence. You’ve delivered measurable improvements in yield, COGS, and throughput while rallying the team around clear goals and accountability.
• In 6 months, you’ve turned operations into a strategic weapon. Production is humming, costs are falling, quality is impeccable, and the team is firing. We’re shipping products reliably and confidently to multiple markets. You’ve built a forecast-driven, demand-responsive engine that’s ready to scale without breaking.
• In 12 months, you’ve architected the future of Vow’s global operations. We’re no longer thinking in batches, we’re moving in tons. We’re operating with precision, confidence, and efficiency across every market. Vow has become known for world-class execution and speed, and you’re the person the team credits for making it happen.

So, why join us?

A diverse, mission-led, dream team of Vowzers

Our mission is to feed billions, which means making food products for everyone. To do this we need a team that’s representative of the people we serve. We celebrate multiple approaches and points of view and have built a culture to match. Be yourself and come as you are.

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, 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.

Cutting-edge technology

We’re bringing together innovations in science, engineering, and food, to create the world’s most unique culinary experiences. All without compromising on ethics or our planet. 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. We're wild because we can be.

Backed by the best

We can make a real impact thanks to our investors Blackbird Ventures, Square Peg Capital, Grok Ventures, Tenacious Ventures, P7 Ventures, Toyota Ventures and PeakBridge VC.

Perks &
Perks

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.

Paid parental leave

For those who choose to start a family, we offer 8 weeks of paid caregiver leave and an additional 8 weeks paid leave for the birth giver.

Relocation budget & support

We offer support for interstate or overseas team members, their families and, of course, their pets.

Unlimited personal leave

We understand life is hard sometimes. Emergencies happen, kids get sick, medical complications make it hard to be our best selves. Whatever the case, when faced with truly difficult situations, we don't want you to worry about work. Which is why Vow has an unlimited personal leave policy. We'll keep the lights on while you take care of yourself.

Flexible working hours and location

We value work-life balance and we recognise that everyone works differently. We want you to do your best work, so you can choose how and where you do it.

Converted warehouse 'campus'

Complete with a glass-walled lab, manufacturing lines, snacks, a culinary centre and professional-grade coffee machine.

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.

Human and dog friendly office

An inclusive community and culture, in a welcoming office, we encourage you to bring your true self…and your dogs.

A variety of social clubs

It's Vowzers who make our culture. From book clubs to hiking groups, we’re always looking for ways to learn and engage with each other.

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

For those who choose to start a family, we offer 8 weeks of paid caregiver leave and an additional 8 weeks paid leave for the birth giver.

Generous relocation budget & support

We offer support for interstate or overseas team members, their families and, of course, their pets.

Flexible working hours and location

We value work-life balance and we recognise that everyone works differently. We want you to do your best work, so you can choose how and where you do it.

Unlimited personal leave

Sometimes you need time off to recuperate, look after your mental health, or simply deal with an emergency. We put unlimited personal leave in place to empower you to bring your best self to work every 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.

Converted warehouse 'campus'

Complete with a glass-walled lab, manufacturing lines, snacks, a culinary centre and professional-grade coffee machine.

A variety of social clubs

It's Vowzers who make our culture. From book clubs to hiking groups, we’re always looking for ways to learn and engage with each other.

Human and dog friendly office

An inclusive community and culture, in a welcoming office, we encourage you to bring your true self…and your dogs.