At Future Fields, we’re changing the world - one fruit fly at a time.

We’ve developed a novel insect-based expression platform that allows us to make the world’s most sustainable recombinant proteins.

We’re unleashing the next biorevolution.

At Future Fields, we are continually learning and evolving. We know we don’t have all the answers, but we try to ask all the questions. We believe in “failing forward” and leveraging our mistakes to help us grow. We never want our team to feel constrained by the status quo and we don’t judge ideas based on where they come from. We actively work to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation and psychological safety through transparency, structure, and open communication. We know it sounds cliche, but every employee really is a valued and equal member of the Future Fields team.

Come find your purpose with Future Fields.

We are a young and rapidly growing venture backed startup (with support from awesome investors including Bee Partners, Y Combinator, and more). We’ve even had a shoutout from Ironman himself! Joining our team now means you’ll have the opportunity to shape our culture and products, to lead others, and to influence the direction of our company. Perhaps most importantly - you’ll be joining a team that is genuinely energized by this work and the meaningful potential of biotech to change the world.

About the role

The Quality Assurance Associate will join our growing Quality Management team, supporting the development of our foundational Quality Management program from the ground up. The key focus of this role is to build and oversee our electronic Quality Management System (eQMS) in the short term. In the long term, this role will participate in all quality related activities - contributing to the planning, implementation, and execution of a system that ensures our products consistently meet the highest standards of quality, efficacy and safety.

The QA Associate will work closely with our Leads of Manufacturing, QA, QC and Regulatory - reporting to our COO for 2023 (due to a maternity leave), and then QA Lead from 2024 onwards.

This role will attend weekly science and all-hands meetings and participate in collaborative discussions on Future Fields’ R&D and manufacturing strategy and business goals. This role will learn the ins and outs of our technology and support on everything from laboratory processes and eQMS implementation to achieving GMP and FSSC 22000 compliance in our pilot manufacturing facility. As Future Fields rapidly moves from R&D to the manufacturing stage, this role is vital for ensuring we have a strong quality foundation in place that can scale alongside our business.

This role will own:

- Oversight of our controlled document system and electronic Quality Management System, including acting as an eQMS administrator
- Development, support and maintenance of SOPs across the organization that are clear, concise and in compliance with industry standards and regulations
- Oversight of our supply chain program, including organizing and managing suppliers list in the eQMS system, managing required documents and auditing schedule
- Ensuring training records are kept up to date and meet industry standards
- Training team members on areas related to quality management including (but not limited to) eQMS use, SOP development and implementation, and GMP prerequisites
- Guiding Master Manufacturing Record creation/approval and performing Batch Record review (including checking for completeness, accuracy and compliance with industry standards).
- Product labeling / packaging to ensure compliance with industry standards
- Developing system for tracking and trending of non-conformance events
- Performing investigations into non-conforming products and document findings
- Ensuring our operations and products comply with all relevant regulatory standards set forth by Health Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, CFIA, FDA, Singapore Food Agency (and more)
- Staying abreast of current and emerging regulatory and QA developments and ensuring our operations and strategies are aligned
- Conducting and participating in internal and external QA audits
- Providing quality assurance expertise across the company
- Collaborating with other team members to improve processes and product quality

This role will assist by:

- Supporting with Quality and Food Safety functions across the organization, including training, compliance, verification, and auditing activities
- Working closely with our R&D, manufacturing, engineering, and operations teams to ensure food safety requirements and quality standards are incorporated into production and scaling processes
- Encouraging the broader team to adopt a safety culture through employee engagement, training, and other activities
- Supporting GMP compliance efforts alongside QC Lead, Regulatory Affairs Lead and COO
- Supporting the development and upkeep of processes and procedures including SOPs, instructions, and risk assessment tools
- Supporting inspection preparation and management through staff training, preparation of materials and documents, and other tasks as required
- Supporting the Environmental Health & Safety Committee, and ensuring company operations and policies align with relevant codes and regulations
- Performing HACCP assessment in collaboration with manufacturing and QC

This role requires a deep understanding of quality assurance principles and ability to apply a risk-based mindset to novel processes. The ability to synthesize and draw on existing knowledge and apply it to brand new challenges. Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. The ability to organize, analyze, and prioritize workflows with incredible attention to detail. A humble attitude and willingness to learn and quickly adapt to changing priorities.

About you

You are a detail oriented problem-solver who excels at applying your broad knowledge base to novel and ambiguous problems. You are curious and love to learn, and enjoy staying on top of emerging industry trends. You can see the big picture but still understand the moving parts, possessing the ability to operationalize lofty goals into actionable work plans with your project management expertise. You are self-motivated and comfortable exercising independent judgment, and the thought of working in an unstructured, entrepreneurial atmosphere excites you. You don’t love ambiguity - but you can make it work, adapting quickly to the ever-changing demands of a growing startup. You can take a long and short-term view on processes and priorities, understanding that our end-game is very different from where we are today. You are seeking a unique opportunity to apply your expertise to a brand new set of challenges and grow alongside a company in an exciting new industry

Must haves

- BSc in Biology, Chemistry or related field (or equivalent combination of experience and education)
- Previous QA experience in a manufacturing setting
- Experience working in GMP facility environments, including cleanrooms
- Experience in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry
- Understanding of the processes involved in manufacturing, lot release, stability testing, storage and distribution
- Ability to draft and edit standard operating procedures, stability protocols, validation protocols, etc
- Experience with and understanding of electronic Quality Management Systems (not paper based)

Bonus points

- Experience regulating or commercializing a novel product (extra points for food product)
- Experience in biology, biotechnology, therapeutics or pharmaceutical industry
- Experience in or understanding of the cellular agriculture industry
- Experience with eQMS, ELN and LIMS
- Experience in industrial biomanufacturing

About our team

Our story and approach to science is anything but conventional. Matt (co-founder/CEO) was a touring punkrock musician who dropped out of University before returning to complete his PhD in cell biology. Jalene (co-founder/COO) is a social researcher by training, previously working on issues from the right to affordable housing to harm reduction. The spark of an idea for our technology came while waiting in line for tiny, Canadian donuts. Our broader team of scientists, engineers, circus performers, restaurateurs, dancers, folk music aficionados, kid parents, pet parents, cyclists, and artists hail from every corner of the world - from small town Alberta to Poland, India, Vietnam and Pakistan. We credit our diverse team and experiences as the key to our success - and we encourage candidates of all identities and backgrounds to apply.

FAQs

Where is Future Fields located?

Our headquarters (office and lab space) is located in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, in a beautiful, freshly renovated warehouse. From the exposed brick to our rooftop patio - it’s not your average lab space. It is central, close to transit and bike lanes, and walking distance to some of the city’s best coffee shops, restaurants and Edmonton’s incredible river valley.

Will I like working for a startup?

Great question. Startup life is definitely not for everyone. We move quickly. Projects and priorities shift fast. There is a lot of ambiguity and uncertainty at times and we’re not immune to the growing pains of an early stage scale-up. The risk is high, but so is the reward. We promise you will never get bored. You will have fun and learn a lot. You will grow personally and professionally in ways you never imagined (alongside our company). You will be part of something much bigger than yourself and contribute directly to the mission of a team who cares deeply about changing the world for the better.

I don’t live in Edmonton. Why would I want to relocate there?

Because it’s great! For starters, Edmonton is one of Canada’s sunniest cities with 2299 hours of bright sunshine per year. It’s consistently ranked one of Canada’s most affordable cities to live in and was recently described as Canada’s most exciting culinary city. There’s a festival almost every weekend, North America’s largest mall and the longest stretch of urban parkland on the continent (over 160 km of trails!). There’s something for everyone in Edmonton, and it will be even better with you in it.

Any other perks?

In addition to joining a collaborative, enthusiastic (and really nice) team of people - there are many! Some include: competitive salary; comprehensive health, dental and vision benefits; flexible paid time off policy; and the office is always stocked with snacks and all the coffee you can drink.

Sound like something you are interested in? Here are the next steps:

Apply online here! This job posting will remain open until a suitable candidate is found.

If it seems like a good fit, next steps will look like this:

1. We will contact you for a casual 30 minute video call.
2. We will set up an interview to dive into your technical skills and motivation.
3. We’ll arrange another interview to figure out how you fit with our team and culture, and better understand your career trajectory.
4. We will speak with two of your references to confirm our assumption that you are, in fact, our next great hire.
5. We offer you a job!

Job Type: Full-time

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