About New Harvest

New Harvest is a 501(c)(3) research institute dedicated to advancing breakthroughs in cellular agriculture. We are working towards a world where animal products can be harvested from cell cultures, not animals, to sustainably feed a growing global population.

As the nonprofit nucleus of the burgeoning cellular agriculture landscape, we build the scientific foundation necessary to sustain longevity and ongoing innovation in this nascent field. By maximizing the contributions of our foundation partners and 900 individual donors, New Harvest has supported over 25 laboratory scientists through its international research program, leading to 10 peer-reviewed publications to date. New Harvest bolsters its scientific work through thoughtful approaches to public engagement that communicate the progress and promise of cellular agriculture to the world.

A thought leader in the space, New Harvest has not only coined the term “cellular agriculture” to define the industry, but also supported the first academic research projects, organized the first cell ag conferences, co-founded the first cell ag companies, and has become an unofficial pipeline for cell ag founders and technical experts. In the past year, New Harvest has seen the team double and its research portfolio triple thanks to a new foundation partner; we hope to use this momentum for accelerated growth within the next three years.

New Harvest was founded in 2004 and has six team members.

Chief Operating Officer

New Harvest is seeking a talented Chief Operating Officer to develop the organizational capacity to unlock the next phase of growth and development to scale New Harvest’s signature programs and impact. A key component of this phase of organizational development is to leverage an escalating grant to identify a step-change in funding model, sources, partnerships, and other avenues to expand our impact.

As Chief Operating Officer, you will work closely with-and report to- Isha Datar, New Harvest’s Executive Director , own all operational aspects of the organization, and manage the New Harvest team.

As Chief Operating Officer , you will be a key cultural shaper, responsible for guiding and reinforcing New Harvest’s culture, which is inclusive & collaborative, interdisciplinary, anchored in mutual respect and integrity, and focused on personal & professional development. We are committed to developing the scientific foundation of cellular agriculture as advocates of science, research, and data.

Accountabilities

Partner with the Executive Director to inform organizational strategy.

• Meet regularly with the Executive Director to review plans and update priorities.
• Prepare budgets, reports, and other key information for Executive Director, Board, and other partners.
• Give feedback and input on key deliverables ahead of Board meetings, and funder meetings.
• Generally support the Executive Director, enabling her to focus on org vision & fundraising.

Translate New Harvest’s strategic plan into organizational performance through effective goal-setting, team management, and accountability.

• Design & run regular team meetings (staff level, 1:1s, etc) to ensure New Harvest is working as effectively as possible.
• Ensure all team members are clear about near-term, mid-term, and long-term goals, objectives, and priorities.
• Develop tracker(s) and other methods of reporting results and KPIs, and make sure that obstacles to progress are addressed quickly.

Act as a champion for New Harvest culture.

• Develop your own understanding of, and contribution to, cultivating a New Harvest’s distinctive culture, which is inclusive & collaborative, interdisciplinary, anchored in mutual respect and integrity, and focused on personal & professional development
• Help the team continually concretize and reinforce New Harvest’s culture, ensuring that it is built into the way the organization operates as the team grows.
• Note : You can read the New Harvest Employee Handbook , which opens with some comments on organizational culture.

Oversee expansion of New Harvest’s community footprint.

Manage team members’ priorities and execution, such that:

• New Harvest is able to fund more research programming.
• New Harvest reaches a wider audience of researchers, operators, investors, and others working in the field with useful content.
• New Harvest evolves & grows the reach of its engagement programming.
• New Harvest engages a larger number of volunteers and contributors to our broader work.
• New Harvest experiments with new formats for engagement and championship of the cell ag space, e.g. creating digital content, hosting events, etc.

Own New Harvest’s operations.

• Oversee budgets & finances, legal, compliance & reporting, and other administrative functions as the organization grows.

Build & develop the New Harvest team.

• Own hiring & recruiting as the team grows.
• Invest time and attention in mentoring and developing the New Harvest team.
• Foster a culture of feedback, growth, and curiosity for the team.

Qualifications

• You have a core desire to help build the future. Cellular agriculture holds the promise of transforming the food and agriculture landscape-and has major implications for public health, climate change, and the welfare of animals. We need leaders who are inspired on a daily basis to make this a viable future.
• You have at least 5 years of operating experience and at least 2 years in a leadership role where you have overseen a team and been responsible for setting goals, project & team management, and hitting targets.
• You have experience working with-or otherwise understand-foundations, family offices, or other philanthropic partners.
• You have experience in-or otherwise have a working literacy of-the biological sciences relevant to cellular agriculture (e.g. biochemistry, cell biology, tissue engineering).
• You have a passion for the key “undercurrents” of our work: scientific collaboration, complex systems, striving for impact, and openness in communication.
• You are able to operate well under ambiguity & uncertainty.
• You love team building, developing people, and mentoring. You have experience hiring at least a dozen people for various roles, and you have experienced productive and high-energy work cultures.
• You are an owner as well as a builder. We’re not just looking for a delegator. We’re looking for someone who wants their fingerprints all over the future trajectory of our organization by rolling up their sleeves, doing the work, thinking strategically, and setting up the processes, infrastructure, and systems to take New Harvest to the next level. This means that you’re constantly shifting altitudes between designing and doing, between strategizing and operating.
• You are an exceptional listener, and are not afraid to speak the truth.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary.
• Benefits include QSEHRA benefits for health, dental, vision, 401k plan, and commuter benefits.
• Note : All details of employee benefits are included in the Employee Handbook .
• This role can be based anywhere but will need to work Eastern Standard work days.

Application Instructions

We are partnering with the executive search firm Formidable to conduct this search. To apply, please email a short note of interest that includes an up-to-date resume, and a cover letter (optional), to nsk@formidable.services, with subject line New Harvest COO — LAST NAME.