Social Media Manager

About us:

Based in Berkeley, CA, UPSIDE Foods grows meat, poultry, and seafood directly from real animal cells. These products are not vegan or vegetarian-they are delicious meat, made without the need to raise and slaughter billions of animals. In doing so, the company aims to address some of the most pressing environmental, animal welfare, and public health challenges, while still giving people the meat they love.

Founded as the world's first cultivated meat company in 2015, UPSIDE Foods (formerly Memphis Meats) has achieved numerous industry-defining milestones, including being the first company to produce multiple species of meat (beef, chicken, and duck) and to sell a cultivated meat product in the United States. The company believes that people shouldn't have to choose between the foods they love and a thriving planet, and is working to build a better food system with access to delicious, humane, and sustainable meat, poultry, and seafood.

UPSIDE Foods has won various industry awards, including New York Times' Good Tech Awards, FastCo's Next Big Thing in Tech and World Changing Ideas Awards, and the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Nation by the National Association for Business Resources. UPSIDE Foods has raised more than $600 million in funding from a diverse group of leading U.S. and global investors, including top-tier venture capital firms, sovereign investment funds, strategic food and agriculture partners, and prominent technology and sustainability investors.

About this job:

Have you ever explained groundbreaking scientific discoveries in the form of a caveman video? Does complexity fascinate you, mostly because you want to find the most interesting and engaging way to find the story in the data? Are you sparring in the comments of your favorite TikTok videos? Do you know how to grab attention online while also nurturing community through real conversation? Can you pick up your phone and capture a quick fascinating moment with the same dexterity that you can plan a produced micro-drama? If so, this may be the job for you.

As Social Media Manager for UPSIDE Foods and our B2B life sciences division, Lucius Labs, you'll own and evolve how our brand shows up across social - driving storytelling, community, and conversation that connect our mission to millions. You'll partner with Brand, Communications, and Creative leaders, managing an external agency while also jumping in as a hands-on maker when needed.

You're nimble, strategic, and creative - someone who can be in the room generating ideas, not just executing them. You think conceptually about campaigns, not just posts. You're also open to experimenting with AI tools and agents to explore new ways to create, measure, and learn.

Responsibilities Include:

• Develop and execute UPSIDE and Lucius' social media strategy across LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, Reddit, Threads, and YouTube.
• Manage and collaborate with an external social agency, setting strategy, briefs, and creative direction. Own the content calendar.
• Partner with Brand Manager to review and approve content, liaising as needed with internal stakeholders for content approvals or fact-checking.
• Build a tribe of raving fans online, serving as the conduit between the company and our community. Share learnings and feedback with relevant internal teams on a regular cadence.
• Identify and engage in opportunities for UPSIDE to build and maintain organic relationships with influencers and creators, supported by agency partners for campaigns.
• Partner with the Head of Communications to align social storytelling with broader brand and PR efforts.
• Bring strong conceptual thinking to campaign ideation and social-first activations.
• Be hands-on: draft copy, brief visuals, publish content, and engage directly with our community when needed.
• Use AI-driven tools to assist with insights, ideation, and workflow innovation.
• Monitor and analyze performance data, distilling actionable insights.
• Stay fluent in social and cultural trends, identifying opportunities to keep UPSIDE ahead of the curve and escalate opportunities to leadership and external agency partners in real-time.

About You:

• Bachelor's in communications, marketing, advertising, or a related field. Exposure to biology a plus.
• 5+ years of social media experience (brand or agency).
• Demonstrated conceptual ability in creative campaign thinking and storytelling.
• Proven experience managing external agencies and cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong copywriting, creative judgment, and strategic mindset.
• Familiarity with analytics and scheduling tools (e.g., Sprout Social, Later).
• Curiosity and comfort with AI-assisted tools and evolving creative technologies.
• Collaborative, proactive, and adaptable.

Compensation Range: $120,000 - $145,000*

• Pay may vary depending on factors including job-related knowledge and skills.

UPSIDE Benefits!

• Stock options for all full-time incoming team members!
• 83-100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for team members (medical [including HSA and FSA], dental, and vision)
• Pet insurance for your furry family members!
• Unlimited PTO
• Company-sponsored learning & development opportunities

UPSIDE Foods is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Our company-wide mission is to create a product for everyone, so we are deeply committed to having teams and leaders that reflect this mission.