Insect Production Technician

Job Responsibility:

*Are you a curious and quick learner looking to apply your skills in a completely brand new way? Do you want to work for a quickly-growing Edmonton startup and make an impact on the future of biotechnology?*

Changing the world - one fruit fly at a time.

We've developed a novel insect-based technology that allows us to make recombinant proteins better, faster, cheaper (and greener!) for many life sciences applications.

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, Toyota Ventures and Amplify Capital). 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 Insect Production Technician plays a key role in supporting our most important asset - fruit flies! Yep, you read that right. We farm fruit flies (in very well managed, sterile lab conditions). This is a full-time, salaried position, with a 5-day work schedule (3 week days, 2 weekend days). The key function of this role is to ensure our insect rearing operation runs smoothly so our Senior Scientists and Engineers can focus on meeting their critical milestones. This role will have varied responsibilities from fly rearing, preparing fly food, sample collection, washing dishes and data entry. This role provides many learning opportunities across a diverse set of areas and exposure to the inner workings of a biotech startup.

The Production Technician will work closely with the Production team under the supervision of our Head of Engineering. This role will attend weekly science and all-hands meetings and participate in collaborative discussions on Future Fields' research and production strategy and business goals.

This role will own:

This role ultimately exists to care for and manage our fruit fly population. As such, this role will own all day-to-day tasks associated with our insect rearing operations. You will be responsible for ensuring the flies are managed in a safe and sterile way. This work is often time sensitive and requires speed and time management. Specific responsibilities include:

- Preparing fly food (from food grade ingredients). Experience in sauce/pudding making would be valuable, but not necessary. This is a time sensitive task that requires preparing multiple components in parallel to ensure consistency in food quality.- Washing dishes from fly food prep, fly cages and all component parts. Requires the ability to adequately sanitize, but also work at an expedient pace.- Tracking all aspects of insect rearing in a database (cages, fly strains, population mass, harvest mass, etc.) This requires basic data entry skills and to be done in a time sensitive fashion in an organized manner to ensure fly strain integrity.- Fly tipping and cage seeding. Everyday our flies need fresh food! This requires transferring the flies between cages, which is a time sensitive process that requires being very organized to ensure a smooth process flow.

This role will assist by:

- Helping to maintain a safe, sanitary, and clean work environment at all times.- Monitoring fly food supply to ensure an adequate stock of ingredients is always in hand and to ensure quality.- Monitoring and adjustment of cages for optimal breeding conditions.

This role requires the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously and prioritize effectively as needed. The most important attribute of this job is the ability to sequence multiple tasks in parallel, as beginning one task requires successful completion of previous ones. Time management and working at an expedient pace are critical as well as being able to effectively work with a teammate while dividing and sharing daily tasks. You exist to serve the flies and give them a good life, and their biological clocks don't wait for you!

Bonus points

- Experience in the restaurant or food preparation industry- Experience working with drosophila- Knowledge of recombinant proteins- Ability to write computer code- A keen sense for engaging banter- Knowledge of GMPs for food

About you

It's unlikely you have experience in insect rearing, but what you lack in expertise, you make up for with your enthusiasm to learn and tackle new challenges. You are reliable and observant with a good eye for detail. You aren't afraid to ask questions and are open to learning new things. You are excited by the opportunity to join a fast moving team in a brand new industry, and you are interested in growing your career alongside our company.

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, 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.

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 160km of trails!). There's something for everyone in Edmonton, and it will be even better with you in it.

Any other perks?

Many! Some include: 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.

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 startup. 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. Oh, and equity!

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

Apply online using our job portal.

If it seems like a good fit, next steps will look somewhat 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 set up a coffee chat with you and a team member. This is your chance to dig in and find out what it's really like to work for Future Fields. This is for you!5. We will speak with two of your references to confirm our assumption that you are, in fact, our next great hire.6. We offer you a job!

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $50,000.00 per year