Who is Nulixir?
Nulixir, a nano-biotechnology start-up, is a VC-backed business-to-business (B2B) company that develops, manufactures, and licenses intellectual property (IP) for smart nanocarriers, called nanovesicles, which optimize the performance of functional ingredients in food & beverage products. Nulixir, as the Function HouseTM, is revolutionizing the functional ingredient space by introducing a realm of functionality and shaping the future of intelligent food. This patented technology (70 patents) has applications across multiple verticals in food and beverage (e.g., nootropics, energy stimulants, vitamins, probiotics, protein, etc.).
Founded in 2019, the company brought together a team of CPG leaders, cancer researchers, US attorneys, and nutritionists to overcome long-standing challenges in the Food and Beverage Industry. The firm’s founder has extensive experience in the development of nanocarriers for cancer therapeutics.
In the past-year, Nulixir sales have grown ~8x with strong interest from small, mid-size and many large CPG companies to partner with Nulixir and incorporate the technology in their products. Nulixir boasts an impressive board of senior executives from companies like Pepsi, Danone, McKinsey & Company, Paine Schwartz Partners, etc. The company currently has 30 employees with a stellar executive team who come from food B2B companies such as ADM, Givaudan, Kerry, and ex-MBB consultants.
Position Overview :
In this role you will be responsible for designing specifications, procuring equipment, and maintaining production and capital equipment required for Nulixir’s extracts, concentrates, blending, and bottling operations. The role requires managing multiple projects, working cross-functionally, and delivering innovative solutions to meet customer requirements in the food and beverage manufacturing industry.
The ideal candidate has immense intellectual curiosity, operations rigor, quality-focus mindset, metrics driven approach, and strong technical and quality control background. In this role, you will directly report to the Head of Manufacturing.
Position Location :
This position will be based at our HQ facilities located in the Austin, TX Metropolitan Area.
In this critically important role, you will be responsible for :
Manufacturing scale-up
- Lead scale up of operations and implement new extraction, encapsulation, and bottling lines to increase manufacturing capacity that enable sales growth in a cost-efficient manner.
- Lead procurement of new equipment required for scale-up – ensure thorough research is conducted with multiple options evaluated across various dimensions for final decision making.
- timely delivery of new equipment – tracking with each supplier on a regular basis.
- facility for installation of new equipment – electrical and hardware requirements.
- and test new equipment purchased and ensure it meets all specifications.
- Conduct feasibility tests for scaling up production of new SKUs in partnership with R&D team. Evaluate and propose if any new equipment is required to achieve scale-up.
- Support the end-to-end manufacturing process for each new product; leverage learnings from bench-top scale.
Equipment maintenance
Design preventative maintenance program to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) – reduce cost of maintenance, increase equipment availability, optimize equipment useful lifeDefine asset maintenance strategies through disciplined approaches such as failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) and planned maintenance analysis (PMA)Implement maintenance management approaches (e.g., planning and scheduling, critical path shutdown management and coordination, and materials management) for productive, cost-effective maintenance execution.Lead maintenance tasks of all sizes, complexity, and frequency with an eye toward standardizing activities, eliminating unnecessary steps, and reducing waste.Shape broad operations strategies such as throughput and productivity, including core elements of asset productivity improvements.Manage end of life strategies, including decommissioning assets, extending the life, or investing in selected upgrades to improve performance and reliability.Operations support
Lead troubleshooting and operational issues driving downtime on equipmentProvide technical expertise to plant personnel on all equipmentDevelop a working understanding of process flow and key controls of the manufacturing processes; use this knowledge to drive continuous improvement projects of throughput, yield, and conversion cost performanceSafety & Quality
Ensure a healthy and safe manufacturing environment for all employees in compliance with federal and state regulationsAdhere to quality standards across our manufacturing (bench top to large scale) and support setting up systems and processes to meet those standardsComply to quality standards defined in the GMP SOPsRelevant Job Experiences, Skills, and Key requirements for this role :
Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electro-Mechanical or Electrical EngineeringMaster’s degree in Engineering preferred3-4 years of relevant experience in maintenance, manufacturingFood / beverage industry experience preferredSkills and Competencies
High will and strong ownership in a fast-paced environmentAgile mindset to rapidly focus and iterate on diverse problem on a given dayIntimate familiarity with engineering drawings / CAD and manufacturing toolsAbility to read schematics, electrical drawings, and ladder logicKnowledge of electro-mechanics, electronics, circuit boards, PLCs nice to haveOperational excellence and lean, reliability processes, techniques and approaches (e.g., RCM, TPM, Risk-based equipment approaches)Root Cause Analysis including FMEA capabilityStrong problem-solving, analytical, and troubleshooting abilitiesExcellent written / verbal communication and interpersonal skillsExperience with ISO 55000 and ISO 9000 standards nice to have but not requirePay Range :
60 - $80K plus bonusStock Options (after initial employment period)Why Join Nulixir?
Innovative Environment - Be part of a pioneering company at the forefront of food and beverage innovation.Impactful Role - Play a crucial role in the company’s growth and success by supporting the CEO.Growth Opportunities - Access to professional development and career advancement opportunities within a dynamic and growing company.Collaborative Culture - Work with a passionate and driven team dedicated to making a difference in the industry.Competitive Compensation - Enjoy a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.Nulixirians’ Culture :
We recruit, promote, and reward based off of our five core values :
Sleeves Up - At Nulixir, we provide the autonomy and creativity needed to own your role, iterate where needed and drive impact on a massive scale.100% Transparency - Nulixir is passionate about open feedback at all levels of the company. This allows us to fail fast, create in real time and build an open company culture.Be Defiantly Great - We are defiant, that’s in our lifeblood, we accomplish what other people think are impossible. Challenging the status quo is our lifeblood.Unconditional Empathy - Our customers are real people with real business needs, and we are here to listen and tackle accordingly. If we care and respect each other, there is no challenge we can’t overcome.Be the solution, not just the critic - take ownership and drive collaboration. We work together and we build together.
Salary : $60,000 - $80,000
