Kindly be advised that we are handling the recruitment for this position internally and are not partnering with external recruiters.
We are a Biology Company
Plantible, backed by Astanor Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, Piva Capital, Kellogg’s, and Vectr Ventures, is a vertically integrated biology company that is unlocking the power in plants in service of people & planet. Our mission is to create solutions that empower customers to make sustainable and regenerative choices without compromising on quality. We are beginning with the food industry. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and continued success: https://www.plantiblefoods.com/
How you will contribute:
The Safety Supervisor owns environmental, health, and safety (EHS) across our San Diego operations: the R&D greenhouse farm, wet and analytical labs, and pilot-scale processing plant. This is a hands-on, floor-level role for an operator who can build and enforce a unified safety program across three very different environments — biological cultivation, lab-scale R&D, and food-grade processing equipment — and who believes safety is a driver of throughput, not a tax on it. You will be the single point of accountability for site safety performance, incident prevention, regulatory compliance, and the day-to-day safety culture our teams operate within.
What you will be working on:
Program ownership
- Own and continuously improve the site EHS management system covering the R&D farm, labs, and pilot plant — including written programs, SOPs, JSAs, and training records.
- Serve as the primary liaison with Cal/OSHA, San Diego County, CUPA, air/water regulators, and insurance carriers; manage permits, filings, and audits.
- Build and report out on a unified safety scorecard (leading and lagging indicators) to the leadership team monthly.
Operational safety across three environments
- R&D Farm: manage biological/agricultural hazards including greenhouse work, cultivation chemicals and nutrients, water systems, heat, slips/falls, and any regulated plant material handling.
- Labs: oversee chemical hygiene, hazardous waste, biosafety where applicable, PPE, fume hoods, compressed gases, and lab-specific emergency response.
- Pilot Plant: manage process safety for food-grade processing — pressure vessels and boilers, membrane/filtration systems, CIP chemicals, LOTO, confined space, hot work, electrical safety, and powered industrial trucks.
Training & culture
- Design and deliver site-wide and role-specific training: new-hire onboarding, annual refreshers, and task-specific qualifications (LOTO, forklift, confined space, HazCom, etc.).
- Lead daily/weekly safety huddles, toolbox talks, and behavior-based safety observations on the floor — not from a desk.
- Partner with Operations and R&D leadership to make safety a visible part of performance management, including operator incentive structures.
Incident response & investigation
- Lead incident investigations end-to-end: root cause analysis, corrective/preventive actions, closure verification, and learnings shared across sites.
- Maintain OSHA 300/300A logs, workers' comp coordination, and near-miss reporting systems.
- Own site emergency response planning, drills, and coordination with local fire and EMS.
Scale-up & capital projects
- Embed safety into engineering and commissioning for new pilot-plant equipment and farm expansions (HAZOP/PHA, management of change, pre-startup safety reviews).
- Partner with engineering on contractor safety, including onboarding, permits to work, and site access controls.
- Support transfer of safety standards from pilot to our Texas commercial operations as we scale.
What you bring to Plantible:
Required
- 5+ years of progressive EHS experience in food/beverage manufacturing, biotech, chemical processing, or a comparable industrial environment — with at least 2 years as the on-site safety lead.
- Working fluency with Cal/OSHA regulations; demonstrated experience managing OSHA recordkeeping, inspections, and incident response.
- Hands-on experience with pilot- or commercial-scale process equipment: pressure vessels, boilers, pumps, filtration, CIP, and/or fermentation or extraction systems.
- Proven ability to run LOTO, confined space, hot work, and contractor safety programs.
- Strong floor presence — this role is in the greenhouse, lab, and plant every day, not behind a screen.
- English-speaking preferred; bilingual English/Spanish a plus given our operator base.
Preferred
- Safety certifications: ASP, CSP, CHMM, or equivalent.
- Experience with SQF, GFSI, or FDA-regulated food manufacturing environments.
- Experience with greenhouse, controlled-environment agriculture, or biological cultivation operations.
- Experience scaling EHS programs from pilot to commercial production.
- Familiarity with process safety management (PSM) principles and HAZOP facilitation.
What success looks like:
- First 90 days: full gap assessment across farm, labs, and pilot plant; unified training matrix and compliance calendar in place.
- 6 months: measurable reduction in near-misses and recordables; operator-led safety observations happening daily on the floor.
- 12 months: Plantible San Diego operates with a mature, audit-ready EHS program that scales cleanly into our next phase of growth.
Logistics:
- Location: San Diego, CA — on-site, full-time. This role cannot be performed remotely.
- Schedule: primarily day shift with occasional coverage needs during pilot runs, commissioning, or incident response.
- Physical: ability to wear full PPE, climb ladders and platforms, lift up to 50 lbs, and work in greenhouse, lab, and processing environments.
Choose Plantible Foods
Joining Plantible means contributing to a sustainable future for all. We are a venture backed startup that is both spreading happiness amongst our employees and to current and future generations. We believe diversity creates uniqueness. Our team is composed of highly talented people with different interests and hobbies, which makes for a rich working environment.
At Plantible we are continually working on our offerings to foster the best team. Check it out!
- Competitive health and wellness benefits
- Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
- Discretionary Unlimited PTO Program
- Paid Holidays
- 401k Program
- Career Stipend
- Career development and growth opportunities
- Working in a rapidly growing, flexible and entrepreneurial environment
- Team building and company-wide events
- Financial support with your relocation, if necessary, ensuring a smooth transition
Plantible Foods is an equal employment opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, liability for military service, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you are interested in learning the status of your application, please note you will be contacted directly by the appropriate human resources contact person if you are selected for further consideration. Plantible Foods reserves the right to defer or close a vacancy at any time.
If you feel your skill set does not meet all listed qualifications for the role, we still encourage you to apply. As we continue to grow our company, we are seeking a range of candidates and would gladly consider you for other current or upcoming roles that may be a fit!
