Project Manager

San Francisco, CA - In-person, full time

Reports to CEO

About Hyfe:

Every year, approximately one billion tons of nutrient-rich fruit and vegetable byproducts are discarded or under-utilized across global food systems. For processors, getting rid of this waste is costly and emissions-intensive, creating significant environmental impact with little to no economic return. Yet these byproducts contain valuable compounds that could transform the economics of businesses across the food system and help catalyze the production of sustainable chemicals and materials. Hyfé exists to change that.

Hyfé transforms food waste into high-value ingredients using a label-friendly, thermochemical refining process. Our products range from bioactives to fibers, and are being commercialized to make the food we eat healthier for people and the planet. Our team of scientists and engineers brings decades of expertise from the oil refining and chemical industries, specializing in scaling industrial processes and pioneering sustainable solutions.

At Hyfé, you’ll have the opportunity to build at the earliest stages of a mission-driven company—working alongside a world-class team, shaping real products, and helping define how the next generation of ingredients are made.

Our mission is simple: To transform carbon we waste into carbon we need.

Job Overview:

We are looking for a Partnerships Manager to own the full arc of our customer engagement process -- from identifying the right prospects through delivering feasibility study results. This is a role for someone who is organized, commercially curious, and genuinely energized by building relationships and making complex processes run smoothly.

You will work directly with our CEO to build and move our early customer pipeline. The CEO leads relationship development and closes; you make sure every touchpoint, deliverable, and coordination moment between introduction and signed contract happens with professionalism and precision. You are the operational backbone of how Hyfé earns trust with its earliest customers.

Key Responsibilities

Prospecting:

• Research leads, identify right contacts, and develop outreach angles

• Coordinate warm introductions or lead cold outreach

• Schedule and prepare for first pitch calls

Deal Development

• Own follow-up cadence and next-step scheduling after each customer interaction

• Process NDAs, proposals, and contracts through to signature via DocuSign

• Coordinate invoicing, kickoff calls, and biomass shipping logistics

Study Coordination and Delivery

• Set and communicate project timelines between technical and customer teams

• Send biweekly updates to customers throughout active studies

• Coordinate site visits and sample deliveries where applicable

• Own report production from template through final delivery

• Drive cross-functional review meetings and exec sign-offs

• Coordinate presentation prep, travel logistics, and post-delivery follow-through

Other Standard Responsibilities:

• Maintain CRM hygiene and track deal progress across all active accounts

• Draft outbound emails, follow-up sequences, and customer-facing materials for CEO review

• Review deliverables for clarity, narrative quality, and professional presentation before customer delivery

• Help develop and refine pitch materials, proposals, and scopes of work over time

Requirements:

• 2-3 years of experience in project management, consulting, operations, or a similar structured execution role

• Exceptional organizational skills -- you run checklists, own timelines, and follow through without being asked twice

• Clear, professional written communicator; able to draft crisp emails and customer-facing materials

• Comfortable operating across technical and commercial stakeholders

• Proactive, detail-oriented, and energized by making a process run well

• Comfortable with ambiguity and fast-moving priorities in a startup environment

• Authorization to work in the US; able to work in-person in San Francisco 5 days per week

• Deep alignment with our values: Unity, Dependability, Momentum, Courage, Joy

Bonus Qualifications:

• Background in management consulting or structured client-facing work

• Experience with CRM tools, contract management, or DocuSign workflows

• Familiarity with food, biotech, or chemical industries

• Experience coordinating deliverables across technical and non-technical teams

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation, depending on experience ($100,000-$120,000 salary plus equity ownership in Hyfé), plus revenue based cash incentives

• 15 days PTO, paid holidays, and year-end office closure (pending business performance)

• 401(k) plan

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Short-term disability coverage

• In-office snacks & drinks

• Weekly and monthly team bonding

• Opportunity for rapid growth as the company scales

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Hyfé is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.