Cambrian, Community & Operations Manager

About Food System Innovations

Food System Innovations (FSI) is a philanthropy that builds, funds, and invests in market-based solutions to accelerate the transition to sustainable proteins. By advancing innovation across plant-based, fermentation-derived, cell-cultivated, and balanced protein technologies, FSI works to improve taste, reduce costs, strengthen markets, and accelerate the adoption of more sustainable foods.

About Cambrian

Cambrian is a new home for people working to change the world for animals.

More than 500 million years ago, the Cambrian explosion ushered in an extraordinary diversification of animal life. We believe we're approaching another transformative moment for animals, and we're creating the conditions for an explosion of new ideas, interventions, and organizations that can shape their future.

Based in a shared loft in downtown San Francisco, Cambrian brings together ambitious thinkers, builders, advocates, researchers, and philanthropists working to improve the world for animals. Through coworking, events, workshops, and experimental programs, we're fostering the connections, collaborations, and resources that help bold ideas become reality. We are inspired by groups like Constellation and Collider , but with our own point of view specific to the animal welfare movement’s specific history, needs, and opportunities.

Cambrian is currently a few weeks into its six-month pilot, and is housed as an initiative within Food System Innovations. We're testing what it takes to build a thriving hub for the animal welfare movement, with ambitions to expand into talent development, philanthropic fundraising, and the incubation of new initiatives. Our long-term organizational structure, location, and operating model will evolve based on what we learn.

Role Overview

We're looking for our first dedicated team member to help bring Cambrian to life. This is an unusual opportunity to help build a new initiative from the ground up, combining community building, operations, and program development.

Our immediate priority is finding someone who can take ownership of the day-to-day operation of our San Francisco space, create an exceptional experience for members and visitors, and execute thoughtful events and convenings.

Depending on your experience and interests, the role may also include developing new programs, cultivating relationships across the animal welfare ecosystem, and helping shape Cambrian's long-term strategy.

We're initially hiring for the remaining four months of our pilot, from December 2026 through March 2027, with the possibility of extension or transition to an ongoing role.

What You'll Do

- Build a thriving community. Make Cambrian a place where people enjoy working, build meaningful relationships, and encounter new ideas. Create small rituals, gatherings, and opportunities for structured and spontaneous connection. Welcome and orient members and guests, and cultivate a thoughtful, inclusive community.
- Run the space. Own the day-to-day operations of our San Francisco office, including access management, member communications, attendance tracking, vendor coordination, catered lunches, and facilities needs. Anticipate problems, resolve issues independently, and make the space run smoothly.
- Produce exceptional events. Manage end-to-end logistics for Cambrian-hosted happy hours, workshops, lectures, and other convenings. Support external organizations hosting events in the space, coordinating everything from communications and building access to on-site execution, participant experience, and follow-up.
- Develop thoughtful programming. Help make Cambrian a place where some of the most interesting conversations in animal welfare happen. Work with the founding team to identify compelling topics, speakers, participants, and formats. Depending on your experience, you may also help design and launch new initiatives, such as fellowships, competitions, or collaborative projects.
- Build better systems. Develop efficient processes and tools for running Cambrian. Incorporate automation and AI, document recurring workflows, and continually improve how we operate. When something creates unnecessary friction, help us redesign it.
- Track our impact. Track space utilization, event participation, and member engagement. Help develop practical ways to understand whether Cambrian is creating valuable connections, collaborations, and opportunities that wouldn't otherwise exist. Translate these insights into improvements and reports for funders.
- Help build what's next. Cambrian is an evolving initiative, and our priorities will change as we learn. Work closely with the founding team to identify opportunities and pursue an ambitious future trajectory.

What Success Looks Like

Within your first three months:

- A space that runs exceptionally well. Cambrian operates smoothly, and members and visitors consistently have an excellent experience.
- A thriving community. Members feel connected, new relationships are forming, and the space is generating meaningful interactions across organizations and disciplines.
- Thoughtful, well-executed events. Our gatherings have clear purposes, attract the right participants, and create opportunities for valuable conversations and collaborations.
- Efficient operations. Core processes are documented, repetitive tasks are increasingly automated, and the space runs reliably with minimal oversight.
- Evidence of impact. We have useful data and qualitative feedback about which activities are creating the greatest value for the broader animal welfare ecosystem.

A Note About the Role

We're open to candidates with a range of experience levels. For one person, this might look primarily like a Community & Operations Coordinator role, focused on running the space and creating an outstanding member experience. For another, it could grow into a more strategic Programs & Events Lead position, with greater responsibility for programming, partnerships, and new initiatives.

Regardless of background or growth path, our immediate need is for someone who can be physically present, take ownership of the space, and make it an exceptional place to work and gather.

Cambrian is an early-stage initiative, and there's some uncertainty about what it will become. But that's also what makes this opportunity exciting: you'll have the chance to help shape its culture, programs, and future from the beginning.

If you're excited about building something ambitious for animals, we'd love to hear from you.

Requirements

- You take ownership. You have a track record of managing projects, events, or operations from start to finish. You're organized, dependable, resourceful, and comfortable making decisions independently.

- You're a natural host and community builder with a service mindset. You enjoy bringing people together, anticipating their needs, and creating environments where meaningful interactions happen. You have strong instincts for event design and enough familiarity with the various topologies of networking to depart from formality and script in favor of substance and real connection.
- You think big and execute the details. You're equally comfortable developing ambitious ideas and handling the practical work required to make them happen. You obsess over details and have strong taste in things as “trivial” as which NA alcohol option makes a happy hour feel convivial to as “important” as which speakers to platform at an invite-only megaproject workshop.
- You thrive in ambiguity. You move quickly, exercise good judgment, and adapt as priorities evolve. You know when to act independently, when to ask for input, and how to balance speed with precision. You exhibit a “get to yes” mindset.
- You improve the systems around you. You're comfortable learning new tools, experimenting with automation, and finding better ways to work. You don't just work around recurring problems; you look for ways to solve them.
- You care about animals and the people working to help them. You're motivated by Cambrian's mission and curious about the diverse approaches people are taking to improve the world for animals.

You Might Be Especially Well Suited If You

- Have experience running a coworking space, community hub, events program, startup, or other entrepreneurial initiative.
- Bring relationships and perspectives from animal welfare, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, science, or adjacent intellectual and cultural communities, and a willingness to activate them in service of bringing the Cambrian vision to life.
- Have strong instincts for designing gatherings that foster substantive conversations, unexpected connections, and lasting collaborations.
- Are familiar with effective altruism, AI safety, digital minds, or other emerging areas of animal welfare and intersecting concepts.

We don't expect any one candidate to bring all of these experiences. We're more interested in your judgment, initiative, and ability to execute than in a particular professional background.

Eligibility

The successful applicant should be legally able to work in the United States. We participate in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See here for additional information.

Equal Opportunity

FSI is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer, fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds and experiences.

Start date

Ideally December 4, 2026, or sooner.

Term

Initial fixed-term employment through March 2027, with the possibility of extension or transition to an ongoing position, depending on funding and the pilot's success.

Salary

$90,000 - $125,000 annualized, prorated for the initial four-month employment period, depending on experience and responsibilities. We may consider higher compensation for exceptional candidates with substantial program development and leadership experience.

Benefits

FSI offers a competitive benefits package that includes full medical, vision, and dental coverage, a 401k plan, work phone and internet reimbursement, companion animal benefits, unlimited PTO, 11 paid holidays, paid sick leave, paid parental leave, and flexible work hours.