Innovation Campus Project Associate

About the Team:

BEAM Circular is unlocking the power of communities to transform waste into opportunity by building a vibrant regional ecosystem for the circular bioeconomy in California’s agricultural heartland. Anchored in the North San Joaquin Valley, we are facilitating collaboration through the BioEconomy, Agriculture, & Manufacturing (BEAM) Initiative to scale the most promising innovations in bioindustrial manufacturing. Our work includes public-private projects and programs in the areas of innovation, access to capital, infrastructure, talent development, and cross-cutting partnerships to advance economic and environmental value for local communities.

We have a dynamic, mission-driven team and are looking for partners to join us who believe in rolling up their sleeves to contribute to a bold vision, who are results-oriented and “get things done” mentality, who lead with curiosity, collaboration, and kindness, and who are dedicated to positive impact for people and the planet.

BEAM Circular is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and encourages individuals identifying with any race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, and abilities to apply.

About the Role:

The California Bioeconomy Innovation Campus is BEAM Circular's flagship project — a first-of-its-kind circular biomanufacturing facility being developed in Modesto, California that will serve as a national center of excellence for scaling bio-based technologies, supporting entrepreneurs, enabling workforce training, and deepening community partnerships.

The Project Associate provides direct execution support to the Head of Campus Development and Industry Innovation as we move this project from planning through construction and into early operations. This is a generalist role suited to someone with strong analytical skills who is energized by the operational work of building something new — someone who can hold a wide range of responsibilities, move fluidly between strategic support and detailed execution, and take ownership in their work.

The role will touch every dimension of campus development: keeping tasks and projects moving, managing vendor and partner relationships, building the models and materials leadership needs to make decisions, and handling the operational details that keep a complex project on track.

Responsibilities:

• Keep projects moving. Track progress across workstreams, flag decisions before they become urgent, follow up on open items, and make sure commitments get completed.
• Operationalize decisions. Translate direction from leadership into working systems, including pricing structures, tenant workflows, procurement processes, and SOPs; maintain these systems as the project evolves.
• Manage the Campus pipeline. Keep accurate, current records of prospective and confirmed tenants, partners, and vendors, and maintain the data leadership relies on for decision-making.
• Model and analyze. Build and maintain financial and operational models in Excel, including budgets, scenario analyses, and capacity planning and structure findings to support clear decisions.
• Write and present. Draft memos, partner communications, board materials, funder updates, and grant reports. Adjust tone and register for the audience.
• Coordinate vendors and contractors. Manage scopes, track deliverables, and keep external partners accountable to timelines.
• Handle logistics. Coordinate site visits, meetings, and the operational details that keep campus development running day to day.
• Support the team. Manage ad-hoc administrative projects as needed to support the Campus Development team.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Two or more years of work experience in a role that required both quantitative analysis and execution, such as finance, consulting, financial planning and analysis, or an operating role requiring strong analytical skills at a startup, nonprofit, or government program office.
• A bias toward execution. You take ownership of work, follow through on details, and don't wait to be told what needs doing.
• Strong financial and operational modeling skills. You can build a model from scratch in Excel, structure it for clarity, and use it to answer a specific question.
• Strong written communication. You produce clear, professional writing across formats and audiences with minimal editing required.
• Comfort operating at multiple levels. You can hold a forward-looking view of priorities while executing specific tasks with precision, and you know when each is called for.
• Effective across audiences. You work comfortably with public officials, startup founders, community members, technical experts, and funders.
• Active proficiency with AI tools. You currently use AI in your daily work and have developed real judgment about where it helps and where it doesn't.
• Located in or willing to relocate to the Modesto area.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience at an incubator, accelerator, investment firm, or organization that supports startups or early-stage companies directly.
• Experience or education relevant to biomanufacturing, chemical engineering, sustainability, or food/agriculture fields.
• Familiarity with philanthropic or public grant funding and compliance.
• Project management experience. 
• Experience with Customer Relationship Management software.

Benefits

• Pay based on experience. Salary range is $60,000 - 80,000 with a competitive benefits package. 
• Flexible work environment with hybrid options. 
• Professional development opportunities.