These Countries & Companies Posted the Most Future Food Job Openings in 2025

The US led the world in the number of job opportunities in the alternative protein sector, as Europe and the cultivated meat category punched above their weight.

Future food companies in the US posted more than 1,500 open roles in 2025, the highest of any country, according to new analysis by recruiting group Food Impact Partners.

The organisation tracked postings across the world from its jobs board, Food Impact Careers, identifying at least 661 employers in the alternative protein industry with at least one opening during the year.

Within the US, California took the lead via employers like The Every Company, Upside Foods, Pulmuone Foods, Califia Farms, Prime Roots, and Prolific Machines. And in terms of regions, Europe came in second with just over 1,100 job posts (around 37% of the total).

In fact, the report suggests that the Europe and Israel region “punched above its weight”. Germany topped the charts with more than 230 posts, followed closely by the UK (over 215), while Denmark had more jobs (15) per million citizens than any country here.

“Relative to its population, Europe accounts for a disproportionately large share of job posts compared to the rest of the world,” Noga Golan, founder and CEO of Food Impact Partners, tells Green Queen.

“What’s interesting is, while Israel is known for developing innovative technologies in food (and is notably high in R&D hires), Europe’s job posts heavily skew toward operations, supply chain, food safety and quality assurance, bioprocess, manufacturing, and regulatory-adjacent functions. From a global perspective, Europe is where alt protein turns from science into industry,” she adds.

“The regulatory environment in the EU also necessitates more hiring – for example, companies need to meet both country-specific and EU-wide standards, and they have a more distinct separation of quality assurance, food safety, and regulatory responsibilities compared to the US.”

Oatly among the most prolific job posters in 2025

By far, the company with the most job openings in 2025 was pea protein processor Puris, which posted over 70 roles alone. It was followed by Oatly, which had more than 40 positions open across Europe and North America.

The oat milk giant has had a rocky few years, which saw it lay off dozens of employees and close its Singapore factory. However, in 2025, it recorded its first quarter of profitable growth since its 2021 IPO, kicking off a much-needed turnaround.

“Oatly stood out with a high volume of roles across a wide range of functions and geographies. The roles Oatly advertised in 2025 skewed operational and commercial (sales and commercial roles, operations and supply chain, manufacturing, food safety & QA, and some regional marketing roles),” explains Golan.

“This type of hiring aligns with mature, multinational companies with an established brand and a focus on driving revenue and tightening cost discipline.”

She adds that Oatly has around 1,400 employees, so the number of job posts for a global manufacturing company of that size was actually quite modest. “While Oatly is one of the alt-dairy’s most beloved brands worldwide, oat milk margins are tight, so striving for operational excellence is critical for the company’s long-term success,” she notes.

Impending cultivated meat launches lead to search for more talent

Golan says 2025 was a big year for cultivated meat hiring. Although some leading startups reached the end of the road, several more obtained regulatory approvals in the US, Singapore and Australia.

Believer Meats did both. It secured clearance from the FDA and USDA, but abruptly shut down in December (it was later revealed to be $224M in debt). Food Impact Careers found that the Israeli cultivated chicken maker was on a hiring spree not long before, posting 21 roles across departments through Q3 2025.

Upside Foods was second on the list with 14 postings, followed by Mewery and Hoxton Farms (both 10) – the latter was the employer that received the most engagement through the platform across the alternative protein sector.

Reflecting on the year, Nolan mentions the regulatory approvals and some “meaningful scientific breakthroughs”, and adds: “Politics, negative media, and a challenging fundraising environment had, and continue to have, a huge drag on the industry, and a few big names in the industry closed their operations.”

She continues: “Several companies are on the cusp of commercialisation, necessitating a new area of talent to be added to their teams. I’ve always said that cultivated meat is an inevitable reality, the question is when and where the breakthroughs will happen.”

Golan says the need to produce meat more efficiently and cost-effectively has become even more pressing with limited resources and a growing population. “This reality is true even without the effects of climate change,” she suggests.

“What’s more, countries are increasingly looking to decrease reliance on international supply chains. Numerous arid land-constrained nations (think the UAE, Israel, and Singapore) are hyper-focused on this issue. Countries like China are also investing heavily in cultivated [meat]. A country that can control meat supply at high volumes, and irrespective of climate, has a lot of power, and leaders know that.”

What will 2026 look like for alternative protein careers?

According to the analysis, marketing and sales was the most popular hiring categories in the alternative protein ecosystem last year, with 730 roles advertised. Food safety and quality assurance was second with 650 roles.

Food Impact Partners noted that the latter segment usually sees a spike when companies are expanding their manufacturing capacity or preparing for retail or foodservice scale, and when their products are nearing launch. That aligns with market trends, with stronger investor pressure for revenue generation and carefully managed runways.

“As alternative protein companies prioritised commercialisation and scale-up, 2025 saw a strong focus on sales and marketing hires. Clients consistently noted the challenge of finding commercial leaders able to bring novel ingredients to market with established players, despite limited resources,” says Anna Heslop, global director of recruitment at Food Impact Partners.

“Demand for roles in food safety and quality assurance more than doubled in 2025 compared to 2024. There was also a notable increase in demand for bioprocess-related roles (50%+ more in 2025),” outlines Golan.

“With regards to specific companies, the number of job posts was notably higher in 2025 compared to 2024 for Daiya, The Every Company, Puris, Upside Foods, and SuperMeat. In contrast, the number of job posts was notably lower in 2025 compared to 2024 for Flora Food Group (formerly Upfield), Impossible (by half), Nature’s Fynd, Pulmuone Foods, Perfect Day, Three Trees, and Tofurky,” she adds.

This year, Golan forecasts increased interest in senior-level nutritionists who can help companies navigate dietary shifts resulting from the hike in GLP-1 use. “We’re also hearing about more companies being able to raise capital, which is a good sign for the industry,” she says.