Overview

This is a exciting role in a VC-backed start-up and a great opportunity to bring your expertise and knowledge to shape and start to grow the business.

The field of biodiversity measurement and monitoring is currently very manual and relies heavily on human experts on the ground to assess the state of the nature that is there. Over the past few years, autonomous robotics and machine learning have advanced rapidly, and the paradigm for the collection of biodiversity data is ready for change.

We are looking for someone with a strong experimental background, looking to apply their physics and engineering knowledge to solving problems around the acquisition of biodiversity data.

What you will do

We will be deploying imaging-equipped drones, bioacoustics, and other sensors to collect data on pilot sites. These pilot sites are degraded forests, new agroforestry systems, or areas set aside for rewilding. You will work in collaboration with mathematicians and ecologists to collect robust and statistically meaningful data.

Your role will be to help create scalable solutions for the monitoring of species which currently don’t lend themselves to simple, automated detection.

You will do this by helping with the selection of sensors and the analysis of sensor data and with coordinating our requirements with engineering and sensor technology firms.

You will love this job if you are someone who is passionate about finding real, novel solutions to the nature and climate crises and who is at ease problem solving at the cutting edge of current thinking, in spaces where disciplines intersect. Although there is a strong optical component to the sensors we will use, you do not need to be an optical physicist to apply.

Skills/experience you need

  • PhD in physics, engineering, or computer science
  • Extensive experience in handling, analysing and modelling raw sensor data
  • Experience with computer vision
  • Extensive experience handling large data sets
  • Coding skills (e.g. Python), sufficient for scientific coding
  • Ability to communicate complex concepts and solutions
  • Strong, creative problem solving skills – we are looking for an innovator
  • Minimum 2/3 years of work experience in hardware development
  • Experience with machine learning an advantage but not essential

What you get

An attractive compensation and benefits package.

A culture based on fairness, trust, collaboration, individual wellbeing and recognition.

Colleagues who care about nature and are about the real world impact of their work.

About us

BiodiversityCo is a VC-backed start up focussed on biodiversity, based in Cambridge, UK but operating as a remote-first company. We are helping to build an economy that puts nature and business in balance – by incentivising the regeneration of biodiversity at scale. Restoring nature is important and our work will be carried out with integrity, excellence, intellectual honesty, and accountability.

We are currently in stealth mode but if you would like more information prior to applying please email cameron@pivotal.earth.