Research Technical Director
About ERP
The Earth Rover Program (ERP) was established as a non-profit organisation in 2023 to develop new, low-cost technologies to ‘see’ into the soil. By enabling farmers to access immediate, spatially explicit and - importantly - cheap information about their soil, we believe they will be able to make better, evidence-based decisions which will reduce environmental impact while maintaining or increasing productivity.
ERP has made substantial progress over the last two years in proof-of-concept trials across three continents, with staff in Europe, Africa and South America. This includes the development of open-source software for seismology and soil science, small-tech sensors, database pipelines, and a nascent AI tool, which incorporates existing data sources to augment the usefulness of data gathered through ERP’s techniques. We are now further expanding an international partner network, including research institutions and farmers, to test a more diverse range of soils, in parallel with developing low-cost hardware for use by farmers which is easy-to-use, scalable, transparent, replicable and secure.
The opportunity
The scope of ERP’s workforce is diverse, with researchers from nine countries working in seismology, geophysics, modelling, soil and agricultural science, AI/ML, sensor development, and software engineering across three continents. We are expanding our research team to include a Research Technical Director who will be part of ERP’s Senior Leadership Team, co-developing priorities with the two Executive Directors to jointly lead on research delivery, effectively helping to bridge our science trajectory and outcomes with organisational strategies and operations. It is expected that the candidate deeply engages with all aspects of research within the global team on a continuous basis.
ERP is a remote working organisation with hubs in the UK, Kenya, Colombia and Germany. The Research Technical Director will be expected to attend occasional in-person meetings in the UK/Europe (expenses will be paid) which may include overnight stays. The role is full-time, initially on a fixed term contract to June 2027 (further extension is funding dependent), and salary will be commensurate with experience.
Role Responsibilities
Responsibilities:
Together with the two Executive Directors, coordinate the work of the multi-disciplinary global research team, leading strategy and planning towards the achievement of ERP’s mid-term goals, including:
Chairing the science strategy group and hub/field survey meetings
Facilitating weekly research focus-group meetings and in-person hackathons,
Attending quarterly in-person science meetings in UK/Europe
Tracking progress and reporting to the Board. Communicating Board and senior leadership team information to science team
Line management of up to five scientists (depending on scientific background), supporting a culture of innovation, inclusivity, diversity and continuous improvement
Preparing content for funding applications and reports, as well as science slide decks
Engaging in external funder communications
Collaborating with other internal functions (including communications, fundraising and finance) to deliver ERP’s strategy
Coordinating research papers and other science outputs (for example slide decks and website content) Essential Experience & Skills
PhD in physical, engineering or biological sciences, with evidence of interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed research output
Experience working across multiple research disciplines including AI
Five or more years’ of team leadership experience in academic and/or non-profit/commercial environments
Excellent communication skills gained in an international organisation
Programme management experience, ideally within a research setting
Experience of international, diverse non-profit organisations
Leadership experience of effective internal communications across research teams, operations teams and the Board
Experience of building successful relationships and partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, including scientists, funders, farmers and partners from around the world
Desirable Experience
Senior leadership team and/or experience of cross-functional relationships
Fundraising for academic and/or non-profit organisations
Partnership development
To Apply
We welcome applications from anywhere. Anyone with relevant skills, who aligns strongly with ERP’s mission and ethos can positively contribute to and grow with the program. We particularly encourage applications from underrepresented groups.