Role overview
Lead the design, deployment, and ongoing operation of a permanent, multimodal ecological sensor network across the UK. This is a hands-on, delivery-focused position combining field engineering, team leadership, and pipeline development - ensuring sensor data from remote field sites reliably reaches a central data system over a 12-month roll-out.
Responsibilities
- Own all technical aspects of the sensor suite: design, build, test, and refine hardware and software before and during deployment
- Ensure sensor data reliably and securely transfers from field devices into the central data pipeline
- Lead day-to-day field operations for the UK roll-out, planning logistics and supervising a small team of technicians and temporary staff
- Serve as the primary point of contact with land managers and external partners, coordinating site access and on-the-ground logistics
- Develop and continuously improve field survey SOPs; pilot new methods before wider roll-out and run periodic field audits for data quality
- Track emerging sensing solutions, evaluate novel data sources, and propose new approaches that improve ecosystem monitoring
Requirements
- Demonstrable experience designing and delivering large, multimodal sensor networks from the ground up, with knowledge of scalable solutions
- Familiarity with ecological monitoring technologies such as bioacoustics, phenocams, microclimate sensors, or automated dendrometers
- Experience designing, deploying, and optimizing telemetry and data transfer solutions, including security best practice for unattended field hardware (encrypted transmission, tamper protection)
- Strong logistics planning skills for multi-site fieldwork across dispersed rural locations
- Comfort programming and powering hardware such as Raspberry Pi, deploying mesh networks such as XBee or LoRaWAN, repurposing camera hardware and software, and exploring edge-AI
- Full, clean UK driving licence and ability to work independently outdoors in variable weather for extended periods
- Confident communicator able to train and supervise field staff and build trust quickly with partners
Nice to have
- Experience with ecological survey methods including design and deployment of vegetation, bird, pollinator, or soil sampling
- Experience with data science techniques integrating remote sensing and spatial analysis
- Track record of discovering and repurposing novel data sources that may contain ecological signal
Benefits and work setup
- Salary range of £78,000-£92,000 per year
- UK field-based role with travel across England and occasional hybrid days in London
- Up to 6% employer pension contribution, top-tier private medical and dental cover for employee and dependants
- 20 weeks make-whole-pay parental leave for both parents, 25 days holiday, and a wellness allowance
- Reports to the Director of Ecological Research
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