Overview

We’re looking for an exceptional ecologist to bring leading-edge ecological science and practice into the products we build.

You will work closely with our Director of Ecology and with our software development team, from first design conversations through to product releases. You’ll bring the ecological science and knowhow that underpins how our products accelerate nature recovery – helping users to analyse data, make decisions, and monitor and communicate delivery. You’ll also be our eyes and ears on how ecology is developing, keeping us abreast of the very latest innovations in technology and practice.

We’re a small, well-funded team building something ambitious. This means you’ll get the autonomy and impact of a start-up, with the stability of a company that has strong revenue and years of runway.

Responsibilities

You will bring deep ecological expertise to the development of Verna’s products.

To achieve this, your responsibilities will include:

  • Ensure product development is underpinned by ecological science, so that our software helps users to achieve verifiable nature recovery in the most effective way possible.
  • Provide insight into how ecologists think, feel, and work. Ecologists are a key user segment for our products, and their work informs how we support all types of user. You will act as an internal source of user insight, alongside our direct engagement with users.
  • Collaborate with the software team. Enable our product development work to embed ecological principles and insight from the outset, working hand in hand with software engineers and designers.
  • Keep Verna on the leading edge of ecology innovation, tracking new technologies and best practices that we can use or support.
  • Represent Verna in the ecological science community, including sharing learnings from the unique data we are generating.

This is a hands-on role in a small team, in a company and sector that are changing fast. The role is likely to evolve over time.

We operate as a remote team, with London office bases available. The whole team meets in person every quarter, somewhere in Central or Southern England, with travel and accommodation provided by Verna.

About You

This role will suit an experienced ecologist with strong technical skills, who wants the challenge and impact of shaping a global product in a mission-driven start up.

We are looking for:

  • Mission-driven: You are motivated by the impact of your work on nature recovery.
  • Ecological expertise: Strong grounding in ecological concepts and methods, with experience across a range of habitats, taxa, and project types. Experience outside the UK, or with global datasets, is a plus.
  • Ecological qualifications: BSc and/or MSc in ecology or a closely related subject. Have, or be eligible for, membership of CIEEM or an equivalent professional body.
  • Data and analysis expertise: Comfortable working with modelling and data analysis, including use of software tooling.
  • Enthusiasm for tech: Excited by what software and hardware innovation can bring to ecology, with a track record of experimenting with the latest opportunities – including AI.
  • Collaboration and communication: Motivated by working with other disciplines to build things together, and able to communicate clearly with people who aren’t expert ecologists.
  • Delivery focus: Focused on delivering on-time and to standard, taking a pragmatic attitude that does not make perfect the enemy of great. This is a pressured, fast-paced start-up environment, where timely, high-quality outputs are essential to success.
  • Curious and keen to learn: We are an agile team using leading-edge technology to work on difficult problems. All team members need to quickly learn new skills and capabilities. It’s not what everyone wants from their career, but highly challenging and rewarding for the people it suits.

Like ecosystems, teams are more vibrant, innovative, and resilient when they are more diverse. We welcome applications from everyone.

If you would like to ask any questions before deciding whether to apply, you can email careers@verna.earth with subject line “Ecologist”.

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