Hardware & Operations Technician
£25,000 – £30,000
Our Mission
To check if food is fresh, we use our nose or check the printed date. But 1/10 people get food poisoning each year, and 2/3 of food waste is edible. The system is broken, and that's our opportunity. Our mission is to make use by dates digital.
We replace use-by dates with smart labels that measure freshness, and AI that predicts shelf-life. The founders invented this technology as PhD scientists, and we're using it to improve the whole supply chain, starting with food producers.
This is an opportunity to join a fast-growing start-up changing an ancient industry with new tech.
The Role
You’ll be joining our innovative hardware team to build, prepare and test our novel sensors for food spoilage detection. You’ll work with exciting equipment like laser cutters, 3D printers and UV sterilisers, and play a vital role in delivering high-quality products to our customers. We welcome people from all backgrounds. You
do not need a university degree — what matters most is that you have some experience in production, assembly, or logistics of small parts. You should be
technically curious, reliable, organised, tidy, and hands-on.
What You'll Do
- Run quality control checks, keep products organised and ready for shipping.
- Follow (and help improve) clear procedures for testing and assembly.
- Track supplies and keep stock levels healthy.
- Communicate with suppliers and help avoid delays (e.g. chip shortages).
- Keep accurate records of tests and work done.
- Maintain a clean and safe workspace — tidy bench, labelled tools, sterile equipment.
- Follow Health & Safety procedures carefully.
- Dispose of waste safely, calibrate machines, and help keep the lab in top shape.
- Assist teammates, learn new skills, and take on extra tasks as we grow.
Who You Are
You’ll be key in testing our devices and shipping our product to customers.
You Might Be a Great Fit If You Are
- Reliable – you do what you say you'll do.
- Organised – you like things in the right place and don’t cut corners.
- Clean – you believe a tidy workspace is a safe and productive one.
- Curious – you're keen to learn, ask questions, and solve problems.
- Hands-on – you like building, fixing, or improving physical things.
- Routine - you work well with repetitive and consistent tasks.
Useful Skills (Not All Required)
- Experience in a lab, workshop or technical job.
- Comfortable managing stock and supplies.
- Good at following and improving step-by-step instructions.
- Know how to use common tools or machines (we’ll train you on ours!).
- Comfortable using a computer for work (e.g. entering data, checking info).
- Able to update and maintain spreadsheets (we use Google Sheets).
- Hands-on attitude, adaptable and curious. We want someone who can reach out to everyone in the team and is keen to help to scale the company culture well.
- Team player with a strong work ethic.
- Independent and highly reliable.
Location & Hours
This is an on-site role at our Tower Bridge headquarters in London. Regular hours, 8 hours per day, Monday to Friday.
What We Offer
- All training provided — no experience needed if you’re the right fit.
- Opportunity to learn new skills in tech, hardware and science.
- Friendly team and a collaborative, inclusive workplace.
- A real chance to make an impact as we grow our company.
Our Benefits
You’ll have the option to grow into a senior role in our company, with a significant shareholding. You'll help us build a product-focused and inclusive culture that scales.
- Competitive compensation package, including stock options
- Great team: “I don’t think I will find such a nice culture again!”
- Top tier private healthcare
- Healthy snacks available in the office
- Impactful work
- Mental health support - we’re partnering with Spill
- 26 days holiday (plus bank holidays)
- Monthly socials such as dinners, VR experiences, or games nights
- Team skill building events, such as Hackathon with latest AI tools
About Us
Stage
Founded by a team of PhD technologists from Imperial College London, we have now raised over £3m. Our technology is patented and we are already selling it, generating revenue from supermarkets, producers and consumer-goods companies, across the supply chain.
Values
Psychological Safety
Safe to voice opinions, even if they go against the group, no fear of retribution or adverse impact on reputation. Critical feedback is celebrated - asked for, listened to, then acted on
Intellectually Curious
Studying our craft, using the best available tools, we prioritize learning over being right
Team Dependability
We support each other through the hard times, this team has your back. Everyone can trust that high quality work will be produced on time.
Embracing Risk
Turn challenges and setbacks into opportunity. Live a culture of excitement at our mission
Passionate about Solving Real Problems
Avoid environmental politics and focus on building and scaling solutions
Diversity and Inclusion at BlakBear
At BlakBear, we’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace so we welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or disability status. We believe that diversity of background, experience, and thought is essential to creating a thriving and innovative team with different perspectives and ideas. We strive to create a culture where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported.
If you feel you need any reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process, please let us know.
