Technical Associate to CTO

Technical Associate to the CTO ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ

£28,000 – £35,000 • 0.02% – 0.3%

🎯 Our Mission

So much food is wasted, but most of it doesn't need to be.

Two-thirds of food waste happens not because food is bad, but because we can't tell when it's actually still good. People throw away perfectly edible food out of caution, confusion, or habit, often relying on printed “use by” dates that are just rough estimates.

We believe there’s a better way. By making freshness measurable, we can reduce waste, improve safety, and reshape how the world thinks about expiry.

Our mission is to make use-by dates digital - smarter, fairer, and based on science.

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.

We’re a tight-knit team that believes innovation happens when everyone’s ideas are heard - no egos, no silos, just a shared goal.

💼 The Role

We're looking for a sharp, curious, and ambitious young scientist or engineer to join our team as a hands-on technical associate. In this role, you’ll work closely with the CTO across a wide range of projects. From designing experiments and testing sensors to prototyping new ideas and solving real-world R&D challenges. You’ll assist the CTO with both everyday tasks (e.g., travel bookings or coordination) and hands-on technical projects. You’ll take on real responsibility early and grow into areas that match your strengths.

You’ll be based in the lab, working with hardware and data, but you’ll also be exposed to product strategy, supply chain operations, technical decision-making, and the inner workings of a fast-moving startup. This is a rare opportunity to learn by doing, contribute meaningfully from day one, and grow toward technical leadership.

Not sure if you’re the right fit? We encourage you to apply anyway - many people who succeed in this role didn’t feel “ready” at first. We care about potential, not perfection.

🚀 What You’ll Do

You’ll join a small, hands-on, fast-growing team where experienced engineers and scientists are eager to share what they know. At the same time, you’ll have the freedom to explore, experiment, and lead your own work.

You will:

- 🧪 Own meaningful projects from day one

- ✅ Be part of a supportive team

- 🌍 Fast-track your future in research, hardware, or startups through hands-on learning

- 🧠 Push the limits of our sensor technology by improving stability, sensitivity, and repeatability

- 📦 See your work go live, from lab improvements through to production and customer rollout

- 🛠️ Prototype quickly using in-house tools like 3D printers, laser cutters, and network analyzers

- 🥩 Run real-world experiments on food (including raw meat), testing new technologies and conditions

- 🤝 Collaborate with partners (labs, suppliers) and help navigate supply chain challenges (e.g. chip shortages)

- 🧯 Jump into whatever’s needed, from ad-hoc testing to helping onboard new teammates

👤 Who You Are

You're ambitious. You don’t just want a job, you want to grow into leading a tech team, or maybe even a company. This role is designed to support that path.

You’re curious, and love figuring out how things work. Maybe you've worked on personal projects, building, coding, experimenting, or maybe you’ve gone deep into a subject just because it fascinated you. You enjoy learning by doing and want your work to have real-world impact.

You might be:

- A final-year STEM student or early-career professional (e.g. Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, BioTech, etc.)

- A generalist with a scientific mindset and a drive to figure things out

- Academically strong or have proven experience showing you’ve excelled in your field

- Comfortable in a lab setting and enjoy building, testing, or troubleshooting

- Self-motivated and confident working independently

- Excited about learning new tools, techniques, and ways of working

Nice to have (but not required):

- Experience with data analysis, sensors, or prototyping

- Knowledge of research methods, general lab practice, or instrumentation

- Exposure to coding or embedded systems (Python, Arduino, C++, etc.)

- Experience working with food samples or resistance measurements

We don’t expect you to tick every box. If you're passionate about the role and excited to grow into it, we encourage you to apply, even if you’re not sure you meet everything listed.

Personality:

- Comfortable in a hands-on, fast-paced environment

- Value constructive feedback as part of getting better

- Proactive and motivated to solve problems

- A team player who supports others and values shared learning

- Thoughtful and emotionally intelligent - you know that a positive culture is just as important as the science

📍 Location & Hours

This is an on-site role at our Tower Bridge headquarters in London.

🙌 Our Benefits

You’ll have the option to grow into a senior role in our company, with a significant shareholding. You'll help us shape a product-focused and inclusive culture that scales.

👥 Work that matters - Our technology is already proving its impact by reducing food waste

✅ Supportive culture: “I don’t think I will find such a nice culture again!”

📈 Competitive compensation package - including stock options

🩺 Top-tier private healthcare - Comprehensive coverage to keep you well

🍉 Healthy snacks available in the office

🌴 Generous time off – 26 days of holiday, plus bank holidays

🕹️ Monthly socials - Dinners, [VR experiences](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6974002005430181888), or games nights

🎓 Team learning events – Hackathons, workshops, and deep dives (like our recent AI tool hack day)

---

🐻 About Us

Stage

We’re a science-led startup spun out of Imperial College London, founded by a team of PhD technologists. We have now raised over £3m in funding. Our core technology is patented and we are already selling it, generating revenue from retailers and producers, across the supply chain.

Over the past five years, we’ve developed three different products and brought four generations of our flagship product to market. We move fast and iterate based on in-house R&D breakthroughs and customer feedback, but we don’t stop at the lab bench. Each version has been built, tested, and rolled out with real customers, closing the loop from research to real-world impact.

Our 4 Core Values

Psychological Safety

Safe to voice opinions, even if they go against the group, no fear of retribution or adverse impact on reputation.

Intellectually Curious

We prioritize learning over being right

Team Dependability

We support each other through the hard times, this team has your back.

Embracing Risk

Turn challenges and setbacks into opportunity. Live a culture of excitement at our mission

🤝 Diversity and Inclusion at BlakBear

We believe that the best teams are built on different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. At BlakBear, we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported.

We strongly encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or age. If you're excited about the role but aren’t sure you tick every box, please apply anyway, we’d love to hear from you.

If you need any reasonable adjustments at any stage of the hiring process, just let us know. We’ll do our best to make it work for you.