Material and Product Development Scientist

Materials & Product Development Scientist

SporeSense is an AgriTech spin-out company from the University of Manchester. We are developing an AI-powered in-field device that detects airborne crop disease before any symptoms appear providing farmers the missing data they need to act early, protect their yields and use fewer pesticides.

As our Materials & Product Development Scientist, you will work closely with the CSO to develop and test the materials that capture crop pathogens in our devices, and make sure the cartridges that carry them get to growers and back again. Reporting to our CSO, you will work directly with the founders, scientists and customers, and see your lab work turn straight into products used on farms across the UK, Europe and beyond.

The role has four core areas:

1. Materials research: Develop and optimise biomimetic materials that capture and germinate splash-borne fungal pathogens such as wheat Septoria.
2. Cartridge production and quality: Manufacture, store, quality-check, deliver and recover the SporeSense cartridges used by growers and partners.
3. Operations and project delivery: Keep projects, inventory and suppliers on track so work packages and milestones are met.
4. Field and customer insight: Visit growers, distributors and trial sites to support deployments and turn feedback into product improvements.

Salary

£33,000 per annum; fixed term for 12 months initially, with progression subject to annual project continuation and performance review.

Location

Hybrid; Central Manchester, with hybrid flexibility for planning, reporting and remote work. The role also features some UK travel to growers, field trials and partners.

Working hours

Full time: Monday-Friday

Annual leave

You are entitled to 25 working days paid annual leave per leave year and paid leave for UK bank holidays on your normal working days.

What you will do

• Develop and test biomimetic materials for capturing and germinating fungal pathogens

• Design, run, analyse and document lab experiments on material performance and biological outcomes

• Manufacture, store, quality-check, deliver and recover SporeSense cartridges

• Write and maintain standard operating procedures for cartridge production and quality assurance

• Collect, organise and analyse experimental and operational data

• Manage project activities in Notion, keeping them aligned with work packages, milestones and deliverables

• Keep inventory records for materials, consumables, field equipment and company assets

• Work with suppliers and support procurement so operations keep running smoothly

• Improve the product using field observations, customer feedback and experimental evidence

• Visit growers, distributors, trial sites and research partners across the UK and Europe

• Communicate progress, challenges and recommendations clearly to colleagues and partners

Skills and attributes

Required from day 1

• Strong practical lab skills, with safe working practices and careful scientific record keeping

• Visible-light microscopy and image capture

• A good understanding of experimental design and statistical significance testing

• Careful planning and execution of lab experiments

• Quantitative analysis and interpretation of results

• Familiarity with project management basics such as work packages, milestones and deliverables

• Experience using digital tools for project management, documentation and collaboration

• Strong organisation and attention to detail

• Clear communication with both technical and non-technical people

• The ability to spot problems and solve them independently

• Willingness to travel in the UK and occasionally Europe, and to work outdoors with growers, distributors and partners

• Flexibility in working time and location around the agricultural season

Desirable, not essential

• Knowledge of polymer materials and how composition and processing affect performance

• Materials characterisation techniques

• An understanding of agricultural pathogens and the biology behind them

• Statistical analysis of small or sparse datasets, and data visualisation

• Image analysis software

• Experience writing SOPs or working with lab quality control systems

• Experience supporting the manufacture of physical products or consumables

• Experience managing stock, inventory or supply chains

• Experience in a start-up, research or product development setting

• Experience working with external partners or customers

• A full UK driving licence

• An interest in agriculture, environmental technology or biosensing

Skills you'll develop in the role

• Taking a new material from lab bench to a product used in the field

• Setting up manufacturing and quality processes at an early stage

• Running inventory, suppliers and logistics for a growing product line

• A close understanding of growers, agronomists and crop science

• Broad exposure to how a deep-tech start-up is built, across technology, customers and fundraising, working directly with the founders

• Ownership of real parts of the product and our operations as the team grows

Experience needed

• An honours degree in Materials Science, Chemistry or a closely related subject

• A Master's or significant project work in materials development, biomaterials or polymers is a plus

• You take ownership, follow problems through and are comfortable with changing priorities

• You balance scientific rigour with practical delivery and customer needs