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- Tasks: Bridge AI control systems with real greenhouse operations and enhance customer value.
- Company: Join a pioneering AI company transforming agriculture with cutting-edge technology.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity options, and the chance to shape the future of food production.
- Other info: Be part of a dynamic team that values your input and fosters career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on global food systems while working with innovative AI solutions.
- Qualifications: Strong communication skills and a background in AI, software engineering, or related fields.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 125000 £ per year.
Optimal is building AI agents to control the world’s most critical infrastructure - from factories to datacentres, starting with high-tech greenhouses. We are backed by the Director of AI Research at Google DeepMind, a Board Member at Meta, as well as early VCs in SpaceX, Anduril, and Palantir. We have already built the world’s most advanced AI control for high-tech greenhouses and have proven breakthrough performance in customer greenhouses. We are actively scaling to more greenhouses and have signed integration partnerships allowing us to access 75% of the world’s greenhouses.
High-tech greenhouses are key to our agricultural future - for improving human nutrition and securing our food system against climate change and geopolitical instability. But the shortage of skilled operators causes existing greenhouses to underperform and prevents new greenhouses being built. Our AI increases the profits of individual greenhouses by >£1M/year, increases yields, reduces energy and water usage, and unlocks global greenhouse expansion. There are 8,000 high-tech greenhouses in the world today giving Optimal an opportunity to create >£8B/year of productivity gains. By overcoming the shortage of skilled operators, we enable the rapid deployment of new greenhouses outside cities across the world.
Your Role
We are hiring a Founding Forward Deployed Engineer to own the bridge between our AI control system and real greenhouse operations. We already have live deployments, integration partnerships, and strong early evidence that AI control can create very large value in commercial greenhouses. Now we need to scale from promising deployments to a repeatable system for onboarding and delivering value to customers. This role is part customer-facing engineer, part applied AI/controls engineer, part product builder.
What you will do:
- Speak with growers to understand their crops, greenhouses, and growing strategies.
- Adapt Optimal’s AI control to execute customer growing strategies automatically.
- Monitor production behaviour and identify where the system needs better tooling, guardrails, or product changes. Help to implement.
- Build internal tools, notebooks, agents, and workflows for onboarding, monitoring, intervention, and reporting.
- Find ways to add value to customers based on your direct customer interactions and observations.
- Work closely with other engineers in the company to deliver product improvements.
- Prototype grower-facing UIs that help customers control, understand and trust the system.
Your first 90 days:
- Visit a commercial high-tech greenhouse.
- Learn how growers think about climate, crop steering, risk, energy, and existing control systems.
- Help onboard a customer and translate their growing strategy into Optimal’s AI control system.
- Monitor production behaviour and identify where the system needs tooling, guardrails, or product changes. Help to implement.
- Build at least one tool or workflow that materially improves customer onboarding, monitoring, intervention, or reporting.
- Report performance to growers and gather feedback.
What we are looking for:
- Clear communication with technical and non-technical users.
- Strong intuition for physical and biological systems.
- Strong foundations in at least one of Machine Learning, Optimisation, Control (Model Predictive Control, Optimal Control, and classical feedback techniques), Reinforcement Learning, Physics Modelling and Numerical Simulation.
- Experience building useful tools quickly using AI agents/workflows, notebooks, code, operational playbooks.
- AI-native coding.
- Software engineering in Python.
- Software engineering processes and tools (containers, version control, deployments etc).
Why join
Optimal is early enough that the first few engineers will shape the product, culture, and deployment model. As the founding FDE, you will help create the function from scratch and own the loop from customer need to production AI system to measurable customer value. If we succeed, this role can grow into leadership of forward deployed engineering, customer engineering, deployment operations, or applied product engineering.
Compensation
Salary: £70k – £125k
Equity: 0.5% – 5.0%
Founding Forward Deployed Engineer (up to £125k + equity) in London employer: Optimal Agriculture
Contact Detail:
Optimal Agriculture Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Founding Forward Deployed Engineer (up to £125k + equity) in London
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company inside out! Research Optimal's mission, values, and recent projects. This will help you tailor your conversations and show genuine interest when you connect with them.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees on LinkedIn or attend industry events. Building relationships can give you insider info and might even lead to a referral!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for technical discussions! Brush up on your knowledge of AI, control systems, and greenhouse operations. Be ready to showcase how your skills can directly benefit their projects.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you're serious about joining the team at Optimal.
We think you need these skills to ace Founding Forward Deployed Engineer (up to £125k + equity) in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for AI and Agriculture: When writing your application, let us see your enthusiasm for AI and its impact on agriculture. Share any relevant experiences or projects that highlight your interest in this field, as it’ll help us understand why you’re a great fit for the role.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to reflect the specific skills and experiences mentioned in the job description. We want to see how your background aligns with our mission at Optimal, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant expertise!
Be Clear and Concise: We appreciate clear communication, especially since this role involves interacting with both technical and non-technical users. Keep your application straightforward and to the point, making it easy for us to see your qualifications and potential contributions.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team at Optimal.
How to prepare for a job interview at Optimal Agriculture
✨Know Your AI Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid understanding of AI control systems, especially in relation to agricultural applications. Brush up on your knowledge of machine learning, optimisation, and control techniques, as these will be crucial in demonstrating your expertise during the interview.
✨Understand the Grower's Perspective
Familiarise yourself with the challenges faced by greenhouse operators. Research common growing strategies and how AI can enhance their operations. This will help you communicate effectively with potential customers and show that you can bridge the gap between technology and real-world applications.
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare examples of how you've tackled complex problems in previous roles, particularly those involving customer interactions or technical challenges. Highlight any tools or workflows you've built that improved processes, as this aligns perfectly with the responsibilities of the Founding Forward Deployed Engineer.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
During the interview, don't hesitate to ask questions that demonstrate your interest in the company's mission and your role. Inquire about their current projects, customer feedback, and how they envision the future of AI in agriculture. This shows you're not just looking for a job, but are genuinely invested in their success.