Research Greenhouse Technician

Title
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Research Greenhouse Technician (seniority based on experience)

Location: Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, UK

Presence: In-person

Concert Bio (concert.bio) is a venture‑backed, early‑stage start‑up using microbiome science to help growers harness their plant microbes. We combine DNA sequencing with greenhouse trials to help industry‑leading growers monitor their microbial communities. We then use that data to develop beneficial microbes they can use in their systems. You’ll join our passionate, supportive team at an early stage to play a key role in running our research greenhouse facilities at the University of Warwick Innovation Campus, while taking an active part in our company culture.

Before sending our microbes to growers for commercial use, we trial all of them in our own greenhouse. These trials are at the cutting edge of our work and ensure we’re creating excellent products for growers. Our research greenhouse is a 1,200 m2 facility at the University of Warwick’s Stratford‑upon‑Avon Innovation Campus. We’re now running both lettuce and vine crop (particularly tomato) trials.

You’ll work day‑to‑day with our greenhouse manager Oliver Baker, who runs the facility, and collaborate closely with our scientific team in London. Your work will involve the day‑to‑day management of trials within the greenhouse. You’ll be responsible for crop‑care tasks like sowing, stringing and harvesting, and keeping plants healthy by conducting good IPM. You will also ensure trial‑related tasks like sample and data collection are completed accurately and on schedule.

We’ve launched our first leafy green product, Overture®, and are fine‑tuning products for tomatoes and cucumbers, with other crops in the pipeline. Your work will directly support product development by helping us run high‑quality trials and build a clear understanding of how growers can apply our products in their systems. There will also be opportunities for you to visit customer sites to help them implement our microbes.

• You will manage all day‑to‑day tasks required to keep our plants healthy and correctly managed to maintain industry standards, ensuring that all trials we run are directly comparable to how growers around the world conduct trials. Your initial focus will be our vine crops, but we expect the role to grow and encompass our leafy green trials in the future as well.
• Alongside the research greenhouse manager, you will make sure everything runs smoothly and all practical work is carried out in a timely and appropriate manner.
• You will oversee the PRIVA greenhouse control system to make sure that the environmental conditions are at the correct levels for an optimised crop. This will include managing the irrigation room, ensuring that the fertiliser tanks are always full and that adequate stock is in place.
• You will take an active role in disease and pest monitoring, and necessary IPM application and ordering.
• You will liaise with our agronomist to make sure all plants are healthy and properly managed. This will include fortnightly videos of the crop and subsequent meetings to adjust the PRIVA setting and strategies to maintain a healthy crop.
• You will liaise with the London lab team to procure everything required for the greenhouse’s microbial treatment, sampling, and practical needs.
• Trial management skills will be required. Once a trial plan is in place, it will be your responsibility to make sure it is followed and all work is completed accordingly.
• You will be responsible for ensuring all relevant data collection is taken. Some data analysis will be required.
• You will report to the research greenhouse manager, who will assist you in managing everything and will step in to help with practical work when required. You will discuss trial plans, improvements and changes. Strong communication is a must here.

• Eagerness to push yourself and expand your abilities, both professionally and personally.
• Practical understanding and ability to manage high‑wire vine crops.
• Ability to independently oversee greenhouse maintenance and growing.
• Willingness to develop and maintain effective relationships with…