Junior Farm Research & Development Specialist (Start ASAP)

At Halter, we're unlocking the connection between humans and animals, starting with cows and then expanding to other animals. Driven to revolutionise farming, our world-first technology helps farmers break free from the time-intensive constraints of conventional farming and empowers a more sustainable future for farmers, their cows and our land. Halter is giving farmers the freedom to spend more time with their families, the technology to increase production and meet the growing demand for food and the data to help them care for their cows, which we know is paramount for farmers.

Founded in 2016, Halter has developed a revolutionary farm management system. We fit our solar-powered GPS-enabled smart collars to each dairy cow. We then equip farmers with a simple App for managing their cows. This system enables farmers to remotely shift, virtually fence and proactively monitor their cow’s health, feed and behaviour - all through their phones. Scaling rapidly onto farms across New Zealand, we have the privilege of working alongside exceptional farmers including some of the largest farms in the country. We care deeply for our farmers and their cows, with our customers heavily involved in product development and animal welfare core to our culture.

Our work is turning heads. In 2021, Halter won in two categories at the NZ Hi-Tech Awards and this year, we have been nominated for another two. Our Board comprises tier 1 Silicon Valley investors who have backed the world's best technology companies such as SpaceX, Tesla, Airbnb and Spotify. We’re also fortunate to have Rocket Lab CEO, Peter Beck, as an investor and Board member. We hire the world's best people and provide an epic environment for them to thrive. Our culture is distinctive; we care about high performance, about each other, and we're obsessed with making a difference for our customers.

About the role

Looking to do something that has not been done before?! Want to work with cutting-edge technology? This role is not a traditional R&D role as we are pioneering the future of farming. This role is all about concise test plans, fieldwork and innovative thinking!

You will be a part of our multidisciplinary research & development team composed of engineers, farmers, and everything in between. Our days never look the same; we find ourselves doing anything from wearing gumboots and working with the cows to sitting in our on-farm base working on the next big endeavour. We focus on designing and developing new features that our customers will be using in the day-to-day running of their farm using Halter.

We believe that team culture is vital for our success as a team and as a company and as a result, work hard to maintain a fun and casual atmosphere in which you can thrive and develop. From the first day you join, you'll be able to have a direct impact on what our product looks like and how farmers use it. Your point of view, support and input will be vital to the success of Halter. You will be heavily involved in all the tests we run; from the designing phase through the testing and interpreting of data.

What your day could look like

• Designing, executing and leading research projects to enable continuous innovation and improvement of our product
• Writing concise test plans and getting out on the farm ASAP! Get your hands dirty and work with cows to understand their behaviour and its functionality and then merge this with your solid understanding of our collar to come up with completely new findings.
• Drawing data-based analysis, results, and learnings from research and experiments to provide input into the design and production of our products
• Testing new and improved product features to achieve smooth deployment at our customer farms
• Assisting in the further development of the way we train cows to understand our collar
• Working cross-functionally with teams across the company: From Engineering to provide input into new and existing product features; to Customer Success to ensure our products are meeting and exceeding our customers’ expectations
• A wide array of farm jobs. Helping with day-to-day farm maintenance and activities!

What we’re looking for

• Someone who has either farming experience/background, animal (esp COWS!) training or an agriculture qualification. Ideally, you’ll also be tech-savvy and you’re not afraid of learning the tech side and functionality of our product.
• A person who is comfortable with ambiguity and thrives in a fast-paced environment
• You enjoy working hard and want to be a part of a team that does the same
• A team-oriented individual, you love sharing ideas and giving and receiving feedback
• The eagerness to learn and the motivation to do things you’ve never done before

Why our team loves working at Halter

• The excitement, risk, and reward of a high-growth technology scale-up
• We are part of shaping a growing, internationally successful, New Zealand technology company
• The opportunity to work with and grow alongside a dynamic, and highly talented team with diverse backgrounds
• Opportunity to supercharge your career in a supportive and caring environment
• Our ideas are truly valued, we can move fast, and see our impact
• Beautiful dog-friendly offices in the heart of Auckland city
• Delicious snacks available for your day-to-day flow
• Our learning and development are important so Halter offers an annual $1000 self-development budget
• Our time to recharge is valued, we’re offered wellness leave & unlimited annual leave
• Plus a competitive salary package + ESOP to sweeten the deal

Halter is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace — a place where we can each be ourselves and do the best work of our lives. Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and under-represented groups of candidates tend to only apply when they meet every requirement. If you think you have what it takes but don’t necessarily tick every requirement on this job description, please still get in touch and apply to Halter. We’d love to chat to see if you’ll be an epic fit!

If this opportunity sounds like you, please apply below by sending through your cover letter explaining why you’re excited about this role and working at Halter, along with your CV, and we’ll be in touch!

Please also feel free to check out the careers and culture page for more information on working at Halter and don't forget to follow us on LinkedIn & Instagram.