Agricultural Scientist
Halter · Auckland, New Zealand · 1mo ago
About Halter
At Halter, we’re on a mission to enable farmers and graziers to run the most productive and sustainable operations. Our customers are using Halter to break free from the time-intensive constraints of conventional practices. Imagine watching 500 cattle stand up and walk calmly towards their next break? No quad bikes, no dogs, no fences. Just a group of cattle walking at their own pace. People say it looks like magic. Our customers are revolutionizing grazing with Halter. It's changing lives and transforming an industry. People join Halter to do meaningful work. By joining us you’ll be solving challenging problems within a talented team and a culture built for high performance. Our team out-think, out-work and out-care. We’re committed to delivering real change in the world - this isn’t easy, and in truth, we love that it’s hard.
We’re backed to deliver on a mission that matters by Tier 1 investors including Founders Fund, Bessemer Venture Partners, BOND, DCVC, Blackbird, Promus Ventures, Rocket Lab’s Peter Beck and Icehouse ventures.
To find out more, visit our LinkedIn & Instagram.
At Halter we’re looking to push the boundaries of what is possible in agricultural science, in order to provide tools to farmers and ranchers to enable them to operate more effectively. We achieve this by applying the most advanced techniques to leverage the vast amounts of data we have access to. This translates into novel solutions to physical-world modelling that deliver unparalleled
What you’ll do
You'll provide agricultural scientific expertise to help shape the next generation of predictive systems for grazing-based agriculture. Working alongside Machine Learning Engineers, Software Engineers and Product Managers, you'll translate agricultural science into innovative products that deliver measurable value to farmers.
You'll identify opportunities where science can improve our understanding of farming systems, design experiments to validate new ideas, and help ensure our predictive models remain biologically meaningful.
Scientific expertise
Apply agricultural science to improve existing predictive systems and identify opportunities for new products.
Translate biological understanding into hypotheses that can be evaluated through data and machine learning.
Provide scientific guidance during model development, ensuring predictions remain biologically realistic.
Interpret model behaviour and help identify opportunities for improvement.
Research and experimentation
Design and execute scientific investigations that improve model performance and product capability.
Identify new measurements, datasets and signals that could enhance predictive systems.
Define measurement protocols for capture of validation models, to facilitate training and evaluation of our models
Evaluate emerging agricultural research and assess its applicability to our products.
Contribute to the scientific validation of new modelling approaches.
Collaboration
Partner closely with Machine Learning Engineers throughout the model development lifecycle.
Work with Data Operations to define data requirements and improve dataset quality.
Support Product Managers in evaluating scientific opportunities and trade-offs.
Collaborate with customer-facing teams to understand field observations and convert them into research questions.
Build relationships with external researchers and subject matter experts where appropriate.
What success looks like
During your first several months, success will be measured by your scientific impact and your ability to become a trusted partner to our modelling teams.
Developing a deep understanding of our predictive systems, data pipelines and modelling approaches.
Building trusted relationships across engineering, product and customer teams.
Identifying meaningful opportunities where agricultural science can improve product performance.
Contributing scientific insight that influences modelling decisions and product direction.
Defining valuable new data collection and experimentation opportunities.
Helping establish effective ways of incorporating scientific thinking into our product development process.
Must-have experience
MSc or PhD in Agricultural Science, Agronomy, Animal Science, Plant Science or a related discipline.
Significant experience applying agricultural science to solve real-world problems.
Strong understanding of grazing systems and agricultural production.
Experience designing, conducting and interpreting scientific investigations.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to explain complex scientific concepts to multidisciplinary teams.
Ability to influence technical decisions through expertise rather than authority.
Strongly preferred
Experience working with data science, predictive modelling or machine learning applications.
Experience within agricultural technology or precision agriculture.
Strong quantitative and analytical skills.
Experience working with large datasets to support scientific investigations.
Nice-to-have
Experience in a commercial technology company or startup.
Scientific publications or recognised technical contributions.
Existing relationships within the agricultural research community.
Experience collaborating with software engineering or product development teams.
Familiarity with remote sensing, sensor technologies or digital agriculture.
Join our team
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 page for more information on working at Halter and don't forget to follow us on LinkedIn & Instagram.
Why our team loves working at Halter:
Work that genuinely matters. Every now and again a company comes along that transforms an entire industry and leaves the world in a better place. Our team gets to be part of something truly meaningful, helping farmers improve their livelihoods, spend more time with their families, and build more sustainable operations.
Spectacular people solving hard problems. Our culture is designed for talented people to do work that changes lives. The team is filled with diverse, kind, and driven people who push each other to do their best work. You'll be thrown into the deep end, tackling complex challenges and building something tangible that solves real problems.
You'll grow here. Autonomy, mastery, and learning define how we work. You'll have the freedom to work on interesting problems, master new skills, and continuously develop yourself, both through your role and our $1,000 personal growth fund.
This isn't easy, and we love that it's hard. Working at Halter will be the most rewarding and the most challenging work of your life. We move fast, take bold bets, and work hard to reshape an entire industry. As one team member put it: "Joining Halter is a bit like strapping yourself to a rocket ship, but it's an epic journey to be a part of!"