Office Manager

Overview of Role 

As the Office Manager, you will be the heartbeat of the office, ensuring seamless daily operations, coordinating essential office functions, and providing a welcoming working  environment that fosters focus and productivity. This is a role for someone who thrives in a dynamic work environment — managing essential routine tasks while remaining flexible enough to take on exciting new projects as they arise.

If you’re a proactive problem-solver who focuses on getting things done with energy and enthusiasm, eager to support and contribute to a collaborative team, this role is for you. An exciting aspect of this role is that it can grow with the individual, allowing them to implement new ideas and take initiative in areas that match their interests i.e. in finance, HR, marketing, sales.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

  • Oversee the smooth day-to-day operation of the office, including welcoming visitors, answering the telephone, and processing mail
  • Manage office upkeep and maintenance, including overseeing service contracts, implementing improvements, and managing service provider relationships
  • Purchase office supplies, food and equipment
  • Provide administrative support to the business, such as scheduling meetings, booking travel and accommodation, managing timesheets, and issuing NDAs 
  • Coordinate logistical tasks, including booking transport to move robots between sites and other operational needs
  • Conduct fire evacuation drills and regularly test fire alarms, ensuring compliance with safety regulations and staff preparedness
  • Organise company social events and help celebrate special occasions 
  • Develop and implement office policies and procedures to guide the operation of the office
  • Assist with HR tasks, including recruitment, onboarding of new hires, and employee integration
  • Run our work experience and intern programs, ensuring proper coordination and support while they are with us 

Desirable Characteristics

  • Confident, independent and reliable.
  • Proactive with a hands-on mentality.
  • Positive mindset. 
  • A friendly personality, always willing to go the extra mile for others.
  • Excellent attention to detail.
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
  • Adaptable to evolving priorities.
  • Proficient in the use of Microsoft Windows, Office, Google.
  • An effective multi-tasker.
  • Excellent organisational skills.

What We Offer

  • A varied range of tasks in a company with a relaxed team atmosphere and open communication
  • The opportunity to work independently and shape your area of work according to your strengths
  • We foster a supportive, family-conscious environment, allowing you to balance professional responsibilities with your family’s needs, including flexible hours for school runs and other commitments

Benefits

  • Company pension 

If you would like to apply for this role, please send your C.V. and cover letter to recruitment@dogtoothtech.com 

No agencies please

Computer Vision 3D Model Provides A Detailed View Of Plant Geometry

Earlier this year, Dogtooth’s Software CTO Anders Johansson Associate Professor in Engineering Mathematics at Bristol University very much enjoyed working with Bristol Engineering student, Ben Winstanley. Ben used a state-of-the-art computer vision approach to create detailed 3D models of complex plant geometry.

This ability is central to our robot’s ability to pick delicate berry fruits without damage to other parts of the plant. Rather than grasping the body of the fruit, our robots work by gripping and cutting their stalks – an approach that helps to minimize cross contamination and bruising (and that Dogtooth has patented worldwide). For the robot to position its cut/grip end effector with sufficient precision, it must form detailed and accurate 3D models in real time.

Kent’s Growers Given Lesson in Robotic Fruit Picking

Dogtooth recently welcomed some members from Produced in Kent to a demonstration of robotic strawberry picking at a commercial farm in Kent. Members from a wide range of backgrounds enjoyed a presentation from our CEO Duncan Robertson outlining Dogtooth’s journey before seeing our robot fleet picking in the field.

Several generations of robots were on display, picking the everbearer crop highly effectively, as they do throughout the season. The first teams of fifth generation robots to be owned by farmers/growers will be delivered next year, which will be momentous for the soft fruit industry. Get in touch to find out more…

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/the-robots-that-could-help-kent-s-fruit-picking-problems-312244

Buyer-Planner (ROLE NOW FILLED)

Would you like to be part of building a brand new industry? We are looking for a Buyer-Planner (BP) to support our rapidly growing technology business.

Overview of Role

The BP will ensure that materials are available for the manufacturing team to meet the
requirements of robot build and field support for deployment. This involves timely engagement with new designs, quotation, purchasing, receiving, inspection and disposition.
It may include build and test of kits and subassemblies.

Demand comes from triggers from part usage and planned procurement for scheduled build of released products and new product launches.

The BP will also ensure (in conjunction with the Lead Build Technician) that a resource levelled production plan is made and delivered.

The BP will ensure stock accuracy through kanban system and stock checks.

The BP will contribute to testing/commissioning production (up to 50% time)

Duties and Responsibilities

Immediate:

  • Monitors incoming Engineering Change Notes (ECN) and reviews new and modified parts
  • Ensures transfer of ECN parts information to Released Parts Database
  • Reviews Configuration Bill of Materials (Config BoM) being released to manufacturing through the ECN
  • Issues Request For Quotation (RFQ) and curates responses
  • Pulls Config BoM cost together based on RFQ and/or last-paid price on incumbent parts
  • Issues Purchase orders (PRN) to suppliers
  • Maintains active suppliers list
  • Monitors supplier acknowledgements, progress, deliveries, expedites lates and at-risks
  • Answers supplier queries to satisfactory resolution
  • Answers accounts queries on invoice payables
  • Recording deliveries and incoming inspection, managing materials disposition into our cellular parts supermarkets
  • Filling spares orders to field operations sites

Will develop to include:

  • Support and is engaged in spend segmentation exercises on released parts
  • Participates in weekly production planning as expert in materials availability to kit
  • Will reconcile Master Production Schedule (MPS) to order coverage for parts
  • Replenishment (kanban) ordering of spares/service exchange parts/consumables
  • Raises and ensures administration and record retention of works orders
  • Contribute to supermarket design, layout, kanban card design and short interval control
  • Contribute to plan for space utilisation (materials storage)
  • Will run the kanban turns review and cycle count (stock control) processes
  • Supplier performance measurement for On Time Delivery and Quality

Desirable Characteristics

  • Attention to detail
  • Disciplined, thrives in cadenced environments, has a sense of urgency
  • Sets and works towards sensible milestones
  • Thrives on achievement of outcomes, even if the work also comprises repetitive tasks
  • Able to draw correct balance between following process and knowing when to intervene/escalate problems
  • Personable, emotionally intelligent, confident talking to suppliers
  • Likes dogs

If you would like to apply for this role, please send your C.V. and covering letter to recruitment@dogtoothtech.com

Dogtooth Teams Up With Fitzbillies

Dogtooth has teamed up with the 100-year-old Cambridge bakery, Fitzbillies, who have crafted a delicious strawberry and cream bun as their summer special, made with strawberries picked by our harvesting robots. Nothing gets past our engineers without being tested. We can confirm that these buns have been thoroughly tested, and they are absolutely delicious! If you are local to Cambridge, these limited-edition buns are available at all Fitzbillies branches.

Graduate Mechanical Engineer

We are looking for an outstanding engineer to join our Mechanical Engineering team
and help bring exciting new technologies to market.

Overview of the role

Our hardware team sits at the core of making autonomous fruit picking commercially
possible – delivering the platform that bring our state-of-the-art machine learning into
the field reliably and at a cost. We constantly balance performance with cost, making
the appropriate trade-offs and de-risking key functionality early to hit our overall
targets.

The role promises a diverse and dynamic workload typical of a start-up environment,
encompassing everything from the initial development of concepts and hardware
prototyping to the design-for-manufacture of comprehensive whole-machine
subsystems.

A unique aspect of these positions is the opportunity to witness your
innovative ideas being brought to life on a grand scale. Although we’ve detailed a few desirable characteristics and qualifications as a guide below, we encourage you not to let this deter you from applying. Our primary interest lies in your attitude and your method of approaching problem-solving. We are a supportive team and will work hard to provide both exciting challenges and development/training opportunities where they’re needed. We welcome candidates from a range of backgrounds, education (apprenticeship and degree), and experience levels.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Design, build and test prototypes with lead engineers
  • Support our design Engineers with analysis
  • Take on responsibility for projects delivering new functionality into our robot fleet from concept to scale
  • Work with suppliers and manufacturing team to define SOPs, build documentation and appropriate quality control processes

Desirable characteristics:

  • 0-5 years’ experience – we welcome applications from new graduates with relevant work or personal project experience.
  • Strong pragmatic, first-principals approach to analytical problem solving.
  • Completer-finisher approach – willingness to take responsibility for overall delivery as well as technical input, pulling in support for areas outside own area of expertise.
  • Proficiency in the use of software to support analysis and design – MS Excel, MATLAB/Octave, etc. CAD software experience an advantage (will be using Autodesk Inventor).
  • Ability to get stuck in with the team but also solve problems independently.
  • Strong communication skills – ability to review ideas and decisions with the team, working with a wide range of stakeholders of varying technical experience.
  • Ability to flex across various types of work – assembling and evaluating prototypes, designing mechanical assemblies, developing assembly SOPs, defining cable routings & drawings.
  • Ability to prove out ideas pragmatically and practically in appropriate stages of the design process.
  • GD&T, tolerance analysis & structural FEA would be beneficial.

Reference ID: DTMechEngineer
If you would like to apply for this role, please send your C.V. and cover letter
to recruitment@dogtoothtech.com

Dogtooth’s Robots Boost Productivity with Night-Time Picking

You will want to turn the sound up on this video!

It is the sound of a team of our fourth generation robots picking overnight in an otherwise deserted glasshouse. These robots have been operated for 16 hours a day throughout 2024 – including at night, when cooler conditions can sometimes help to prolong the shelf life of picked fruit. Now our next generation “Gen5”  robots are capable of being used for up to 24 hours a day. Not only does this increase their productive output, but the flexibility of operating robots for one, two, or three eight-hour shifts helps our customers to cope with the peaks and troughs of production.

Manufacturing Technician (MT) (ROLE NOW FILLED)

Would you like to be part of building a brand new industry? We are looking for a talented Manufacturing Engineer (ME) to help drive the R&D efforts of our rapidly growing technology business.

Overview of Role


The MT builds, tests and repairs robots and their ancillary equipment to the defined
specifications and using the current best way prescribed in our Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs). The MT will also contribute to improvements to the design of the robots and the design of work methods by which we perform repair, build and test them.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Learn and adhere to our SOPs for the work of building and testing robots, and in the repair, refurbishment and upgrade of our existing fleet
  • Contribute to effective SOP creation and improvement
  • Become involved in root cause problem solving
  • Working on new development projects as a supporting technician
  • Playing a key part in improvement activities through 5s, standardised work and materials
  • kaizen improvement events

Desirable Characteristics

  • Attention to detail
  • Passion for work, even if it is sometimes repetitive
  • Mechanical dexterity
  • Disciplined, thrives in time-paced environments, has a sense of urgency
  • Wants to learn and apply lean manufacturing thinking to their jobs
  • Has a technology background, experience or interest

If you would like to apply for this role, please send your C.V. and covering letter to recruitment@dogtoothtech.com

Welcome to Our New Team Members!

We are thrilled to welcome three outstanding new members to our team: Patrick Wiltshire, Alex Wheatley and Daniel Rutterford.

Patrick joins our Hardware team as Mechanical Design Engineer, bringing with him extensive experience in developing equipment for the construction and events industries. His passion for developing new and exciting products makes him a valuable asset as we continue to innovate and grow. Outside of work, Patrick enjoys driving (or fixing!) classic cars.

Alex, our new Standards and Compliance Engineer, comes to us with a strong background in quality assurance and regulatory compliance. His expertise in managing compliance processes for new high-tech products aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering high-quality products. Alex is a passionate fan of live music and is also an enthusiastic table-top and miniatures gamer, fond of Euro-games and deck building.

Joining us as Manufacturing Engineer, Daniel Rutterford brings a wealth of knowledge from over 11 years of experience working in manufacturing and testing laboratories. His insights into process optimisation and cycle time reduction will undoubtedly help drive our efforts for continuous improvement. When not at work, Daniel enjoys cooking, home brewing, and spending time outdoors exploring with his partner and son.

Welcome aboard!

R&D Test Technician

We are looking for a dynamic and thorough Test Technician to join our team and help bring new technologies ready to the field.

Overview of the role

The R&D Test Technician will be responsible for development testing and type approval of our new machines as they come through the development cycle.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Testing of new technologies under development, including Type approval of whole new products.  This will include hardware and software testing, cloud services, and standard operating procedures
  • Verification of whole machine performance
  • Development of new test tooling and methods where needed
  • Specification and development of new test equipment
  • Risk assessments
  • Ensure all R&D test equipment is serviced and calibrated
  • Detail design work for tooling & fixtures (mechanical, electronics, possibly software tooling)
  • Flex the day-job to help the operations engineer deploy new hardware or processes to the field or fix existing hardware

Desirable Characteristics 

  • Methodical, systematic approach to testing 
  • Can-do, hands-on attitude
  • Able to self-manage test throughput
  • Experience in testing complex systems, including hardware, networking, software
  • Familiarity with testing methods from relevant industries
  • Good data skills: Excel, understanding of basic statistics would be helpful
  • We welcome candidates from a range of backgrounds, education (HNC/D or degree), and experience levels
  • Full driving license is a must-have: Ability to drive a van to deploy robots would be strongly beneficial

If you would like to apply for this role, please send your C.V. and cover letter to recruitment@dogtoothtech.com 

Polite Notice for Recruitment Agencies

We receive a great deal of interest from recruitment agencies, we do appreciate the desire to work with us. We advertise current job vacancies on our website to enable potential candidates interested in joining our team to connect directly with us. 

When direct sourcing is not possible, we may opt to engage a recruitment agency from our preferred supplier list.

If you feel you have a candidate who fits the requirements outlined in a job advertised on our website, we kindly request that you send their CV for review exclusively to recruitment@dogtoothtech.com.

If we would like to discuss further with you, we will be in touch.

Thank you in advance.

Company No. 9079342 •
VAT No. 231708135 •
Millside, The Moor, Melbourn, SG8 6ED