Careers.
Technical Advisor
Earthwave is seeking an experienced technical professional to act as a mentor, sounding board, and strategic guide for the design and development of our software systems. This role will focus on providing high-level oversight and constructive feedback on architecture, workflows, and technical design decisions, ensuring our solutions are robust, scalable, and aligned with best practice.
Working closely with our technical leads, the Technical Advisor will be engaged as a contractor on a retainer basis (with a set day rate, and a defined minimum/maximum number of days per month); it is anticipated the Technical Advisor will work on average 2-3 days per month with the team, and attend and present to an hour-long formal Board Meeting every quarter. They will not be expected to deliver day-to-day coding, but rather to bring a strategic perspective, helping to guide technical direction, resolve complex design questions, and anticipate future needs.
The role may be remote or hybrid, based out of Earthwave’s central Edinburgh office.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as a mentor to Earthwave’s technical team, particularly in areas of software architecture, design patterns, and system scalability.
- Provide independent, high-level review and feedback on technical plans, proposals, and prototypes.
- Advise on integration of geospatial, scientific, and software components into coherent systems.
- Support strategic technology choices, including the evaluation of frameworks and platforms.
- Identify potential technical risks and propose mitigation strategies.
- Facilitate discussions and decision-making on long-term technical direction.
- Help establish and oversee engineering processes and planning to ensure effective prioritisation, predictable delivery timelines, and continuous improvement in team workflows.
Desired Profile
- Significant experience in software architecture and design; experience in geospatial or scientific computing is desirable but not essential.
- Proven track record of guiding technical teams and projects at a strategic level.
- Proven track record of supporting and developing technical teams to achieve personal excellence.
- Strong communication skills and emotional intelligence, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to mixed audiences.
- Familiarity with modern development practices, cloud platforms, and data pipelines.
- Experience defining processes for project execution, code quality and delivery timelines.
- An understanding of the commercial implications of AI would be of benefit.
- An interest in Earth Observation, climate science or related fields is a plus.
- Experience defining processes for project execution, code quality, and delivery timelines.
Apply direct to us at jobs@earthwave.co.uk