Job Description

Principal Entomologist in Memphis, TN at Terminix

This critical role provides world-leading scientific understanding of Vector Disease Control and Mosquito behavior with the specific remit to lead on the development of new products and services which support our propositions in the Vector Disease Control and Mosquito markets in NA and in all other markets worldwide, informing best practice globally. This role will be based at the new Innovation Center in Dallas, Texas. 

This is a group role covering all of Rentokil’s operating countries that sell Vector Disease Control or Mosquito services so customers will range from International Key Accounts across multiple sites to National Governments looking for wide spectrum control programs. You will have excellent collaboration skills and be able to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders from front line to CEO.

 The purpose of this role is to give strategic direction and drive growth in our global Pest business through technical brilliance and innovation in Vector Disease Control and Mosquito attraction, monitoring and elimination. You will lead by example in the three key areas of Innovation, Technical Expertise, and Customer Support by formulating, sourcing, exploring and developing ideas to Proof of Concept stage: 

 To lead on new proprietary innovation and product development for all Vector Disease Control and Mosquito solutions;

 To identify, provide information and insight, and evaluate third party and other ideas relating to Vector Disease Control and Mosquito attraction and treatment; 

To partner and bring in leading edge external technologies which provide differentiation and potentially exclusive IP for RI’s global Pest business via a combination of external partnerships, open innovation and new technology development initiatives. 

 A key part of this role is to be the lead focal contact for Vector Disease Control and Mosquito Innovation in North America, with time invested to build and maintain a best-in-class network of contacts, inventors and innovators, nurture existing strategic partnerships, and seek to establish new partnerships related to the innovation needs domestically and globally. 

This is a North America based role, but has a wider remit also as a key part of the wider global innovation ecosystem covering all of Rentokil Initial’s operating countries, so customers will range from International Key Accounts across multiple sites to National Governments looking for wide spectrum control programs. You will have excellent collaboration skills, be a natural relationship builder, and be able to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders from front line to CEO. 

Being a natural problem solver and relishing a challenge, you will be resilient and enjoy working in a continually changing environment which requires you to pull simplicity out of complexity and to communicate it effectively.

 This role demands an innovative mindset, grounded in science, with a sharp commercial understanding and focus on pace of delivery, and you will have the skills to identify, formulate and trial innovative techniques for new Vector Disease Control and Mosquito solutions to ensure Rentokil Initial and Rentokil Terminix retain leadership in both the North American and Global Pest industry. 

Key responsibilities:

 Through a thorough end-to-end understanding of the Vector Disease Control and Mosquito market, identify gaps in the solutions portfolio, and new product requirements working directly with US based teams, the relevant Category Marketing lead, the Group Innovation & Product Development Director, and in collaboration with the Head of Pest Innovation & Product Development and Head of Chemical Innovation & Product Development based in the UK.

 Liaise closely with all M&I and relevant US-based teams to ensure focused allocation of budget across key Vector Disease Control and Mosquito projects aligned with the business’s wider product development priorities.

Attend and participate in regular meetings such as the monthly Team Project Boards and Category Boards, and update on the innovation funnel.

Run innovations sessions within Rentokil Initial and Rentokil Terminix showing tangible outcomes to Proof of Concept.

Establish and maintain a link with the Technical Leadership Team to provide technical inputs to strategic problems.

Support the Group Innovation and Product Development Director with the presentation of materials and insight to the Technical Leadership Team and category boards.

Implement and manage the project management process within the Science team.

Work closely with marketing colleagues to provide new and novel claims support and selling support information to support product deployment.

Play an active leadership role on both the North American Development review, Pest Control category board, and the Innovating for the Future board. 

Customers

 Build and maintain strong relationships with external stakeholders, including innovation partners, key industry bodies and academia.

Provide technical field support for Vector Disease Control and Mosquito infestations that require deeper investigation or where traditional or current methods have been proven to have failed.

Provide technical insight and expert understanding on all Vector Disease Control and Mosquito subjects for the wider global business where required.

 

Expertise 

 Continuously monitor the market for new knowledge or competitor products in the Vector Disease Control and Mosquito fields, and test these to assess competitor claims and as input to the Category Marketing leads.

Formally liaise with Rentokil’s other Centers of Excellence to gain and share knowledge and to facilitate ongoing team development and learning, and in particular, maintain a strategic link in to the Rentokil Power Centre and act as a key leader and mentor for the Group Entomology department 

Conduct site field visits to keep up to date on frontline activities and methods

Use the Rentokil Command Centre data catalogue to uncover and recognize patterns, draw conclusions and act upon them 

Responsible for maintaining technical support relationships for colleagues dealing with customers and suppliers.

Keep updated on industry news and pest trends and where appropriate update internal stakeholders and interested parties 

Represent Rentokil at key conferences and relevant exhibitions as needed to positively promote Rentokil Initial / Rentokil Terminix in the external environment

Build up a network of internal and external industrial testing capabilities, and work with supplier quality to ensure robust testing protocols.

Candidate Criteria 

Knowledge & Skills 

 World-leading technical expert on Vector Disease Control and Mosquito behavior, academic understanding, and knowledge of current pest control techniques, preparations and market solutions

A minimum of 5 years of experience within the pest control industry working in the US with global exposure 

An understanding of Terminix and Rentokil’s Pest Control services and products.

I.T. Literate with working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint as well as Google suite

Able to make sense out of large sets of data and communicate in a compelling manner 

Practical experience in experimental design and report writing 

Proven ability to communicate technical results data and their significance to peers, non-technical colleagues, and commercial sponsors of work.

Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines within a structured project management framework 

Flexibility to planned travel overseas

Fluent English is essential. Further languages would be an advantage. 

Performance

Collaborates : Is supportive of colleagues, and offers help and advice when asked

Convinces and Persuades: States facts clearly and makes a logical argument

Holds to Account: Is aware of and aims for high standards of performance

People

Understands self and others: Awareness of own behavior and how this can impact on others.

Develops self and others: Is positive towards others, giving constructive feedback. Is aware of own development needs and takes responsibility to improve them.

Leads and inspires: Listens to others ideas and participates effectively in team working.

Pace

Commercial Insight:   Uses available information to learn, consults others and asks questions.

Entrepreneurial Drive: Is enthusiastic, organized and completes tasks effectively.

Initiative: Takes action quickly and decisively.

Passion

Passion for customers: Follows up on customer enquiries, requests or complaints and keeps customers informed of progress .

Strategic Thinking: Is straightforward and practical in approach and uses previous experience to resolve new challenges .

Courage: Carries out tasks without the need for supervision, and is able to build clients’ trust and confidence in the service delivered.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

The physical demands are representative of those that must be met by an employee to perform the essential function to this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Incumbent must be prepared to:

• Move up to 10 pounds occasionally, by lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, or otherwise repositioning objects.
• Sitting for long periods of time while using office equipment such as computers, phones and etc.
• Fingering and Repetitive motions; such as movement of wrists, hands and fingers while picking, pinching and typing during your normal working environment.
• Express or exchange ideas with others through the use of spoken word, quickly, accurately, and at an easily audible volume, and receive detailed information through oral communication at usual speaking levels without correction, and/or make fine discriminations in the nature of sounds in the environment.

Incumbent is required to have :

• Close visual acuity to perform detail-oriented activities at distances close to the eyes, as well as visual acuity to perform activities at or within arm’s reach with skill, control, and accuracy, such as preparing and analyzing data, viewing computer screen and expansive reading.

Incumbent will be subject to :

• Inside working conditions: The change of building environment such as with or without air conditioning and heating.

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Terminix companies are proud to be Affirmative Action (AA) and Equal Opportunity Employers (EOE) inclusive of veterans and those with disabilities.

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