Head of Research and Engineering
Posted on March 23, 2026 (2 months ago)
This job post is archived - the company is no longer hiring for this position.
Check out other job posts of this company here!Head of Research and Engineering
IONECH is a seed-stage energy hardware start-up based at Harwell, Oxfordshire. We're developing the Air Voltaic (AV) Cell — an energy-harvesting device that uses controlled interactions between electrons and oxygen in air to capture subtle natural differences in the environment, converting available exergy into electrical power. At scale, the AV Cell is a platform power source intended to reduce grid dependence across many electrical use cases.
The role
This is a hands-on technical leadership role embedded in the laboratory. You will shape and run experiments, review and reconcile data, resolve cross-disciplinary conflicts, and drive rapid iteration from hypothesis to hardware. You will own the system-level architecture and maintain the formal system energy ledger that keeps science and engineering accountable to each other. You will report directly to the Managing Director and retain day-to-day authority over architecture and experimental decisions.
System architecture and integration
- Own and maintain system-level architecture, including clear interface definitions across emission, chemical, thermal, electrical, and vacuum subsystems
- Maintain and continuously reconcile a formal system energy ledger integrating modelling, experimental data, and hardware constraints
- Ensure all subsystem developments align with coherent system-level objectives
Experimental direction and technical judgement
- Define the shortest credible path from hypothesis to physical test
- Lead structured experimental planning with explicit success criteria and validation methods
- Ensure experiments isolate variables and test system-level hypotheses rather than only component performance
- Make clear and timely calls on when to pivot, refine, or terminate technical avenues
Rapid prototyping and iteration
- Establish and lead a fast-cycle build-test-learn process
- Drive pragmatic prototype development focused on learning velocity and controlled validation
- Ensure prototypes are instrumented appropriately for defensible performance measurement
- Balance momentum with rigour, avoiding over-modelling and premature optimisation
- Lead the transition of the technology through technical readiness levels while maintaining momentum
Technical leadership
- Lead a small multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers
- Create clarity in roles, ownership, and accountability across science and engineering functions
- Foster a culture of rigorous empiricism, intellectual honesty, and rapid iteration
- Identify capability gaps and recruit strategically to strengthen the technical bench
- Translate complex technical progress into clear, defensible narratives for founders, investors, and partners
What we're looking for
- A Master's degree (or equivalent experience) in physics, engineering, materials science, electrochemistry, or a closely related discipline
- Proven ability to translate complex scientific concepts into functioning experimental hardware
- Strong thermodynamic literacy and comfort working with system-level energy balances
- A track record of rapid, iterative hardware development: short build-test-learn cycles and the judgement to know when something is good enough to move forward
- Experience delivering functioning hardware systems under real-world constraints
- Experience exercising technical judgement under uncertainty and making high-stakes direction calls
- Experience leading and managing small technical teams
You will stand out if you have
- A PhD in physics, engineering, materials science, electrochemistry, or a closely related discipline
- Hands-on experience with electron field emission, cold cathode systems, high-field environments, or vacuum electronics
- Experience in electrochemistry, reactive oxygen species environments, or related surface and chemical systems
- Experience with high-voltage power electronics or pulsed power systems
- Demonstrated experience integrating multidisciplinary hardware systems spanning thermal, electrical, vacuum, and chemical domains
What we offer
- Highly competitive salary
- Equity — you share in what we're building
- Private medical healthcare
- Company pension
- Flexible, trust-based working culture
- A well-equipped lab at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
- Direct line to the Managing Director and genuine influence over the technical direction of the company
How to apply
Send your CV and a covering letter (one page maximum) explaining why this problem interests you and which parts of your experience are most relevant to the essential criteria.
Notes
The company reads every application and does not use screening software.