Job Description
An exciting climate-tech start-up is looking for a Head of Electrical and Electronic Engineering to join their growing team based in Oxford, UK. This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced Engineer with a background in electrical system design and development to play a key role in an ocean energy start-up set to revolutionise renewable generation by providing a smarter, more effective method of producing power.
The Company
The grid needs predictable power to complement wind and solar. Gas provides this today, but it is expensive, imported, and polluting. Tidal power is predictable, clean, affordable, and if we can make it work in 3–5 km currents, plentiful not only around the UK but in many regions across the globe. We believe that tidal power can supply hundreds, if not thousands, of gigawatts. Our aim is to develop the technology that delivers this to the market within three years, with large-scale arrays deployed in the early 2030s.
We are an Oxford University spin-out, backed by significant VC investors, and have recently been awarded a large Innovate UK grant. We’re a small but impactful team of seven, and expect to double in size this year.
Our design is based on research from one of our founders—a Professor of Biomechanics—on whale swimming. It uses a highly efficient fin mechanism that generates energy effectively in medium flows and shallow waters. Having tested at quarter-scale, we are now moving to design and deploy the full-scale system. This is the challenge.
The Role
We are expanding and looking to recruit a Head of Electrical and Electronic Engineering to join our team. The Head of Electrical and Electronic Engineering will be a key member of our small, agile group working to develop our tidal platform. They will work alongside industry experts to take the platform from prototype through to commercial scale.
The Head of Electrical and Electronic Engineering will own the design, build, and testing of the subsystem that converts intermittent mechanical motion into electricity, along with the surrounding control systems.
System Design
* End-to-end design and delivery of electrical and control systems, from requirements capture through to commissioning.
* Development of system architectures covering power conversion, control, protection, sensing, and communication.
* Integration of multiple subsystems into a coherent product, ensuring performance, safety, maintainability, and standards compliance.
Control Systems
* Experience with industrial automation protocols and networks (Modbus TCP, CAN-based protocols, PROFINET, RS422, etc.).
* Specification and integration of PLCs, motor controllers, instrumentation, and safety-related control systems.
* Ability to develop and review control logic (S7 Ladder, SCL), including interlocks, fault handling, and closed-loop control.
* Lead HAZOP and FMEA activities.
* Specification and integration of high-precision sensors for dynamic measurement and feedback.
* Design and implementation of control loops and diagnostic/error-handling logic on S7-1200-class platforms.
Power Systems
* Design and specification of 3-phase AC (380 V) electrical systems, including generators, drives, power converters, DC supplies, protection devices, and cooling solutions.
* Equipment sizing and protection coordination (MCCBs, fuses, DC–DC converters, thermal considerations).
* Development of electrical schematics, SLDs, panel layouts, and cable schedules using eCAD tools.
* Design of enclosures, harnessing, and cabling for reliability, thermal performance, environmental resistance, and maintainability.
Collaboration
* Close collaboration with mechanical teams to ensure compatibility across electrical, control, and structural design elements.
* Contribution to multidisciplinary design reviews and resolution of interface issues across electrical, mechanical, and software domains.
This is an exceptional opportunity to join a superb team undertaking novel product development to deliver the next generation of smart ocean energy -tidal power.
Requirements
Education:
* A degree in engineering or equivalent experience.
Essential:
* Experience across the full product development lifecycle: concept, design, build, and test.
* Power-generation system design experience involving gearboxes and generators/motors.
* Experience with industrial control systems.
* Ability to manage budgets, schedules, and risks for electrical engineering design and delivery.
Desirable:
* Prior experience working in the marine industry in a development role.
* Mechanical design experience using CAD (SolidWorks).
* Power electronics design or integration experience.