Electrical Engineer | Harwell, Oxfordshire | Competitive Salary + Equity
Most engineering roles ask you to optimise within known constraints. This one asks you to push beyond them.
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, it sits at the base of the energy stack: a platform power source that reduces grid dependence across virtually every electrical use case.
The science is novel, the engineering is hard, and the technology pushes at the boundaries of current understanding. We're looking for an Electrical Engineer who wants to work at that frontier.
The work
You'll own the full hardware development cycle from initial simulation in LTspice through PCB layout, prototyping, and structured experimentation. You’ll be working directly alongside scientists and engineers in our Harwell lab. This is hands-on work in a small, collaborative team, so you'll need to be self-motivated, adaptable, and comfortable with ambiguity. When something doesn't behave as expected, you'll be the person who figures out why.
* Design and develop analogue and digital circuits for power electronics and energy management applications
* Perform circuit simulation using LTspice to validate designs before physical prototyping
* Create and iterate on PCB layouts, managing designs from schematic capture to Gerber output
* Develop current limiting, voltage protection, and safe shutdown mechanisms
* Consider EMI, grounding, isolation, and layout best practice in all designs
* Specify and integrate appropriate measurement and sensing systems
* Build, assemble, and solder prototype hardware in the laboratory, including surface-mount and through-hole components
* Assist in the design and running of structured experiments to characterise and validate hardware performance
* Conduct systematic failure analysis and root cause investigation
* Accurately document and analyse developmental progress, outcomes, and key findings
* Prepare technical reports, presentations, and documentation for internal and external audiences
* Identify knowledge gaps and opportunities for innovation and optimisation
* Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory standards, and contribute to a safe, well-organised lab environment
What we're looking for
You'll need:
* A degree (or equivalent experience) in Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, or a closely related discipline
* Hands-on laboratory experience designing and building experiments, with the ability to take a circuit from concept to working prototype independently
* Practical soldering skills, including SMD and through-hole components, and the ability to rework and repair PCBs
* Proficiency in LTspice for circuit simulation, including transient, AC, and DC operating point analysis
* Experience in PCB design using a professional EDA tool (Altium Designer, KiCad, or Eagle), covering schematic capture, layout, DRC, and Gerber generation
* Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a methodical approach to debugging and testing
You'll stand out if you have:
* Experience using a Ridley Engineering box for power supply loop gain and frequency response measurements
* Experience designing and fabricating custom inductors and transformers
* A background in power electronics design, including switch-mode power supplies, DC-DC converters, or inverter topologies
* Experience designing systems at or above 300 V DC
* Familiarity with elevated-voltage safety practices and isolation design
* Experience working in a start-up or product development environment
What we offer
* Competitive salary benchmarked to your experience and background.
* 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
* A small team where your work is visible and consequential from day one
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.
We read every application. We don't use screening software.