Head of Engineering

Role Summary

The Head of Engineering will lead an integrated, multi-disciplinary engineering organization spanning chemical/process engineering, mechanical design, electrical/controls, embedded software, and manufacturing. The role focuses on taking captured greenhouse gases from outlets, converting them into usable energy and materials with high efficiency, and achieving no residue. You will drive evolving , scalable, and compliant hardware-software systems across industrial emissions, power generation, and chemical processing sectors, while accelerating rapid prototyping and field deployments, in Chennai and beyond.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership and Strategy
• Own an integrated engineering roadmap across chemical/mechanical design, process systems, control architectures, and software-enabled analytics.
• Define robust architecture that couples reactor chemistry/process design with instrumentation, data acquisition, edge processing, and cloud-enabled insights.
• Establish design standards, simulations, CFD/CFD-lean approaches, lab testing plans, and manufacturing readiness criteria.
• People and Organization
• Lead multi-disciplinary teams: chemical/process engineers, mechanical engineers, electronics/controls, embedded software, test & QA, and manufacturing.
• Prioritize safety, quality, and rapid prototyping culture; implement clear career ladders and performance frameworks.
• Recruit senior engineers and technical leaders as needed; foster mentorship and cross-functional collaboration.
• Delivery and Execution
• Drive feasibility studies, prototyping, pilot-scale validation, and scale-up from lab to field deployment.
• Focus on design-for-manufacture, reliability, maintainability, and field serviceability; manage qualification and validation activities.
• Track metrics: design cycle time, prototyping iterations, test coverage, first-pass yield, MTTR for field deployments.
• Product and Customer Focus
• Translate customer needs and emissions targets into hardware/software solutions that integrate with existing plant infrastructure.
• Ensure safety, environmental compliance, and industry standards, support field trials and customer deployments.
• Champion human-centered interfaces for operators and system monitoring.
• Quality, Safety, and Compliance
• Implement robust EHS practices for chemical/ mechanical operations, testing labs, and field installations.
• Ensure compliance with Indian and international standards (as applicable), including emissions reporting requirements.
• Lead reliability engineering, incident investigations, and contingency planning.
• Platform and Integration
• Oversee integration of mechanical/hardware systems with software platforms, control systems, and data pipelines.
• Design hardware-in-the-loop testing, sensors/actuators, and IoT edge components where relevant.
• Promote component standardization and design reuse to reduce cost and risk.
• Partnerships and Vendor Management
• Manage suppliers, contract manufacturers, and equipment vendors; evaluate third-party tools and test rigs.
• Align vendor capabilities with rapid prototyping and scale-up needs.
• Budget and Governance
• Lead engineering budget, headcount planning, and capex/opex for initiatives.
• Enforce design reviews, safety audits, change control, and compliance governance.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelors in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering; Masters degree or MBA a plus.
• Experience: 10+ years of engineering leadership with hands-on experience across chemical/mechanical design and embedded hardware/software integration; track record in product-focused environments; established company experience preferred.
• Domain knowledge: Emissions capture/conversion, industrial process optimization, energy systems, or industrial IoT familiarity is a strong plus.
• Technical Skills:
• Deep understanding of process design, fluid/thermal/mechanical systems, instrumentation, and control concepts.
• Proficiency with CAD and simulation tools; experience with lab automation and testing rigs.
• Working knowledge of software/firmware interfaces, APIs, SCADA, and industrial communication protocols to enable cross-team collaboration.
• Awareness of safety, quality, and regulatory standards relevant to chemical/mechanical equipment and emissions data.
• Leadership and Soft Skills:
• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and the ability to translate strategy into executable programs.
• Exceptional people leadership, mentoring, and talent development.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management across engineering, product, operations, and customers.
• Hands-on, problem-solving mindset with a bias for action.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience with emissions measurement hardware, environmental sensors, or industrial automation.
• Familiarity with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ATEX/IECEx for hazardous environments, and Indian/intl emissions reporting standards.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing, pilot-scale demos, or field deployments.

Performance Metrics

• Delivery and Quality: On-time, within-spec design completions; reduced rework and design defects.
• Reliability and Safety: Field performance, incident rates, MTBF/MTTR, safety audit outcomes.
• Efficiency: Prototyping pace, test coverage, manufacturing readiness milestones.
• Collaboration: Stakeholder satisfaction, cross-functional delivery success, vendor performance.
• Environmental Impact: Improvements in emissions capture accuracy and system energy efficiency.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

• Foster a diverse engineering perspective; implement equitable growth opportunities and inclusive hiring.