The Company
An exciting energy start-up is looking for a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to join them on their mission to bring tidal energy to the grid.
We’re looking for someone who can lead yet get their hands dirty, who’s happy in front of investors yet wants to be out testing at sea. We’re looking for someone who’s motivated by our mission of bringing clean, affordable, domestic power to the UK and beyond.
The grid needs predictable power to complement wind and solar. Gas provides this now, but it is expensive, imported, and polluting. Tidal power is predictable, clean, affordable, and if we can make it work in 3kn – 5kn currents, plentiful around not only the UK, but many regions of the globe. We believe that tidal can power hundreds, if not thousands of GWs of power.
Our aim is to develop the technology that delivers this to the market within 3 years, and have large scale arrays in the water in the early 2030s. We’re an Oxford University spin-out, backed by significant VC investors, and have recently been awarded a large innovate grant. We’re a small, impactful team of 7 now, though expecting to double this year. The design is based on whales’ swimming, it’s a highly efficient fin allowing us to generate effectively in medium flows and shallow waters. Having tested at ¼ scale, we are now looking to design and deploy at full scale. This is the challenge.
The Role
As Chief Technology Officer you will shape and lead the company’s technology vision and strategy. You will manage a team of talented engineers and oversee the design, development, and deployment of the company’s tidal energy platform. You’ll work closely with the founders as part of the top team to deliver the design, test, and deploy it, prior to commercial launch. It’s both leadership and hands-on, with you expected to be part of the team as well as guiding.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Define and drive the company’s long-term technology roadmap aligned with business and sustainability goals.
- Partner with the executive team to shape overall company strategy, product direction, and innovation priorities.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to ensure the company remains at the forefront of clean energy innovation.
Technology Development & Delivery
- Lead and technically contribute to R&D, engineering, and product development efforts from concept to commercial deployment.
- Ensure technical feasibility, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of all solutions.
Team Leadership
- Build and mentor a world-class multidisciplinary engineering team.
- Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
- Run agile and data-driven practices across the technology organisation.
Operations & Governance
- Manage technology budgets, infrastructure, and intellectual property portfolios.
- Define and uphold robust compliance, and data governance standards.
- Represent the company in technical partnerships, conferences, and stakeholder engagements.
Qualifications
To be considered for the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) you need the following experience:
- A Degree in an engineering discipline such as Marine, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering etc.
- Proven experience in a senior, strategic leadership position.
- Experience of bringing large-scale hardware products to market.
- Project/programme management experience.
- Experience engaging with key stakeholders.
- Experience of one or more of the following:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Electronics Engineering
- Marine Engineering
Desirable
Prior experience working in the marine environment.
Why Join?
- Shape the technology strategy of a pioneering tidal energy company.
- Work at the cutting edge of marine renewable innovation.
- Collaborate with world-class engineers and researchers.
- Play a central role in accelerating the global transition to clean energy.