Lead R&D Engineer – Renewable Energy Startup (Houten, Netherlands)

Join an innovative clean-energy startup developing 24/7 renewable heat solutions for industrial applications. This role offers the opportunity to lead product development across thermal energy storage, solar systems, power-to-heat technologies, and internal software tools.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead product improvement and development projects from concept through deployment.
• Design, prototype, test, and validate new technologies and components.
• Perform thermodynamic and mechanical simulations to evaluate system performance.
• Conduct experiments and field testing to validate designs.
• Improve system efficiency, reliability, scalability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Manage technical projects, budgets, roadmaps, and supplier engagement.
• Support product industrialization by considering manufacturability, operational, and financial factors.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative energy solutions.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• 3+ years of relevant engineering experience.
• Ability to translate customer and market needs into technical requirements.
• Strong analytical and hands-on engineering skills.
• Experience preparing products for scale-up or mass production.
• Willingness to travel internationally for installation, testing, and commissioning activities.
• Self-driven mindset with strong ownership and problem-solving abilities.
• Passion for renewable energy; knowledge of energy markets is a plus.

What’s Offered

• Opportunity to make a direct impact in the renewable energy sector.
• International travel and field deployment opportunities.
• Competitive salary based on experience.
• Flexible, high-autonomy work environment.
• Strong focus on professional growth and development.
• Collaborative startup culture building real-world clean-energy products.

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Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Luke Davey