This is a Head of Engineering role with The Onset based in Sydney, NSW, AU The Onset Role Seniority - director More about the Head of Engineering role at The Onset Job Description There’s a moment in every deep-tech hardware company where the tech is no longer the bottleneck; alignment is. The prototypes work, the physics checks out, the market signals are there… but the organisation needs someone who has actually walked the long road from “this should work” to “this works, every time, for customers.” This role is built for that person - the engineer-turned-leader who has shipped real hardware and carries the quiet confidence of someone who’s done it before. Your background This is for someone who has taken hardware from early-stage development through to something customers actually use. The kind of engineer who has watched products move from rough prototypes to working systems, and then into manufacturing. Someone who understands how decisions in one discipline ripple through everything else, and has enough breadth to guide a team with a lot of moving parts. Different profiles could fit, but the strongest candidates tend to come from: Mechanical engineers with aerodynamics or complex system experience People who have worked across structural design, airflow, thermal constraints, and multi-discipline integration. They’ve been close to real testing, real iteration, and real product decisions. Optical engineers with hands-on hardware experience Not just pure theory; people who’ve worked on alignment, opto-mechanical assemblies, environmental sensitivity, and the practical side of getting optical systems to behave in real conditions. Photovoltaics or power-system engineers who can work across electronics Engineers who understand energy conversion, power electronics, embedded constraints, and how these systems come together in a physical product. Generalist hardware engineers who’ve been in startups before People who’ve worked across multiple disciplines out of necessity — embedded, mechanical, power, optics, whatever the product required. They’ve owned customer trials, demos, prototypes, and key design decisions. Regardless Of Discipline, The Ideal Candidate Has Real hardware build/test experience Exposure to bringing something from R&D into manufacturing Comfort managing multi-discipline teams The ability to make decisions with incomplete information A track record of improving the way engineering teams work The clarity to translate technical progress into product direction Experience in fast-moving environments where things change quickly What's In It For You You get to take a genuinely new hardware technology to market You set the engineering culture You have real influence on the product You run a proper multi-discipline engineering effort You own the R&D → manufacturing shift Clear upward trajectory into CTO If this sounds like something you’d be interested in exploring, please reach out to Thaís at thais@theonset.com.au. Before we jump into the responsibilities of the role. No matter what you come in knowing, you’ll be learning new things all the time and the The Onset team will be there to support your growth. Please consider applying even if you don't meet 100% of what’s outlined Key Responsibilities Taking new hardware technology to market Setting the engineering culture Running a multi-discipline engineering effort Key Strengths Real hardware build/test experience Comfort managing multi-discipline teams A track record of improving the way engineering teams work ⚡ Experience in fast-moving environments ️ Clarity to translate technical progress into product direction Exposure to bringing something from R&D into manufacturing A Final Note: This is a role with The Onset not with Hatch.
