CTO / Co-Founder - Hardware & Climate Technology (AWH)

We are a climate-tech company building an integrated ecosystem of water solutions that generate, conserve, and optimize water for agriculture, industry, and environmental restoration in water-scarce regions. At the core of this ecosystem is our Atmospheric Water Harvesting (AWH) technology, which serves as the foundational platform enabling decentralized, energy-efficient water harvesting.

Our approach combines advanced engineering, thermodynamics, materials science, and system-level design to move beyond single products and toward scalable infrastructure solutions. As we expand the ecosystem over time, AWH remains the core technology, and the CTO / Co-Founder will lead its development from early-stage R&D through commercialization and real-world deployment.

Role Overview

As CTO / Co-Founder, you will own the technical vision, system architecture, and product development of our AWH technology from concept through prototype, pilot, and commercialization. You will work closely with the founders to define the technology roadmap, build and test systems, and lead R&D with a strong bias toward execution.

This is a hands-on role. You will be designing, building, testing, and iterating not delegating everything from day one.

Key Responsibilities

·        Define and lead the technical vision and architecture of AWH systems

·        Design and develop mechanical and thermal systems

·        Take products from idea → prototype → pilot → commercial deployment

·        Lead hands-on R&D, experimentation, testing, and performance optimization

·        Drive system efficiency, reliability, and scalability

·        Oversee prototyping, validation, and field testing

·        Contribute to IP strategy, patent drafting, and technical documentation

·        Build and later lead a technical team (engineers, researchers, technicians)

·        Collaborate with partners, suppliers, and research institutions

·        Support fundraising and investor discussions with deep technical insight

Requirements

MSc / PhD in Mechanical Engineering (strongly preferred) or related field

·        Deep expertise in one or more of:

o   Thermodynamics & heat transfer

o   Cooling and refrigeration systems, including new innovative cooling methodologies

o   Fluid mechanics / airflow systems

o   Phase Change Materials (PCM) and energy storage

o   Energy-efficient system design

·        Experience working with MOFs, absorbents, and coating methodologies is a plus

·        Proven experience taking physical products from concept to commercialization

·        Experience working on real hardware, not just simulations or papers

·        Startup, scale-up, or spin-out experience is a strong plus

Who You Are

·        A builder at heart. You enjoy being in the lab, workshop, or field

·        Comfortable with uncertainty and early-stage ambiguity

·        Thinks outside the box and challenges conventional solutions

·        Highly resourceful and execution-driven

·        Willing to roll up your sleeves and work hands-on in an early-stage startup

·        Motivated by impact, not just title

·        Long-term mindset and true co-founder mentality

What We Offer

·        Co-Founder equity with meaningful ownership

·        The opportunity to build core climate infrastructure technology from the ground up

·        A chance to work on a global, high-impact problem (water security & energy efficiency).