Director of Engineering And Operations

Company Description AiQUOS is a deep-tech startup and we build intelligent, compact, multiparametric and reconfigurable probes that bring lab-grade water analysis into the field. At the heart of each probe is our lab-in-microchip: a replaceable chip that combines up to tens of electrochemical sensors with low-noise electronics and neuromorphic edge intelligence. Our technology originated at the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (CSIC) and the Institute of Neuroinformatics of Zurich (University and ETH Zurich), and we serve applications such as precision agrifood and water management. We are now moving from technology development to pilot deployments and commercial operations. Team members join a growing company working at the intersection of hardware, AI, and environmental sustainability. Role Description You will build and lead our multidisciplinary engineering team of 5 to 10 people, spanning microelectronics, electronics, firmware, software and materials. Together, you will turn our technology roadmap into products and customer deployments, from the lab-in-microchip to the complete probe in the field. You will report to the CEO and work hand in hand with our Founder & CTO, who leads our technology strategy, IP and strategic technical partnerships. You will own day-to-day technical execution, with full accountability for engineering decisions, project delivery and customer technical support. We are looking for a builder who enjoys turning technology into product, working side by side with our scientific co-founders and treating our core technology as our competitive advantage. What you'll do - Orchestrate every layer of the product: lab-in-microchip, electrochemical sensors, PCBs, firmware, connectivity and data platform. - Plan and deliver projects and milestones, from lab-in-microchip tape-outs to probe prototypes and pilots. - Own technical support for customers and pilot sites, turning their needs into clear technical work. - Drive the industrialization of the probe and of the lab-in-microchip as a recurring consumable: DFM/DFT, calibration, field validation and quality control. - Set up lean quality, testing, documentation and certification processes, such as ISO 9001, CE marking and IP68/IP69K. - Manage technical suppliers, from foundry and cleanroom to probe manufacturing. - Prepare the annual technology roadmap with the CEO and CTO, keep them informed on progress and risks, and recruit the technical team. Your first 12-18 months You will see our next lab-in-microchip through tape-out, get our probes running reliably at pilot sites, and set a clear path to industrialization and CE marking. Qualifications (required) - MSc in electrical engineering, microelectronics, physics, chemistry, materials science or a related field; a PhD is a plus. - 5+ years in companies developing sensors, analytical instruments, microelectronics or similar hardware products, including leading multidisciplinary teams. - A track record of taking hardware with embedded electronics from prototype to field deployment, ideally thousands of units, including certification (e.g., CE, ISO 9001). - Experience with B2B industrial customers: pilots, systems integration and long sales cycles. - Fluent Spanish and business-level English. - A systems mindset, sound judgment and ownership, and the ease to work with engineers, scientists, customers and partners alike. Nice to have - ASIC/SoC development and tape-out experience. - Calibration and validation of electrochemical or chemical sensors. - Industrial protocols and IoT connectivity (MODBUS, OPC-UA, MQTT, LoRa, NB-IoT). - A background in water sensing or analytical instrumentation, including water certifications (NSF, MCERTS, legal metrology). - Start-up experience, publicly funded R&D projects (e.g., ACCIÓ, CDTI, Horizon Europe).