Systems Team Lead

London / Hybrid - 3 days in office

IONATE is a deep technology scale-up building the technology backbone for the next generation of smart grids. We are seeking a Systems Team Lead to lead all systems engineering activities across the product lifecycle, including systems requirements, architecture and design, validation and verification, power systems, transformer integration, control systems, product certification, and product delivery.

Reporting to the CTO, you will lead the Systems Team in the design, integration, testing, and delivery of complex multidisciplinary systems. You will play a pivotal role in transforming innovative concepts into robust, customer-ready products, working closely with engineering teams across hardware, software, power electronics, and controls.

Success in this role requires a strong systems engineering and leadership background, experience leading the development of complex products and the ability to apply sound engineering judgement to solve challenging technical problems. You will collaborate with an international, multidisciplinary team to deliver IONATE's HIT technology and accelerate the transformation of the world's electricity networks.

Systems Engineering Leadership

• Lead the Systems Engineering team, providing technical direction, mentoring, and support across all stages of product development.
• Own the Systems Engineering lifecycle, applying a structured V-Model approach from concept, requirements capture and system architecture through to integration, verification, validation, and product release.
• Plan and coordinate systems engineering activities across multiple projects, ensuring technical quality, delivery, and alignment with product and business objectives.
• Build and develop the Systems Engineering team as the company grows, promoting collaboration, knowledge sharing, and engineering best practice.
• Develop and continuously improve systems engineering processes, tools, and standards.

Requirements Management & System Design

• Work closely with Product Team and lead the definition, management, allocation, and traceability of system requirements throughout the product lifecycle.
• Ensure clear links between customer, system, subsystem, and verification requirements using robust requirements management practices.
• Lead the development and integration of new system functionality, taking products from concept through to commercial deployment.
• Define system architecture, control frameworks, and hard-software interfaces, setting the technical baseline against top-level requirements.
• Work closely with transformer, power electronics, electrical, embedded, control, software and regulatory engineers to deliver fully integrated products.
• Perform system trade-off studies to balance performance, reliability, manufacturability, cost, and customer requirements.
• Lead System Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) activities to identify technical risks and drive robust design decisions.

Verification, Validation & Technical Problem Solving

• Define and lead system verification and validation strategies in line with the Systems Engineering V-Model, including laboratory testing, integration testing, and field deployment.
• Ensure all system requirements are fully verified and validated, with complete traceability from requirements through to test evidence.
• Investigate and resolve complex system technical issues using structured root cause analysis and sound engineering judgement.
• Ensure products comply with relevant safety, quality, and regulatory standards, including UKCA, CE, UL, IEC, and IEEE where applicable.

Delivery, Risk & Continuous Improvement

• Manage system-level technical risks throughout the product lifecycle, developing effective mitigation plans.
• Drive continuous improvements in product performance, reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, and cost.
• Support project delivery by ensuring systems engineering activities are completed to the required quality, cost, and schedule.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with suppliers and manufacturing partners to ensure technical requirements are understood and delivered to the required standards.
• Collaborate with customers and internal stakeholders to translate business and operational needs into robust engineering solutions.
• Represent Systems Engineering during design reviews, technical discussions, and customer meetings, providing technical leadership across the business.

Requirements

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, Control Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.

• Significant experience leading systems engineering activities for complex electro-mechanical or power electronic products, like defence, aviation, or grid-connected systems
• Full product lifecycle experience, from concept and requirements capture through design, integration, verification, validation, industrialisation, and product launch.
• Strong understanding of Systems Engineering principles and the Systems Engineering V-Model.
• Experience in systems architecture, requirements capture, allocation, management, and end-to-end requirements traceability.
• Experience applying Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) and other structured engineering risk management techniques.
• Strong knowledge of system integration, verification, validation, and structured problem solving.
• Experience planning and executing laboratory testing, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and field trials.
• Ability to interpret and review electrical schematics, control logic, mechanical drawings, and system interface documentation.
• Experience with system modelling, performance analysis, and defining system-level requirements and interfaces.
• Knowledge of relevant industry standards and certification processes, including IEC, IEEE, CE, UKCA, and UL.
• Familiarity with systems engineering and project management tools such as IBM DOORS (or equivalent requirements management tools), Confluence, Jira, and Miro is advantageous.
• Strong project planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver to agreed quality, cost, and schedule.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence technical decisions across multidisciplinary teams.
• A collaborative, hands-on approach with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, growing technology company where priorities evolve and engineers take ownership across multiple disciplines.
• Willingness to travel nationally and internationally as required (up to 10% annually).

It would be useful to have:

• Experience with transformers, power systems, grid-connected equipment, or advanced control systems.
• Experience with systems modelling, simulation, and analysis tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, PLECS, PSCAD, ETAP, or similar.
• Experience with requirements management tools such as IBM DOORS, Jama, or Polarion.
• Experience implementing Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) methodologies and tools (e.g. SysML).
• Knowledge of grid codes, power system studies, or utility integration requirements.
• Experience working within regulated industries or safety-critical product development environments.
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status or working towards professional registration is advantageous.

Benefits

• Employee Option Plan: You get equity in IONATE, so as we succeed so do you.
• Private Medical & Dental Insurance: From day one, we provide you with full, comprehensive private medical and dental cover through Bupa. You also have the option to add any dependents to your cover. Please ask us for more details.
• Company pension: a flexible, and sustainable pension product to help you plan for your future.
• Career Development: It’s important to us that you have the opportunity for ongoing professional development and career growth. You will receive an annual budget for professional development and work with your team to set and reach goals every year.
• Flexible working schedules: You will be based in our modern West London offices 3 days per week and will have the flexibility for hybrid work-from-home arrangements. Talk to us at the application process about this.
• Cycle to Work Scheme: Low carbon travel is important for everyone, so we have in place a cycle scheme to help you purchase a bicycle.
• Slow travel: We believe in a low carbon future, so if you wish to travel by a lower carbon method - but it takes much longer than flying - we will give you an extra 2 slow travel days per year.