The Role
The Interim Head of Engineering will lead engineering activities focused on product development and R&D, ensuring effective delivery and process optimization during a critical operational scale-up. Responsibilities include overseeing cross-functional alignment, improving engineering processes, and providing leadership and mentorship within a high-growth environment.
Summary Generated by Built In
Allied Talent Partners (ATP), a Three Cairns Group initiative, is a mission-driven, not-for-profit talent marketplace focused on solving the human capital bottlenecks slowing down sustainable development efforts in emerging economies, with an initial focus on Africa. ATP connects vetted, experienced, context-relevant professionals to high-impact opportunities in energy access and sustainable development – strengthening local capacity and fuelling economic vitality. We specialize in fixed-term, deliverable-driven engagements – from interim leadership and generalist projects to niche technical expertise – handling project scoping, talent vetting and matching, contracting, payroll, and compliance so that our clients can focus on impact.
High-Level Overview
Our client is seeking an Interim Head of Engineering to lead and support its engineering function during a critical phase of operational scale-up and product refinement. The role will oversee ongoing engineering delivery across R&D, product development, and manufacturing support activities, while helping strengthen the systems and processes required for continued growth. The ideal candidate will bring strong experience in battery systems, industrialization, and hands-on engineering leadership within scaling environments.
Role and Responsibilities
Role: Interim Head of Engineering
Candidates Required: 1
Key Deliverables:
Candidates Required: 1
Key Deliverables:
- Lead day-to-day engineering execution across product development, R&D, manufacturing support, and technical operations activities
- Ensure ongoing engineering priorities are delivered effectively, including product refinement, production support, troubleshooting, and technical issue resolution
- Maintain alignment between R&D, engineering, and manufacturing teams to support reliable production output, product quality, and performance targets
- Support manufacturing scale-up through process optimization, production efficiency improvements, yield enhancement, and defect reduction initiatives
- Drive engineering-led improvements across product reliability, testing, validation, and production readiness processes
- Implement practical engineering governance, technical prioritization, and documentation processes to improve execution consistency and cross-functional coordination
- Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and operational support across the engineering function while contributing to longer-term engineering capability development and scale-up planning as required
Requirements
Experience Required:
- Proven experience leading engineering functions within battery, energy storage, or adjacent manufacturing environments
- Track record managing engineering delivery within scaling or high-growth operational environments
- Experience overseeing both product development and manufacturing support activities
- Exposure to applied R&D environments with the ability to bridge development and production teams effectively
- Experience improving engineering processes, production readiness, and operational execution within evolving businesses
Technical Requirements:
- Strong understanding of battery systems including pack design, BMS, thermal management, and production integration
- Ability to support the industrialization of products and improve manufacturability, quality, and production efficiency
- Experience with engineering governance, technical prioritization, and structured execution management
- Familiarity with testing protocols, product validation, and quality management principles within battery or manufacturing environments
- Strong commercial and operational judgment in balancing performance, scalability, and delivery priorities
Other Skills:
- Hands-on and pragmatic leadership approach with strong execution focus
- Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, evolving environments with shifting priorities
- Clear and structured communicator across technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Collaborative leadership style with the ability to align cross-functional teams around operational priorities
- Calm and solution-oriented under operational and scale-up pressure
Working Arrangement
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Travel: Limited
Terms of agreement:
Start Date: Immediate
Contracting Period: Interim contract engagement – duration TBC
Location: Kampala, Uganda
Travel: Limited
Terms of agreement:
Start Date: Immediate
Contracting Period: Interim contract engagement – duration TBC
About
Allied Talent Partners (ATP), a Three Cairns Group initiative, is a mission-driven, not-for-profit talent marketplace focused on solving the human capital bottlenecks slowing down sustainable development efforts in emerging economies, with an initial focus on Africa. ATP connects vetted, experienced, context-relevant professionals to high-impact opportunities in energy access and sustainable development – strengthening local capacity and fuelling economic vitality. We specialize in fixed-term, deliverable-driven engagements – from interim leadership and generalist projects to niche technical expertise – handling project scoping, talent vetting and matching, contracting, payroll, and compliance so that our clients can focus on impact.
Skills Required
- Proven experience leading engineering functions within battery, energy storage, or adjacent manufacturing environments
- Track record managing engineering delivery within scaling or high-growth operational environments
- Experience overseeing both product development and manufacturing support activities
- Exposure to applied R&D environments with the ability to bridge development and production teams effectively
- Experience improving engineering processes, production readiness, and operational execution within evolving businesses
- Strong understanding of battery systems including pack design, BMS, thermal management, and production integration
- Ability to support the industrialization of products and improve manufacturability, quality, and production efficiency
- Experience with engineering governance, technical prioritization, and structured execution management
- Familiarity with testing protocols, product validation, and quality management principles within battery or manufacturing environments
- Strong commercial and operational judgment in balancing performance, scalability, and delivery priorities
- Hands-on and pragmatic leadership approach with strong execution focus
- Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, evolving environments with shifting priorities
- Clear and structured communicator across technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Collaborative leadership style with the ability to align cross-functional teams around operational priorities
- Calm and solution-oriented under operational and scale-up pressure
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The Company
What We Do
Allied Talent Partners (ATP) is a mission-driven, not-for-profit talent marketplace focused on solving human capital bottlenecks for sustainable development efforts in emerging economies, particularly in Africa. It connects experienced professionals with high-impact, fixed-term opportunities in energy access and sustainable development.
