Head of Propulsion Battery System (all genders)

Your Mission: Join VÆRIDION on our journey to develop the world’s first electric nine-seater aircraft. As Head of Propulsion Battery System (PBS), you will lead VÆRIDION’s PBS department and hold overall technical accountability for the Microliner’s propulsion battery system. The propulsion battery system encompasses the battery cells and packs, the battery management system, high-voltage power distribution and protection, thermal management, charging, and all interfaces to the aircraft, the electric propulsion system and the ground infrastructure. Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, you will lead a multidisciplinary organisation of around 20 engineers, and growing, spanning electrical systems architecture, airborne electronics, airborne software, cell technology, high-voltage electrical systems, mechanical design and integration, and thermal management. You will set the technical direction, build the organisation and its development processes, and take the propulsion battery system from concept through development, qualification and certification to production readiness. You will also own the intellectual property strategy for the propulsion battery system, represent VÆRIDION on technical matters towards authorities, industrial partners and funding bodies, and contribute your expertise to other key technologies of the Microliner.   Your Day-to-Day: • Hold overall technical accountability for the propulsion battery system across its full lifecycle, from concept and architecture through development, validation & verification, qualification and certification to entry into service. • Define and maintain the propulsion battery system architecture together with the Electrical Systems Architect, ensuring that requirements are correctly allocated, interfaces are controlled, and trade-offs between safety, mass, energy, power, cost and certifiability are made deliberately and documented. • Lead, develop and scale the Energy Storage System department, comprising the Airborne Electronics, Airborne Software, Cell Technology, HV Electrical Systems, Mechanical Design & Integration and Thermal Management teams. • Recruit, coach and develop team leads and engineers, define clear roles and responsibilities, and align resourcing and hiring plans with the needs of the Microliner programme. • Take ownership of key technical decisions, chair design and gate reviews, and escalate programme-level technical risks to the CTO with clear options and recommendations. • Own the safety-driven design of the propulsion battery system, including thermal-runaway containment, high-voltage safety and fault tolerance, and work closely with Safety and Systems Engineering on FHA, PSSA, SSA and common-cause analyses. • Establish and maintain development processes in line with ARP4754A/B, ARP4761/ARP4761A, DO-254, DO-178C, DO-160G and DO-311A, ensuring traceability, configuration control and verification evidence appropriate to the allocated Design Assurance Levels. • Shape the certification approach for the propulsion battery system in cooperation with Certification and Airworthiness and represent the ESS team in technical discussions with EASA, including Stage of Involvement (SOI) and compliance reviews. • Own the integration of the propulsion battery system with the aircraft, the electric propulsion system and the charging and ground infrastructure, including the definition and control of all associated interface requirements. • Develop and execute the intellectual property strategy for the propulsion battery system: identify patentable innovations, lead invention disclosures and work with patent counsel on filings, freedom-to-operate assessments and prior-art reviews. • Own the PBS department budget, including planning, forecasting and cost control