Head of Engineering

Join us at Gradient, where our purpose is to revolutionize home comfort while championing environmental sustainability. Our mission is to combat the escalating challenge of climate change by redefining how homes are heated and cooled. Today, the environmental impact of heating and cooling systems surpasses that of the entire transportation sector, and without intervention, this trend is set to accelerate. At Gradient, we believe that ensuring comfortable living spaces shouldn’t come at the cost of our planet. We envision a future where every individual can enjoy the luxury of a comfortable home without contributing to carbon emissions. Our high‑efficiency, low‑carbon heat pump is just the beginning of our journey toward fully decarbonizing buildings. By joining Gradient, you’ll be at the forefront of a movement to make sustainable living accessible to all, ensuring healthier communities and a brighter, greener future.

The Head of Engineering (Hardware) will be a critical leader in driving Gradient’s growth and success. This role will oversee and direct the Electrical, Mechanical, and Thermal Engineering teams, ensuring the delivery, support, and evolution of high‑quality, reliable, and innovative heat pump systems. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in systems engineering and a proven track record of successfully managing engineering teams through product lifecycle (PLC) development process and sustaining engineering processes (e.g. cost down, field issue response and management). This leader will collaborate closely with the SVP of Software and Firmware Engineering, as well as other cross‑functional teams, to achieve the company’s strategic objectives.

Remote work :

Remote work available across the U.S. for exceptional talent.

Salary :

$225,000 to $275,000 USD per year + equity.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership :

develop and execute the strategic vision for the hardware engineering teams, align with business objectives.

Team Management :

provide mentorship, recruit diverse talent, set performance metrics, drive continuous improvement.

Systems Engineering :

apply deep principles to integrate electrical, mechanical, thermal components into heat pump solutions, oversee design, development, testing.

Product Lifecycle Management :

manage hardware product lifecycle from concept to production, ensure quality standards, regulatory compliance, optimize speed to market.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration :

partner with SVP of Software & Firmware Engineering, product, sales, marketing, manufacturing; drive design for manufacturing & design for assembly best practices.

Budget & Resource Management :

develop and manage hardware engineering budget, optimize engineering processes and workflows.

Desired Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical or related field; Master’s preferred.

15+ years hardware engineering experience, focus on systems engineering.

Proven leadership of engineering teams.

Strong background in thermal management, HVAC or related fields.

Experience building and scaling high‑volume manufacturing products.

Excellent communication, interpersonal and leadership skills.

Strategic problem‑solving and analytical abilities.

Experience with product lifecycle management and quality assurance processes.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in HVAC industry or related fields.

Experience with heat pump technology.

Experience with regulatory compliance and product certification.

Experience with startup environment.

Health insurance and benefits satisfied (equity, 401k, paid parental leave, professional development stipend, flexible PTO).

Diversity Commitment

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive company. We seek to create a culture where everyone can belong because people do their best work when they can show up every day as their authentic selves. We welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Gradient is an equal opportunity employer. We do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law.

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