Head of R&D - Sensing Science

Head of R&D - Sensing Science

Location: Dagenham, Essex (2-3 days onsite)
Salary: £80,000-£90,000 + benefits
Type: Permanent

An innovative, venture-backed technology company developing next-generation intelligence and sensing systems is seeking a Head of R&D to lead its sensing strategy and scientific function.

Having recently secured oversubscribed seed funding and with commercial products already in market, the business is scaling rapidly across applications including pest control, agriculture, animal health, environmental monitoring and future public health solutions.

The Opportunity

This is a senior technical leadership role for an expert in sensing technologies who can bridge the gap between scientific research, product development and data-driven decision making.

You'll work closely with engineering, firmware, software and data science teams to define how sensors are selected, tested, integrated and optimised within commercial products.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the company's sensing science and R&D strategy
Manage and mentor multidisciplinary scientific teams
Define experimental design and testing methodologies
Guide sensor selection and performance evaluation
Collaborate with engineering teams on sensor integration
Work with data scientists to improve sensor interpretation and ML models
Support the development of new sensing products and applications
Influence future technical direction and team growthAbout You

We're looking for a scientifically credible leader with deep expertise in sensing technologies and experience translating research into real-world products.

Relevant backgrounds may include:

Gas, chemical or VOC sensing
Sensor fusion and embedded sensing systems
Analytical chemistry or chemical ecology
Machine learning for sensor systems
Scientific R&D leadershipExperience working with multidisciplinary engineering teams and commercialising sensing technologies is highly desirable.

The company is open to candidates from industry, research organisations or academia who combine scientific depth with practical product thinking.

Why Join?

Shape a unique sensing and AI technology platform
Work on cutting-edge sensor and machine learning applications
Join a well-funded business with commercial traction
Influence company strategy and future product development
Contribute to technologies with significant long-term impact across multiple industries
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed