Founder in Residence, Civil/Mechanical/Structural Engineer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United Kingdom, +5 more states.

📋 Description

• Become a part of DSV’s venture creation programme as a Founder-in-Residence, collaborating to establish a new company alongside DSV and a prominent transatlantic utilities partner.

• Enhance and refine the technical framework for the fragmentation or modularization of transmission tower and foundation construction.

• Create strategies that facilitate off-site manufacturing, prompt deployment, and decreased reliance on heavy machinery.

• Evaluate commercial neglect, including intellectual property strategies, differentiation, and competitive landscape.

• Articulate the market value proposition, methods for value capture, and techno-economics.

• Formulate regulatory strategies and positioning.

• Prepare strategies for fundraising and corresponding pitches.

• Streamline company strategy to ensure the quickest and least risky route to Series A funding.

• Get ready for Investment Committee by meeting investment requirements and assembling advisory and co-founding team members.

• Conduct fundraising simultaneously for extra expansion resources.

• If successful with the Investment Committee, secure pre-seed funding and spin out the company in Q4 2027.

• Continue to receive support from DSV and its partners after the spinout.

⛳️ Requirements

• A foundation in civil, mechanical, or structural engineering; architecture with robust structural skills will also be considered.

• Proven hands-on experience in at least one of the following areas: modular structural systems; advanced connection technologies; lightweight or composite structural materials; foundation engineering and geotechnics; or automated and robotic construction.

• Relevant adjacent fields such as bridge/tower fabrication or precision manufacturing may be considered if clearly applicable.

• Strong preference for full project lifecycle experience in grid, energy, or large-scale infrastructure construction.

• Preferred hands-on experience navigating regulations in the UK, EU, or USA.

• Ideally, have personally shipped a prototype or conducted a field trial, or provided a type-test or standards-compliant data package.

• Experience in business development or partnerships within energy infrastructure or construction is advantageous.

• Previous founder or C-suite experience in deep-tech, construction-tech, or energy infrastructure is advantageous.

• A drive to tackle unresolved challenges in energy infrastructure and grid modernization.

• An impact-driven, proactive approach rooted in first principles.

• A demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit through meaningful innovation.

• Capability to operate in ambiguous, unstructured, fast-paced, demanding, and high-pressure settings.

• Effective collaboration in cross-functional teams.

🏝️ Benefits

• An initial investment of £250k (~$340k / €290k) to establish the new venture and develop initial proof-of-concept data.

• You and your co-founder(s) will collectively possess the majority equity stake in the company.

• Each Founder will receive a minimum guaranteed income of £4,166 per month (fixed), paid as a consultancy fee until the company is launched and pre-seed investment is secured.

• Ongoing support following the spin-out, including assistance with fundraising, commercial partnerships, recruitment, and team-building.

• Access to optimized, purpose-built, proprietary tools, resources, and processes.

• A broad network including leaders from the energy infrastructure sector, transmission operators, EPC contractors, and technical and commercial domain experts, as well as capabilities from portfolio companies.

• Collaboration with other Founders currently at DSV who support one another.

• Customized guidance, resources, and feedback related to technology and commercial venture creation.

• A significant ownership stake in the business along with continued support after the spinout.