Director of Engineering

Director of Engineering

Location: Tacoma, WA (onsite with flexibility, travel to customers sites and industry events as needed, expect ~5 trips per year)

Department: Engineering (Product Development, Manufacturing, Go-to-Market)

Reports to: Chief Technology Officer

Work authorization requirements: Must be authorized to work within the United States

Compensation: $130-180K + stock options & standard company benefits (details below)

Role Summary

The Director of Engineering will lead our organization through the transition from breakthrough PFAS destruction technology to a commercially deployable industrial platform. This role is accountable for aligning people, priorities, and execution to deliver a manufacturable, certified, regulatory compliant, and field-ready commercial PFAS destruction system based on our hydrothermal alkaline treatment (HALT) process.

This is a senior leadership role - success depends less on individual technical heroics and more on setting clear direction, communicating effectively, and holding teams accountable to realistic timelines and quality standards. This role ensures the organization makes good decisions quickly, focuses on the right problems, and delivers reliable systems that earn customer and regulator trust.

Primary success metric: Commercial PFAS destruction system design finalized and manufacturing-ready by end of 2026.

Why This Role Matters

Aquagga is moving from proven pilots to scaled deployment. The Director of Engineering determines whether that transition happens with clarity and confidence, or with churn and rework. This role helps set the technical vision with other internal leaders, translates business needs into executable plans, and ensures engineering delivers what the company commits to customers, partners, and investors.

Core Responsibilities

• Strategic & Cross-Functional Leadership
• People Leadership & Organization Management
• Product & Delivery Oversight
• Manufacturing, Suppliers & Partners
• Communication, Reporting & External Engagement
• Quality, Compliance & Risk

Qualifications

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical/Controls, Manufacturing, Civil, or related engineering field.
• 10+ years of engineering experience, including 5+ years leading multidisciplinary teams
• Professional Engineer license desirable but not required
• Demonstrated success leading teams through complex product development and commercialization efforts.
• Experience in industrial systems, energy, water/wastewater, chemical processing, or adjacent regulated industries preferred.
• Proven ability to create structure in ambiguity, prioritize effectively, and drive execution through others.

Personal Attributes

• People-first engineering leader with a strong ownership mindset.
• Clear, confident communicator who can align teams and leadership around a shared direction.
• Proven ability to operate strategically while trusting and empowering technical experts.
• Alignment with our values of curiosity, professionalism, and impact.

Company benefits include a competitive paid time off (PTO) policy & paid sick leave; Medical/Dental/Vision Benefits; monthly health & wellness stipend; annual professional development stipend, and 401(k) program with employer match. Aquagga is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.