Interim Head Of Engineering

Interim Head Of Engineering

Allied Talent Partners (ATP), a Three Cairns Group initiative, is a mission-driven, not-for-profit talent marketplace focused on solving the human capital bottlenecks slowing down sustainable development efforts in emerging economies, with an initial focus on Africa. ATP connects vetted, experienced, context-relevant professionals to high-impact opportunities in energy access and sustainable development – strengthening local capacity and fuelling economic vitality. We specialize in fixed-term, deliverable-driven engagements – from interim leadership and generalist projects to niche technical expertise – handling project scoping, talent vetting and matching, contracting, payroll, and compliance so that our clients can focus on impact.

Role And Responsibilities

Interim Head Of Engineering

• Lead day-to-day engineering execution across product development, R&D, manufacturing support, and technical operations activities
• Ensure ongoing engineering priorities are delivered effectively, including product refinement, production support, troubleshooting, and technical issue resolution
• Maintain alignment between R&D, engineering, and manufacturing teams to support reliable production output, product quality, and performance targets
• Support manufacturing scale-up through process optimization, production efficiency improvements, yield enhancement, and defect reduction initiatives
• Drive engineering-led improvements across product reliability, testing, validation, and production readiness processes
• Implement practical engineering governance, technical prioritization, and documentation processes to improve execution consistency and cross-functional coordination
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and operational support across the engineering function while contributing to longer-term engineering capability development and scale-up planning as required

Requirements

• Proven experience leading engineering functions within battery, energy storage, or adjacent manufacturing environments
• Track record managing engineering delivery within scaling or high-growth operational environments
• Experience overseeing both product development and manufacturing support activities
• Exposure to applied R&D environments with the ability to bridge development and production teams effectively
• Experience improving engineering processes, production readiness, and operational execution within evolving businesses

• Strong understanding of battery systems including pack design, BMS, thermal management, and production integration
• Ability to support the industrialization of products and improve manufacturability, quality, and production efficiency
• Experience with engineering governance, technical prioritization, and structured execution management
• Familiarity with testing protocols, product validation, and quality management principles within battery or manufacturing environments
• Strong commercial and operational judgment in balancing performance, scalability, and delivery priorities

• Hands-on and pragmatic leadership approach with strong execution focus
• Ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, evolving environments with shifting priorities
• Clear and structured communicator across technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to align cross-functional teams around operational priorities
• Calm and solution-oriented under operational and scale-up pressure

Kampala, Uganda

Limited

Immediate

Interim contract engagement – duration TBC

About Allied Talent Partners

Allied Talent Partners (ATP), a Three Cairns Group initiative, is a mission-driven, not-for-profit talent marketplace focused on solving the human capital bottlenecks slowing down sustainable development efforts in emerging economies, with an initial focus on Africa. ATP connects vetted, experienced, context-relevant professionals to high-impact opportunities in energy access and sustainable development – strengthening local capacity and fuelling economic vitality. We specialize in fixed-term, deliverable-driven engagements – from interim leadership and generalist projects to niche technical expertise – handling project scoping, talent vetting and matching, contracting, payroll, and compliance so that our clients can focus on impact.

Our Hiring Process

Stage 1: Applied

Stage 2: Review

Stage 3: Competency Interview

Stage 4: Recommended to Client

Stage 5: Client-Consultant Discussion

Stage 6: Reference Check

Stage 7: Hired

Find out more

Don't worry if you don't see any project opportunities you want to apply for now. Register your interest to allow us to contact you when a suitable project opportunity meeting your criteria comes along.

Join the Talent Network