KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions Ltd
Head of Research And Development
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Head of R&D Sensing Science
Location: Dagenham, East London (2–3 days onsite)
Salary: £80,000 – £90,000 + benefits
An innovative technology company developing next-generation odour intelligence and sensing systems is looking for a Head of R&D of Sensing Science to lead and shape its sensing and scientific R&D capability.
This is a rare opportunity to join a rapidly growing, venture-backed business that combines advanced sensor technology, AI/ML, data science and chemical sensing to build products capable of detecting and interpreting biological and environmental signals in ways not previously possible.
The company has recently completed an oversubscribed seed funding round and already has commercial products in the market, alongside an expanding pipeline across pest control, agriculture, animal health and future public health applications.
What the business does
The company develops intelligent sensing platforms that analyse volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and odours using combinations of:
- Gas and chemical sensors
- Sensor fusion
- Embedded systems and IoT hardware
- Machine learning and AI classification
- Data science and large-scale data platforms
Their technology is already being used commercially and the business is now scaling both its R&D capability and product development pipeline.
Projects range from smart pest monitoring systems through to animal health diagnostics and emerging human health applications.
The Role
This role will sit at the centre of the company’s scientific and sensing strategy.
You will lead the sensing science and R&D direction of the business, bringing greater scientific rigour, technical leadership and coordination across sensing, experimentation, hardware integration and data science.
You’ll work closely with engineering, firmware, software and data science teams to guide how sensors are selected, tested, integrated and optimised within real-world products.
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This is a highly technical leadership role rather than a pure management position.
The company is specifically looking for someone with deep sensor expertise who can bridge the gap between:
- Sensor technologies
- Experimental design
- Product development
- Data interpretation
- Machine learning outputs
- Hardware integration
You’ll help shape how sensing technologies are deployed across a broad range of applications and products.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Leading the company’s sensing science and R&D function
- Managing and mentoring multidisciplinary scientific teams
- Defining experimental design and testing methodologies
- Guiding sensor selection for new product applications
- Evaluating sensor performance, limitations and deployment suitability
- Working closely with hardware and engineering teams on sensor integration
- Collaborating with data scientists to interpret sensor outputs and improve ML models
- Helping turn early-stage concepts into scalable commercial products
- Supporting the development of the company’s growing sensing and AI platform
- Influencing future hiring and technical direction within the business
The role will also involve working with external partners and customers on “discovery” projects, where the company develops bespoke sensing solutions for new commercial applications.
Examples of projects include:
- Pest detection and monitoring
- Agricultural sensing
- Companion animal diagnostics
- Environmental monitoring
- Public health and disease detection
- Odour and VOC analysis
What They’re Looking For
The ideal candidate will combine strong scientific credibility with practical product development experience.
You do not need to be an expert in every area, but you must have deep expertise in sensing technologies and understand how sensor data is used in real-world systems.
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Likely background areas:
- Sensor technologies
- Gas sensing
- Chemical sensing
- VOC sensing
- Embedded sensing systems
- Sensor fusion
- Analytical chemistry
- Chemical ecology
- Machine learning for sensor systems
- Scientific R&D leadership
Experience they are particularly interested in:
- Managing scientific or technical R&D teams
- Working with multidisciplinary engineering teams
- Productising sensing technologies
- Translating research into commercial products
- Working with data science / ML teams
- Designing experiments and interpreting scientific data
Sensor technologies of interest include:
- Metal oxide gas sensors
- MEMS sensors
- Electrochemical sensors
- PID sensors
- FBAR sensors
The company understands this is an extremely niche hire, so they are open to candidates from academia, research organisations or commercial environments - provided you can combine scientific depth with practical, hands-on product thinking.
Curiosity, adaptability and the ability to learn quickly are considered just as important as ticking every technical box.
Working Arrangement
- Based in Dagenham, Essex
- 2-3 days per week onsite
- Some travel to Scotland to work with the data science team
- Hybrid flexibility available
Why Join?
- Opportunity to shape a genuinely unique sensing technology platform
- Work on cutting-edge AI and sensor-driven products
- Join a business already generating commercial revenue
- Significant influence over technical direction and future growth
- Diverse applications across multiple industries
- Fast-growing, well-funded technology environment
- Chance to work on technology with major long-term public health potential
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