R&D Lead, Heat Pumps — Innovation & Hardware

Octopus Energy; Portadown; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Octopus Centre for Heating Technology in Portadown is seeking an R&D Manager to lead the hardware development of next-generation air source heat pumps. This senior, hands-on role owns the full development lifecycle from design through testing, compliance and productionisation.

You will set the technical direction, manage engineers and technicians, and collaborate with product, commercial and manufacturing teams to bring new heat pump products to market.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading an engineering team.
• Experience in heat pump or HVAC hardware development.
• Strong thermodynamics and systems thinking.
• Track record of moving hardware products from concept to market.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of engineers and technicians across the full development lifecycle of heat pump hardware.
• Define and maintain the technical roadmap for R&D.
• Coordinate with platform, firmware and design teams for hardware integration.
• Oversee design, testing, and validation of heat pump components and systems.
• Lead component selection and supplier evaluation for performance and cost.
• Manage lab and field testing programmes and synthesize real-world data.
• Drive compliance testing to standards (MCS, CE/UKCA, EN 14511, F-Gas, ErP).
• Specify and maintain test rigs and lab facilities to support validation.
• Monitor market trends to inform product direction and opportunities.
• Identify and manage technical risks to keep projects on schedule.

Skills

Team leadership

Heat pump hardware

Thermodynamics

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Engineering degree (Mechanical/Electrical)

Tools

Lab testing

Job description

Octopus Centre for Heating Technology in Portadown is seeking an R&D Manager to lead the hardware development of next-generation air source heat pumps. This senior, hands-on role owns the full development lifecycle from design through testing, compliance and productionisation.

You will set the technical direction, manage engineers and technicians, and collaborate with product, commercial and manufacturing teams to bring new heat pump products to market.