Head of Research and Development

MetAntz; Ernakulam; On-site; INR 3,000,000 - 5,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Metantz in Kochi, Kerala, leads deep-tech underwater robotics development and partners with global customers. The Head of R&D will own technology strategy, drive end-to-end product delivery, and build a resilient, scalable R&D organization to meet ambitious field deployments.

The role requires 15+ years in engineering/R&D with multi-disciplinary leadership, a strong background in robotics or related fields, and a track record of delivering manufacturable products from concept to field

Qualifications

• 15+ years in engineering and R&D, including 5+ years leading multi-disciplinary product teams.
• Experience taking integrated hardware and software products from concept through validation and industrialization to field deployment.
• Background in robotics, autonomous systems, marine, defence or aerospace, embedded or industrial electronics preferred.
• Experience with mission-critical, high-reliability, government or defence requirements is a plus.
• Strong systems thinking and the ability to deliver on commitments.

Responsibilities

• Set 2–3 year technology and product roadmap, separating experimental work from deliverables.
• Lead programs from requirements and architecture through prototype, field trials, design freeze and production handover.
• Strengthen systems engineering across mechanical, electronics, embedded, software, controls, sensors and communications.
• Build rigorous testing lab, environmental endurance and field trials; address field failures with lasting fixes.
• Ensure clean handovers to production with complete drawings, BOMs, firmware versions and test procedures.
• Collaborate with Sales on feasibility and estimates before commitments, controlling scope creep from custom requests.
• Build R&D leadership team and a technical career path alongside management track.
• Own the R&D budget, labs, vendors and partners; protect IP and manage tech risk.

Skills

Leadership

Systems engineering

Robotics

Multi-disciplinary teams

Product development

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in electronics/electrical/mechanical/mechatronics/robotics/computer science

Job description

Head of R&D

Metantz connects the top 1% talents to global opportunities. This is an exciting opportunity with our award winning customer, a deeptech ROV company, setting category benchmarks.

About The Company

We're a Kochi-based deep-tech company building underwater robots for places people can't safely reach: dams, ports, ships and offshore infrastructure. Defence, government, infrastructure and energy customers in India and abroad already use our systems in the field. We are moving from a strong engineering team to a company that ships scalable products, and we need a leader to build the R&D engine that gets us there.

The role

You will own technology and product development end to end and report to the CEO, CTO. This isn't a pure research role or a chief-engineer role. You will turn customer and mission needs into reliable, manufacturable products, make R&D delivery predictable, and build a team that doesn't depend on any one person, including you.

What You Will Do

• Set the 2–3 year technology and product roadmap, and keep experimental work separate from committed deliverables.
• Lead programs from requirements and architecture through prototype, field trials, design freeze and production handover.
• Strengthen systems engineering across mechanical, electronics, embedded, software, controls, sensors and communications.
• Build rigorous testing lab, environmental, endurance and field trials. Turn every field failure into a lasting fix.
• Make every handover to production clean, with complete drawings, BOMs, firmware versions and test procedures.
• Work with Sales on feasibility and estimates before commitments are made, and control scope creep from custom requests.
• Build the R&D leadership team, succession depth and a technical career path alongside the management track.
• Own the R&D budget, labs, vendors and partners. Protect IP and manage technology risk such as obsolescence and single-source parts.
• Act as a senior member of the leadership team, not the head of a silo.

You might be a fit if you have

• 15+ years in engineering and R&D, including 5+ years leading multi-disciplinary product teams.
• Taken integrated hardware and software products from concept through validation and industrialization to field deployment.
• Background in robotics, autonomous systems, marine, defence or aerospace, embedded or industrial electronics (strongly preferred).
• Experience with mission-critical, high-reliability, government or defence requirements (a plus).
• A Bachelor's or Master's in electronics, electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, robotics, computer science or a related field.
• Strong systems thinking, sound technical judgment and the discipline to deliver on commitments.

What Success Looks Like In 180 Days

• An assessment of the R&D organization, active programs, technical debt and key-person risks is complete.
• One consolidated portfolio view exists, with clear priorities, owners and milestones.
• A roadmap and capacity plan are agreed, and Sales and Operations plan against realistic R&D commitments.
• The top recurring field and production issues are being closed through root-cause fixes.
• A weekly and monthly governance cadence surfaces risks early.

What This Role Is Not

It isn't research detached from delivery, a hero-engineer role where every decision runs through you, project coordination without authority, or constant firefighting at the expense of product maturity.

Why join

You will build frontier robotics that work in some of the harshest environments on earth, work directly with the founders, and shape an R&D organization at a pivotal stage of growth.

Location

Kochi, Kerala. Full-time, with travel for trials, customers and partners.