Design Engineer - Cambridge, United Kingdom - VundaHaus

Description

VundaHaus is a tech start-up, dedicated to tackling the Climate Emergency and delivering a sustainable and equitable built environment by revolutionising the retrofit industry. Since our inception in the Carbon13 venture builder, our ambition has been bold: to achieve annual emissions reductions of 10Mt CO2e per year. Globally, 10% of emissions come from heating buildings and UK homes are among the coldest and leakiest in Europe. By retrofitting our homes – reducing heating demand and moving to electrified, low-carbon heating systems – we can slash carbon emissions, address fuel poverty, and improve occupant health and wellbeing. We also believe in the power of retrofit to revitalize deprived areas – helping create vibrant, thriving neighbourhoods and a more equitable society. Sound good?

The problem is the construction industry is still struggling to deliver retrofit at scale. There is an acute shortage of skilled installers and no scalable, cost-effective solutions to insulate the 30% of UK properties with solid walls.

Our innovative solution is a rapid-fit external wall insulation (EWI) system, specifically designed for these hard-to-insulate homes, providing a path to rapid, effective, and affordable decarbonization. We're using the latest 3D LiDAR and off-site manufacturing technologies to enable mass customisation of our kit-of-parts solution for every home, accelerating the retrofit process to complete works in days not weeks.

We've raised over £0.5m in equity and grant funding and have been recognised as one of Sifted's top 10 built environment start-up's to watch. We're also supported by Carbon13, Innovate UK and Imperial College's Greenhouse Accelerator, and were recently selected to be part of the London Better Futures Retrofit Accelerator. Now we are looking for a driven and talented Design Engineer to help bring our product from proof-of-concept to commercial success.

If you're not just looking for a job but seeking a purpose. If your passion lies in making a tangible difference in the world, focusing on sustainability, and driving social justice within the built environment, then you're in the right place. At VundaHaus, your skills and creativity won't just be valued — they'll be essential tools in forging new paths, solving complex problems, and delivering real, positive change. Join us, and be part of a team that's redefining what it means to build a better future.

We are seeking a talented, highly adaptable and motivated teammate and leader who is experienced in design and engineering, thinks outside the box, and is keen to drive change in a legacy industry. As a key member of our team, you'll play a pivotal role in designing and developing our innovative residential insulation system. You will work closely with our Product Team, including our Chief Product Officer, a Materials Engineer, an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer, and Architects highly experienced in building retrofit.

• Product design and development of our residential retrofit insulation system.
• Create and maintain product and project documentation, ensuring all designs, specifications, calculations, and reports are accurate and well-organized.
• Conduct and synthesise research into existing materials and products, industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Create and develop design concepts, making use of hand sketches, 3D models, physical prototypes, and technical drawings, employing rapid prototyping and testing to refine and perfect our products.
• Carry out rapid, iterative prototyping and testing of components and assemblies at our Cambridge facilities.
• Work hand-in-hand with manufacturing partners to streamline production processes, focusing on efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in construction materials, Modern Methods of Construction, Building Regulations and retrofit best practice (including PAS2035/30).
• Participate in client and stakeholder meetings, presenting designs and technical solutions confidently and clearly.
• Assist in preparing for and delivering pilot projects on real homes, including site visits to carry out building inspections and surveys and monitor site works.
  

• Bachelor's degree or at least 2 years professional experience in Product Design, Off-Site Manufacturing, Design Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Structural Engineering, or a related field.
• Demonstrable experience in product design and development, especially with a focus on design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA). Hands-on experience in Structural and/or Mechanical Engineering will set you apart, as will prior experience of agile product development and rapid physical prototyping.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD software (e.g. SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, Onshape). Experience with structural analysis tools and BIM software (e.g. Autodesk Revit) will set you apart.
• Excellent IT literacy and and proficiency with spreadsheet software (Excel and Google Sheets). Ability to quickly learn to use unfamiliar software and workflows (e.g. productivity, database, CAD, BIM).
• Willingness to adapt your role to support the evolving needs of the business and take on additional tasks and responsibilities as become necessary (e.g. project management, marketing, on-site work).
• Exceptional problem-solving abilities and creativity in addressing design challenges, turning obstacles into opportunities for innovation and lean design solutions.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills and the ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams - including colleagues, external consultants, and customer-stakeholders - ensuring ideas and solutions are shared and refined collaboratively.
• Highly self-motivated, adaptable and able to manage varied and rapidly evolving project priorities and workload.
• A passion for sustainability and a strong desire to contribute positively to health and well-being and addressing the Climate Emergency.
• Fluent English speaker, including familiarity with design, manufacturing, and construction technical language.
• Experience designing with sheet metal and glass fibre composites. (Desirable)
• Experience of 3D surveying techniques and off-site manufacture. (Desirable)
• Experience of scripting for parametric design and design to manufacture (DtM). (Desirable)
  

• Opportunity to work within a dynamic and passionate team, at the forefront of preparing homes for a healthy and equitable zero carbon future.
• Competitive benefits package
• Generous share options program
• Flexible hybrid working including remote working, co-working at our central Cambridge office, and time at our prototyping facilities in Cambridge.
• Professional development opportunities to expand your skills and knowledge.
  

VundaHaus is committed to promoting equal opportunities and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We actively seek to attract and retain a diverse workforce as we believe that diversity drives innovation, enhances collaboration, and enables us to better understand and meet the needs of our employees, clients, and stakeholders. Therefore, we actively encourage applications from individuals with characteristics that are underrepresented in the construction industry.

If you think you're a good fit and you'd enjoy working with us, please apply by emailing Max Bloomfield, .

Please attach:

• A covering letter explaining why you are interested in working with us and what you would bring to the role. It doesn't need to be long; maybe just 1⁄2 a side of A4. Please also include where you heard about the position, your availability for interview and any existing notice period.
• A CV showing your qualifications and experience.

If you are shortlisted, the process will include:

• Interview (online, at our offices in Cambridge, or at a venue in London, TBC)
• Technical competency tests (e.g. design problem solving and 3D modelling software)
• We may ask for a follow-up interview
• Two references upon request

During the hiring process, please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

By applying for this position you give your consent for us to store and process your data. If you're not successful this time, we'll keep your info on file for future opportunities.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Max

CPO, Co-founder and hiring manager