Vice President of Engineering

About Mojave Energy Systems, Inc. Mojave is changing the nature of air conditioning. Air conditioning consumes ~9 percent of total global electricity production and results in the emissions of 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. It’s time for a change, and Mojave’s liquid desiccant air conditioning systems are doing just that. If you want to change the world, starting with the world of air conditioning, then you may belong at Mojave. We seek purpose-driven team members who enjoy problem solving, teamwork, and personal growth to join our venture-backed company. Mojave Energy Systems is seeking an experienced Vice President of Engineering to lead and scale our engineering organization into volume production and product maturity. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will own the engineering execution for our ArctiDry liquid desiccant HVAC systems, driving continuous product improvement, manufacturing quality, field reliability, and customer-facing sustaining engineering while building and developing a high-performing team. This is a hands-on leadership role for a venture-backed climate-tech company with a proven, deployed product that is scaling up production. If you’ve built and led multidisciplinary engineering teams through medium-volume manufacturing scale-up, driven design-for-manufacturability improvements, and are energized by the prospect of helping solve one of the world’s most pressing energy challenges, Mojave is the place for you. This is an on-site position in Sunnyvale, CA or Anderson, SC. About the Role We seek a proven VP of Engineering to lead and grow a talented team of (currently) 10 engineers and technical staff spanning systems engineering, product design, thermodynamics, controls, testing, and data analysis. You will own Mojave’s engineering strategy and execution for our commercially deployed ArctiDry product line — driving new product engineering (in partnership with Product Management) sustaining engineering, product quality, field reliability, and incremental improvement informed by customer and field feedback. You will partner closely with manufacturing to improve manufacturability, reduce cost, and scale production volume, as well as collaborate with product management to develop the next generation of Mojave products. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape a real, high-impact climate technology product at a critical inflection point — from early commercial success to scalable, high-quality production. We offer a competitive salary, full benefits, and a notable equity package. Primary Responsibilities Lead, manage, and develop a multidisciplinary engineering team of 10, and grow it to 20+ in the next year, including design engineers, thermodynamics engineers, controls engineers, test engineers, and data analysts — fostering a positive culture of excellence, impact, accountability, and continuous improvement. Own engineering's execution of Mojave's product roadmap, partnering with Product Management to translate customer feedback, field data, and manufacturing inputs into engineering plans that are scoped to team capacity, sequenced for delivery, and executed with rigor. Scope includes both sustaining improvements to the current ArctiDry product line (performance, reliability, serviceability, cost) and clean-sheet new product development initiatives as defined by the product roadmap. Partner with the CEO and executive team to align engineering priorities, staffing, and budget with the business goals of scaling from $5M to $100M+ revenue in the next 3-5 years while improving gross margin, reducing warranty cost, and enabling production volume increases without proportional cost growth Work closely with VP, Product to understand customer needs and provide engineering guidance on how to meet those needs to delight customers with new products and by improving current products. Oversee the full product development lifecycle from concept and design through prototyping, validation, and production release, ensuring designs are manufacturable, reliable, and field-robust. Establish and enforce rigorous engineering processes including design reviews, documentation standards, change management, and risk mitigation. Own engineering’s role in field reliability and customer support, including warranty cost reduction, systematic root-cause analysis, field issue escalation response, and closed-loop feedback into product design. Partner with operations, quality, and field service to resolve issues and prevent recurrence. Track and own field reliability metrics as engineering KPIs. Other Responsibilities Own the engineering-to-sales interface, developing application engineering capabilities within the team, establishing repeatable technical sales support processes, and ensuring that field application learnings systematically drive product and documentation improvements. Represent Mojave in customer & partner discussions, providing technical credibility and insight. Support recruiting and onboarding efforts to grow the engineering team as the company scales. Provide thought leadership to the ASHRAE community Support public relations Up to 30% travel between Mojave’s Sunnyvale, CA and Anderson, SC facilities Qualifications BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline. Demonstrated industry experience in scaling in manufacturing environments 10+ years of engineering experience with at least 5 years in a senior engineering leadership role managing multidisciplinary teams. Demonstrated track record of successfully bringing complex hardware or electromechanical products from development through production and field deployment. Deep technical fluency in one or more of the following domains relevant to HVAC or energy systems: refrigeration systems, thermodynamics, fluid systems, controls and embedded systems, mechanical design, or test and measurement. Strong experience with medium-volume hardware manufacturing (hundreds to low-thousands of units per year), including direct engagement with manufacturing on process improvement, yield, and cost-down initiatives. Demonstrated fluency in design for manufacturability, serviceability, and reliability engineering practices. Experience supporting factory and field-testing programs, including root-cause analysis, failure investigation, and quality improvement initiatives. Exceptional leadership and people-management skills with a track record of developing and retaining top engineering talent. Able to work cross-discipline with scientists, engineers, technicians, manufacturing staff, and customer-facing teams in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment where leaders are expected to be hands-on and execution-oriented. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including technical documentation and executive-level reporting.   Expected Compensation Base salary: $195,000 – $300,000 (commensurate with experience and location: either Sunnyvale, CA or Greenville, SC) Equity award (4-year vest) on hire. Equity represents a significant component of total compensation. Annual bonus eligibility Medical, dental, and vision benefits 401(k) with safe harbor match   Mojave is a mission-driven company focused on advancing air conditioning technology. We manufacture our products in the United States at our Anderson, South Carolina facility and our engineering lab is based in Sunnyvale, California. We are committed to a workplace grounded in integrity, excellence, collaboration, and meaningful work. The anticipated compensation range for this position is base salary of $195,000 - $300,000 with an equity award (4 year vest) on hire.   Final compensation will be determined based on relevant experience, qualifications, skills, and work location of Sunnyvale, CA or Greenville, SC, consistent with applicable law. We offer a benefits package that may include annual bonus eligibility (equity award) health and welfare benefits, paid time off, company holidays, short/long-term disability and life insurance (subject to plan terms, eligibility requirements and applicable law).     Equal Opportunity Employer  This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.