About us

Aquila is a fast-growing startup developing dynamic, wireless optical energy networking to power sectors under-served by traditional grid infrastructure.

We're backed by some of the best investors in the world (Blackbird, Possible, and Icehouse) and are working with fantastic partners to develop novel and exciting capabilities.

We believe in the power of teamwork and collaboration. We are a dynamic and supportive team, sharing a passion for pushing the boundaries of what is possible. We're looking for exceptional people driven to power the future by solving first-class problems with world-class engineering. Everyone owns their work end-to-end, and we’re all working on new stuff here. There is no need to deal with crazy legacy spaghetti.

At Aquila, we believe in shaping the role around the candidate and the team. As such, if there's a domain you do not fit into, please do not hesitate to apply anyway!

The role

As a Materials Engineer, you will play a critical role in the research and development of advanced photovoltaic technologies. You will lead efforts throughout the development cycle, from raw materials to system-level implementation for our Lightway product. Additionally, you will support our principal photovoltaic engineer in advancing and enhancing our core wireless energy transfer technology, central to our company’s mission.

This role requires extensive growth and requires many responsibilities. We're looking for someone highly motivated, eager to grow, and excited to contribute their problem-solving abilities to innovate in the renewable energy sector.

Who we're looking for

Aquila seeks a highly skilled materials engineer with experience building high-performance PV systems in any relevant field. Successful candidates will:

• Conduct advanced characterization of III-V thin films for photovoltaics, evaluating thermal, dielectric, and electrical properties utilising techniques such as XRD, FTIR, Ellipsometry, SEM, and TEM to assess material quality and performance.

• Procure, process, and test materials for photovoltaic systems, working to develop and optimize rapid prototyping processes.

• Investigate and analyse materials-related failures or quality issues, and develop corrective actions.

• Apply a solid understanding of laser-material interactions in the context of photovoltaic system development and material processing.

• Stay up-to-date with industry advancements and emerging photovoltaics and material science technologies, continuously applying best practices to improve material performance and development processes.

• Roll up your sleeves and help with whatever is required in a dynamic startup environment.

We love candidates with the following aptitudes. Still, you don't need to meet them all — if you have a strong work ethic and a voracious hunger to solve first-class problems through developing world-class technology, we want you on our team.

• Practical engineering experience or scientific expertise in Physics, Chemistry, Crystallography or Material Science/Engineering.

• Proven experience in thin film characterization and analysis (thermal, dielectric, electrical properties of photovoltaics).

• Proven experience in sample preparation for advanced material characterisation techniques (XRD, FTIR, Ellipsometer, SEM, TEM).

• Experience in development of concentrating photovoltaics systems and management of high optical, electrical and thermal densities.

• Proven experience in fast iteration, test planning and risk mitigation in a scientific/hardware context.

• Fundamental knowledge of laser-material interactions.

• Familiarity with multi-physics simulations of photovoltaic cells and modules.

• Familiarity with semiconductor thin film material growth instrumentation (MOCVD, MBE, sputtering).

• Working knowledge of programming languages such as Python, MATLAB or R.

• Experience working in dynamic, fast-paced start-up environments.

Above all else, we hire candidates who deeply connect with

• Our Values

And are aligned with

• What we look for at Aquila

Aquila Perks & Benefits

• Everyone is an owner. In addition to excellent base compensation, every 'eagle' owns equity in the company, so we all benefit from our hard work and future success. Everyone is given a unique and epic eagle avatar upon signing the contract to join Aquila.

• Generous paid parental leave. We offer eight weeks of parental leave above the government-allocated amount.

• Relocation budget & support. Support for interstate or overseas team members and their families (including pets!)

• Flexible working hours and location. While we often enjoy shooting lasers around—with the utmost safety—in our fully decked-out laser facilities, if there are days when we can work from anywhere, then we feel free to work from anywhere!

• Generous Personal Leave. At Aquila, we recognise that sometimes you need time off to recuperate, look after your mental health, or deal with an emergency. We provide unlimited (within reason) personal leave to empower you to bring your best self to work every day, and you are always paid for days taken off as personal leave.

• We care about our people: At Aquila, we don't focus on what our people can do for us; we focus on what we can do for our people. As part of our commitment to our people, we provide an annual $2k budget for side projects, gizmos and gadgets you want to develop, skills you want to learn, and ways you want to grow outside work.

• Health Budget: An Annual budget of $500 to contribute toward anything in your life that will improve physical or mental health.

• Company-wide social events: offsite hiking and/or skiing through beautiful Australian and Aotearoa landscapes, annual end-of-year celebrations, and much more!

• Great, decked-out office! An inclusive community and culture in a welcoming office—with lasers and cutting-edge hardware and snacks.

• A variety of social clubs. We encourage all our Eagles to build the culture with us and share what they love by creating social clubs across the business. From rock climbing clubs to pilates and volunteering, we constantly seek ways to learn and engage with each other.

If you're a budding world-class materials engineer hungry to make a massive impact, we want to hear from you! Aquila welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and has around 1/3 female representation on our team. Join our team and help us build an infinitely scalable energy network that powers a more abundant, limitless, and sustainable future.