How to apply for Founder in Residence, Building the grid 10x faster (Engineer)

About Deep Science Ventures

Deep Science Ventures builds new science and engineering companies from scratch, focused on restoring ecosystems and reversing global heating. This role is part of a venture creation process, not a traditional job at an existing firm. You would co-found a company addressing high-voltage transmission construction costs.

About the role

You would work as a founder-in-residence to build a new company that reduces the cost of high-voltage transmission construction through fragmentation and modularity. The role is remote until venture incorporation and spin-out around Q4 2027, with location to be determined. You would be responsible for both technical and commercial development of the venture.

A typical day

You would spend time researching transmission construction cost drivers, designing modular approaches, and talking to potential customers or partners. You would also work on the commercial case for a new venture and prepare for spin-out. The role is remote, so most interaction would be virtual until incorporation.

Who Deep Science Ventures is looking for

• Has deep technical expertise in high-voltage transmission construction, including lattice steel towers, foundations, crane operations, and geotechnical data challenges.
• Has commercial domain expertise in energy infrastructure, including cost structures, project mobilisation, and supply chains for transmission networks.
• Is entrepreneurially minded and eager to build a new company from scratch, not just optimise existing methods.
• Can work remotely and full-time, with willingness to relocate after spin-out if needed.

Tips for this application

• Show that you understand the specific cost drivers in transmission construction: steel, concrete, transport, cranage, and installation labour.
• Explain how fragmentation and modularity could reduce mass-dependent costs, not just incremental steel or crane cycle improvements.
• Demonstrate prior experience in venture building or early-stage company creation, even if not in energy.
• Reference the UK, US, and Europe transmission expansion challenge and why current methods have not changed in 50 years.
• State clearly that you are applying to the founder-in-residence role, not a standard engineering position.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your technical grasp of high-voltage transmission construction, including tower fabrication, transport, erection, and foundation design.', 'Your commercial understanding of project mobilisation costs, such as crane costs of £300K-£750K per project.', 'Your motivation to build a new company rather than join an existing one, with examples of entrepreneurial work.', 'Why fragmentation and modularity are the right approach to reduce cost structure, not just optimise current methods.']

Research before applying

• Read Deep Science Ventures' venture creation model and past companies to understand how they build new firms.
• Study current UK, US, and EU transmission expansion plans and the cost structure of lattice steel tower construction.
• Research existing modular or fragmented transmission tower designs and why they have not scaled.
• Find data on crane mobilisation costs, geotechnical survey costs, and over-designed foundations in transmission projects.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you reduce the cost of high-voltage transmission construction through fragmentation and modularity?
• What geotechnical data challenges lead to over-designed foundations, and how could you gather site-specific data at scale?
• Describe your experience with venture building or spinning out a new company from a research or engineering concept.
• How would you handle the transition from remote founder-in-residence to incorporated venture around Q4 2027?
• What commercial partnerships or supply chain changes are needed to make modular transmission towers viable?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing on incremental optimisations like lighter steel or faster crane cycles instead of fundamental cost structure changes.
• Applying as a traditional engineer without showing entrepreneurial or venture-building experience.
• Ignoring the commercial side of transmission construction, such as transport, cranage, and installation labour costs.