About Ponda
Ponda is a Bristol-based biomaterials company on a mission to regenerate the world's damaged wetlands. Our flagship product, BioPuff, is a plant-based insulation made from Typha — a wetland crop grown on rewetted peatlands — offering the thermal performance of goose down without the environmental and ethical cost. We work with global brands including Berghaus, Stella McCartney, and Parley for the Oceans, and we're now scaling production to meet growing commercial demand.
We're a team of around 15 people, recently backed by €5.6 million in combined funding, and we're building the manufacturing capability to match our ambition.
About the Role
This is a hands-on engineering role at the heart of Ponda's scale-up. You'll take ownership of the BioPuff production line — keeping it running efficiently, improving it continuously, and helping shape what the next generation of that line looks like. Whether that means optimising what we have today, integrating new process technology, or working with the R&D team to bring a breakthrough from bench to floor, you'll be involved across the full arc of how we make BioPuff.
This isn't a role for someone who wants to stay behind a desk. You'll be on the floor, getting into the detail, and taking real ownership of how we manufacture one of the most exciting new materials in the textile industry.
Key Responsibilities
Production & Process Ownership
Lead day-to-day operation of the BioPuff production line, ensuring consistent output quality, yield, and efficiency
Own process parameters, batch records, and production data — and use them to drive improvement
Identify bottlenecks and implement practical solutions to increase throughput and reduce waste
Manage cleaning, calibration, and planned maintenance schedules across mechanical and pneumatic systems
Engineering Development
Translate R&D outputs and technical advances into production line improvements and upgrades
Design, fabricate, and install new equipment, tooling, or process modifications as needed
Work with the wider technical team to develop and validate new process steps or material handling approaches
Use CAD (Fusion 360 or similar) to support equipment design and documentation
Textile & Materials Processing
Apply knowledge of fibre processing, nonwoven or fill-material production to optimise how BioPuff is handled, processed, and packed
Support testing and qualification of new material batches or process variants
Maintain material tracking, batch coding, and quality records throughout processing
Health, Safety & Environment
Maintain a safe, organised, and audit-ready workshop environment
Write and maintain SOPs, risk assessments, and maintenance logs
Champion Ponda's environmental values and a culture of continuous improvement
Who You Are
A practical, creative engineer who gets things done — you're as comfortable with a spanner as you are with a CAD model
Experienced in production or process engineering, ideally in textiles, nonwovens, biomaterials, or a related manufacturing environment
Comfortable working at the intersection of R&D and production — you understand how to close that gap
Proactive and self-directed, with the confidence to take ownership and the humility to ask questions
Excited by the challenge of scaling something genuinely new
Qualifications
Degree in mechanical, production, textile, or materials engineering (or equivalent experience)
2+ years of relevant engineering experience, with direct exposure to production environments
Experience with mechanical fabrication, pneumatic systems, and hands-on equipment modification
Textile or fibre processing experience is a strong advantage
CAD proficiency (Fusion 360 preferred)
Familiarity with SOP writing, process documentation, and basic data analysis
What We Offer
A central role in scaling one of the most compelling new materials in sustainable fashion
Real ownership and influence over how we manufacture BioPuff at commercial scale
A collaborative, mission-driven team working on something that genuinely matters
Room to grow as the company scales
Birthday day off
