Hispansion is a Spanish deep-tech company developing technologies for sustainable space exploration and extraterrestrial resource utilisation.
Founded in 2024 and incubated at the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre Madrid Region (ESA BIC), we specialise in high-fidelity lunar regolith simulants, developed and manufactured at industrial scale through our TerraLun® product line.
Building on our expertise in planetary materials, we are expanding into mineral beneficiation, advanced resource processing, extraction and refining technologies, with applications both on Earth and beyond.
We are seeking an ambitious PhD-level engineer to join our leadership team as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), taking responsibility for Hispansion's technological development and engineering capabilities.

About the Role
This is not a conventional academic research position.
As CTO, you will work directly with the founding team, leading R&D; programmes from scientific concepts and experimental research through to engineering validation and technology maturation.
Your initial focus will be FRACTOLITH, our modular mineral beneficiation technology, developed within the CDTI NEOTEC programme.
Beyond this project, you will help expand our technological portfolio into innovative mineral processing, extraction and refining solutions, while building Hispansion's future engineering team.

Key Responsibilities
Technology Development & EngineeringLead the development and experimental validation of mineral beneficiation, extraction and refining technologies.
Design and optimise mineral processing flowsheets, integrating physical and chemical processing operations.
Develop separation and concentration processes, including magnetic, gravimetric and electrostatic technologies.
Investigate innovative, resource-efficient extraction,



separation and refining methodologies.
Define process requirements, mass and energy balances, operating parameters and equipment specifications.
Coordinate laboratory and pilot-scale development, system integration, industrial scale-up and intellectual property protection.
R&D; & Project ManagementLead the technical execution of R&D; programmes, initially focusing on FRACTOLITH.
Define objectives, experimental methodologies, milestones and technical deliverables.
Supervise experimental campaigns, ensuring reproducibility and reliable validation.
Coordinate multidisciplinary teams, researchers and external technical partners.
Manage technical progress, resources, development risks and budgets.
Prepare technical reports and contribute to scientific publications and technology transfer.
Technical LeadershipTranslate Hispansion's strategic objectives into executable technological development programmes alongside the founding team.
Take ownership of engineering decisions, technical development and technology maturation.
Help recruit and lead future engineering teams while contributing to the company's long-term technology roadmap.
Candidate ProfileEssential QualificationsPhD in Mining Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Extractive Metallurgy, Chemical Engineering, Mineral Processing or a closely related discipline.
Strong background in mineral processing, extractive metallurgy or resource recovery technologies.




Practical experience in experimental R&D; and process development.
Understanding of mineral beneficiation, including comminution, classification and physical separation techniques.
Knowledge of hydrometallurgical and/or pyrometallurgical processes, selective extraction, purification and refining.
Experience with process flowsheets, mass and energy balances, equipment selection and systems integration.
Ability to translate research into practical, experimentally validated engineering solutions.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication and project coordination skills.
Professional working proficiency in English. Spanish is a plus.
Candidates from other engineering disciplines may be considered if their doctoral research and experience are directly relevant.
Highly Valued ExperienceProcessing complex mineral feedstocks and selective recovery of valuable materials.
Low-water, reagent-efficient or alternative extraction and separation technologies.
Laboratory-to-pilot-scale development, industrial scale-up and processing equipment integration.
In‑Situ Resource Utilisation (ISRU), lunar regolith processing or space resources.
ESA, CDTI, Horizon Europe or comparable R&D; programmes.
Technology transfer, patent development and multidisciplinary technical leadership.
Previous space-sector experience is welcome but not required.
Who We Are Looking ForWe are particularly interested in ambitious early-career researchers and engineers ready to move into technological leadership.
You may currently be a postdoctoral researcher, research engineer, process engineer or industrial R&D; specialist. Previous CTO experience is not required.
We value technical judgement, scientific rigour, initiative, hands‑on problem‑solving and the ability to take ownership of co

📌 Chief Technology Officer (Madrid)
🏢 Hispansion
📍 Madrid