Director, Site Operations

The posting, as Panthalassa wrote it

About the Company

We are a renewable energy and ocean technology company committed to rapidly developing and deploying technologies that will ensure a sustainable future for Earth by unlocking the vast energy potential of its oceans. Our focus is on capturing civilizational levels of ultra-low-cost renewable energy for applications including computing and affordable renewable fuels delivered to shore.

The company is a public benefit corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and backed by leading venture capitalists, philanthropic investors, university endowments, and private investment offices. We operate as an idea meritocracy in which the best ideas change the company’s direction on a regular basis.

Our staff have worked at organizations such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Tesla, Apple, Virgin Orbit, Astra, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, New Relic, Bridgewater, Raytheon, Disney Imagineering, and the US Army and Air Force, as well as research universities, startups, and small companies across a range of industries.

About the Job

Our core technology is the node, a device that produces energy in the ocean’s harshest conditions for years at a time without human maintenance or intervention.

We are seeking a Director, Site Operations to lead the day-to-day operational performance of Panthalassa’s regional facilities and build the systems that will support their growth. The Director will have direct responsibility for our headquarter and R&D campus, our Portland headquarters and primary hub for R&D, engineering, prototyping, and business operations, while leading Site Operations Managers at our other locations. Each site should have clear operational ownership, consistent support, and a leader who understands what is happening on the ground.

You will set and sustain a high standard for how our sites are maintained, organized, and made ready for work. You will make sure that standard is reflected in daily conditions and practices across locations, and that site leaders address issues promptly and consistently. You will use sound judgment when site conditions or practices create safety, reliability, or operational concerns, working with the relevant functional leaders to resolve them and prevent recurrence.

You will build the operating model behind that performance: clear roles and decision paths, useful site routines, responsive services, effective vendor relationships, and ways to identify and resolve recurring problems. You will keep a close view of site needs and emerging constraints, then turn what you learn into practical improvements that make operations more consistent and responsive as Panthalassa grows.

This role connects functional expertise to local execution. You will work closely with Facilities Engineering, Workplace Experience, EHS, Security, Real Estate, IT, Capital Delivery, Manufacturing, R&D, and other teams to understand upcoming needs, coordinate work that affects a site, and ensure local priorities and constraints
[…]
site launches, or organizational scaling.

The above qualifications are desired, not required. We encourage you to apply if you are a strong candidate with only some of the desired skills and experience listed.

Additional Requirements

• This is an on-site leadership role based primarily at the main corporate campus.
• Regular travel between Panthalassa’s regional locations is required.
• Ability to move regularly throughout office, lab, shop, and industrial environments.
• Intermittent availability outside normal business hours may be required for significant site issues or operational needs.
• Travel to vendors and test sites as needed
• Intermittently able to work longer hours and weekends to support critical needs. While we expect a lot of each other, we also offer a high degree of autonomy and work-life balance, including flexible PTO and flexible working hours.

Compensation and Benefits

If hired for this full-time role, you will receive

• Cash compensation of $190,000–$225,000.
• Equity in the company. We’re all owners and if we’re successful, this equity should be far and away the most valuable component of your compensation.
• A benefits package that helps you take care of yourself and your family, including:
• Flexible paid time off
• Health insurance (the company pays 100% of gold-level PPO plan for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents)
• Dental insurance (the company pays 100% for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents)
• Vision insurance (the company pays 100% for full-time employees, their partners, and dependents)
• Disability insurance (the company pays 100% for a policy to provide long-term financial support if you become disabled)
• Ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts, including 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA
• Relocation assistance to facilitate your move to Portland (if needed).

Location

This is an on-site position. Our offices, lab, and shop are located in Portland, Oregon.