Senior Technical Program Manager - Marine Operations

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. 

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. The Marine Operations group manages our Nodes from the time they finish fabrication, through their deployments, until they are retired from service. This includes designing support equipment, coordinating activities with port authorities and transport companies, and executing the test plans in calm water and open ocean environments. 

As the Senior Technical Program Manager (TPM) for Marine Operations, you’ll be embedded with this technical team, translating test objectives into execution plans, coordinating the network of supporting vendors, and collaborating with the other Node TPMs to ensure support equipment is ready as each Node finishes fabrication.

Additionally, you’ll be collaborating with the other TPMs in the company to collectively determine how we manage schedules, risks, and configuration changes, and implement company-wide best practices for technical program management at Panthalassa. Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills and be able to thrive in a creative, scrappy, and collaborative environment in which the best ideas change the company’s direction on a regular basis. 

Responsibilities:

• Manage project milestone schedules for the Marine Operations team, ensuring clear communication of status, risks, and dependencies to internal stakeholders.
• Lead scheduling and coordination for Node Program deployment operations in the Pacific Northwest, including translating test objectives into execution plans.
• Collaborate with external suppliers and fabrication partners to ensure timely, high-quality delivery of components.
• Coordinate external vendors critical to Marine Operations, ranging from port authorities, tugboat companies, SPMT service contractors, and barge operators.
• Act as a liaison between mechanical, electrical, software, systems, and manufacturing teams to drive alignment and efficient execution.
• Monitor and escalate program risks, while proactively contributing to mitigation strategies.
• Drive the change management system for Marine Operations-managed scope, from ideation through fabrication and deployment.
• Develop and maintain documentation and tools that support program execution and scaling, in alignment with TPM best practices.

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience managing technical development programs, including directly coordinating major events such as first time integration, test campaign execution, or commissioning activities.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams to meet aggressive program timelines.
• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals relevant to marine systems (welded structures, mechanical assemblies, hydraulics/pneumatics, industrial automation & data acquisition, etc.)
• Experience coordinating with external vendors and fabrication partners.
• Familiarity with change management systems and configuration control processes.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic, and highly collaborative environment.

Desired Qualifications:

• Direct experience managing programs for marine system design, fabrication, testing, and/or deployment.
• Experience translating test objectives from multiple stakeholders into unified, streamlined execution plans.
• Experience working in offshore environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel as needed for site visits and partner engagements.
• 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 unlimited PTO and flexible working hours.
• Ability to travel offshore periodically to support initial commissioning and first use of new equipment.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Compensation and Benefits:

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

• Cash compensation of $150,000 -190,000
• 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 and 100% for 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 position can be filled either full-time on-site or remotely with <25% travel time. Our offices, lab, and shop are located in Portland, Oregon.

Candidates must have the legal right to work in the United States. We are unable to provide new visa sponsorship for this role; however, we may consider H-1B transfer applications from exceptional candidates.