Rotating Machinery Engineer

About the Company

The open ocean is Earth’s largest and most power-dense renewable energy resource. Panthalassa is harnessing that resource to generate the cheapest energy on the planet. Our mission is to provide abundant and affordable clean energy for everyone.

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. As a Rotating Machinery Engineer, you will spearhead the design of the rotating machinery within the node that turns fluid power into electrons. 

You will be responsible for all aspects of the powertrain rotating machine design from conceptual design through procurement of hardware and eventual assembly and test.

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. If you are an excellent engineer, regardless of your background, we want you to apply. 

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. We are organized as a public benefit corporation and are backed by leading venture capital firms, private investors, philanthropic investors, and endowments.

We strive to be the best engineering team on the planet and we compensate our engineers accordingly. 

Responsibilities:

• Serve as responsible engineer for the design and development of the powertrain
• Support sizing and selection of the hydraulic machine design point within the energy producing node
• Own the mechanical integration of the electrical generator into the powertrain, working closely with our in-house electromagnetics engineering team
• Layout and design all aspects of the rotating machine including turbine hydrodynamics, rotordynamics, bearing selection, instrumentation selection, mechanical design, and material selection
• Lead and participate in design reviews with the internal team and interface with external fabricators and vendors
• Oversee project documentation and create detailed drawings with a strong command of GD&T and associated tolerance stacks
• Work with, and direct, a skilled technician workforce to carry out prototyping, testing, fabrication, and development of operational and maintenance procedures
• Utilize a high-end CAD software design package (NX) and PDM tool (Teamcenter) to facilitate design and engineering drawing creation

Required Qualifications:

• A degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Extensive experience designing rotating machinery (pump, turbines, compressors, turbochargers, etc.)
• 5+ years 3D CAD modeling experience
• Experience with structural FEA
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to provide guidance and technical material to engineers, designers, technicians, and suppliers, adeptly receiving and incorporating their guidance and technical information into your approach
• Strong understanding of GD&T and associated tolerance stacks
• Experience being hands on assembling tight tolerance rotating machinery
• Confidence working independently to drive a project forward
• A work history encompassing at least five design, build, test, deploy/release/produce cycles for different projects
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, self-starting, and demanding atmosphere
• A curiosity to learn and a passion for continuous improvement
• Solid understanding of technical projects from the details to the big picture
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and presentation skills

Desired Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, structural engineering, aerospace engineering, naval architecture, or a related field, or 5 years additional experience in lieu of an advanced degree
• At least 5 years in a similar role
• Experience designing piping systems that include pumps, valves, sensors, etc.
• Experience designing power transmission drivetrains
• Hands-on hardware experience performing fabrication, assembly and/or testing in a professional, academic or recreational setting
• Experience with rapid prototyping processes (3D printing, CNC-machining, laser cutting)
• Familiarity with instrumentation and control components (pressure transducers, thermocouples, RTDs, strain gauges, accelerometers, flow meters, load cells, relays, solenoid, pneumatic valves)
• Experience with NX/Teamcenter
• Proficient and frequent user of hand calculations
• Experience with finite element analysis (NX NASTRAN, FEMAP) software packages
• Experience using Python, Julia, Mathematica, or another similar programming language for data review and analysis
• Knowledge of engineering standards and best practices including ASME Y14.5

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:

• 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 unlimited PTO and flexible working hours.

Compensation and Benefits:

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

• Cash compensation of $175,000 - $250,000
• 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 33% 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 is an on-site position. Our offices, lab, and shop are located in Portland, Oregon.