Senior Engineer, 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.

Once our nodes leave the manufacturing facility, they must be deployed, operated, and maintained safely and reliably across vast oceanic regions—all at an unprecedented scale and reduced cost. As a Senior Engineer, Marine Operations, you will play a critical role in overcoming these challenges by designing and executing strategies for deployment, retrieval, inspection, and maintenance of our marine assets.

In this role, you will drive the development of essential operational infrastructure, including support equipment, vessels, facilities, and procedures. You will conduct trade studies to identify optimal system architectures, perform engineering analyses, and engage subject matter experts as needed. From the detailed design of bespoke mechanical equipment to the fabrication, testing, and commissioning of critical assets, you will ensure operational readiness at every stage. Additionally, you will provide direct support to offshore operations, contributing to procedure development, logistical planning, and field engineering.

This position requires a hands-on, solutions-oriented engineer with a deep understanding of marine operations and a passion for pushing the boundaries of ocean technology. If you thrive in a high-stakes, fast-paced environment and are eager to develop the next generation of offshore energy infrastructure, we want to hear from you.

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 team accordingly.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the Responsible Engineer for development of portions of the operations team’s portfolio (support equipment, vessels, facilities, operating procedures, etc.)  
• Complete trade studies to identify preferred architectures / requirements 
• Carryout relevant engineering analysis individually and manage the support of subject matter experts as required. 
• Detail design of bespoke mechanical equipment 
• Execute and oversee the fabrication, testing, and commissioning of critical assets 
• Support offshore operations through procedure development, logistical planning, and field engineering 

Required Qualifications:

• BS in mechanical, marine, or other relevant engineering field. 
• Experience owning the development of offshore hardware from concept through commissioning. 
• Excellent understanding of engineering fundamentals relevant to marine systems (welded structures, mechanical assemblies, hydraulics/pneumatics, industrial automation, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability for solving problems which lack clear examples or well defined requirements. 
• Time spent working offshore 
• Capable of managing critical vendor relations 
• Thrives in a culture of personal ownership 
• Competent with 3D modeling software and design practices (Siemens NX preferred)

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience leading hazardous operations 
• Ability to perform structural FEA 
• Experience interfacing with relevant marine regulatory bodies (classifications societies, USCG, etc.) 
• General understanding of the marine industry (business practices, operations, major vendors, etc.)

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.
• Ability to travel offshore periodically

Compensation and Benefits:

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

• Cash compensation of $175,000 - $200,000
• 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.