Senior Technical Program Manager

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. We’ve proven we can design and build these Nodes in small quantities, and we are now designing our first production line. As a Senior Technical Program Manager at Panthalassa, you will help coordinate the development and deployment of our cutting-edge ocean energy Nodes through the R&D and pilot phases. Working under the guidance of the Director of Technical Program Management, you’ll manage schedules, facilitate cross-functional alignment, and support pilot manufacturing activities—playing a key role in scaling our hardware programs from prototype to production.

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.

Our team of 70 includes team members who 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 strive to be the best engineering team on the planet and we compensate our team members accordingly.

Responsibilities:

• Manage project milestone schedules for the Ocean 3 program, ensuring clear communication of status, risks, and dependencies to internal stakeholders.
• Act as a liaison between mechanical, electrical, software, systems, and manufacturing teams to drive alignment and efficient execution.
• Develop and maintain documentation and tools that support program execution and scaling, in alignment with TPM best practices. Maintain documentation and tools that support program execution and scaling.
• Drive the change management system for Node configurations throughout the R&D and pilot manufacturing pipeline.
• Collaborate with the internal procurement team, external suppliers, and fabrication partners to ensure timely, high-quality delivery of components.
• Monitor and escalate program risks, while proactively contributing to mitigation strategies.
• Assist with coordination of daily scheduling and coordination for Node integration and deployment operations in the Pacific Northwest.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of experience supporting product and/or process development through production, fabrication, or manufacturing stages.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams to meet aggressive program timelines.
• Experience coordinating with external suppliers and fabrication partners.
• 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.
• Ability to travel as needed for site visits and partner engagements.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with hardware product development in startup or early-stage environments.
• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals relevant to integrated electromechanical systems 
• Familiarity with change management systems, PLM/MES/ERP tools, and configuration control processes.
• Hands-on exposure to manufacturing processes, integration workflows, or large mechanical systems.

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 role is intended to be an on-site role based in our offices in Portland, OR. For hybrid role candidates, the successful candidate must be able to travel for onsite work up to 25% of the time, with potential increases to 50–75% during test, integration, and deployment phases.

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.