Lead Mechanical Engineer, Turbogenerator

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.

Founded in 2016 and based in the Pacific Northwest, our team comes from diverse backgrounds in aerospace, naval architecture, marine operations, hardware, software, and research.

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 Node's turbogenerator includes all components from the fluid interface through to electrical output, encompassing mechanical conversion, dynamic sealing, structural integration, and control interfaces.

As the Lead Mechanical Engineer, Turbogenerator, you will lead the technical vision, execution, and continuous improvement of the rotating machinery that turns fluid power into electrons. This is a roll-up-your-sleeves leadership role in which you'll prototype, build, and troubleshoot alongside world-class engineers and technicians.

You will be responsible for the end-to-end development of the turbogenerator, from conceptual design through manufacturing, assembly, and test. You will work closely with our in-house electromagnetics, electrical engineering, fluid dynamics, manufacturing, and testing teams to drive the development, fabrication, and testing of the turbogenerator, ultimately ending in its deployment in the Node at sea.

Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills and 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

• Lead the design, development, and integration of the Node's turbogenerator system
• Define and own system-level performance requirements and design goals for the turbogenerator
• Mechanically integrate the electrical generator with rotating elements, in collaboration with in-house electromagnetics experts
• Design and analyze components including shafts, housings, bearings, dynamic seals, turbine blades, and stators
• Select materials and coatings suitable for long-duration marine deployments
• Collaborate with marine operations, controls, and systems engineering to ensure cross-functional alignment
• Design for manufacturability, offshore assembly, and in-field serviceability
• Lead and participate in technical reviews with internal teams and external vendors
• Oversee project documentation and create detailed drawings using GD&T and tolerance stack analysis
• Mentor and direct skilled technicians during prototyping, testing, and fabrication
• Conduct root cause analysis and iterate designs based on test data and failures
• Utilize high-end CAD (NX) and PDM (Teamcenter) tools to develop and manage designs

Required Qualifications

• A degree in mechanical engineering, structural engineering, aerospace engineering, or naval architecture, or similar
• Extensive experience designing rotating machinery (e.g. pumps, turbines, compressors, turbochargers, etc.)
• 5+ years 3D CAD modeling experience
• Strong understanding of GD&T and tolerance stack-ups
• Experience with structural FEA
• Hands on experience assembling tight-tolerance rotating machinery
• Proven ability to lead end-to-end design, build, test, and deploy cycles across multiple projects
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Able to independently drive complex projects forward
• High technical curiosity and a passion for learning
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to extract insights from data and apply findings to design updates

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree in mechanical engineering, structural engineering, aerospace engineering, or naval architecture, or 5 additional years of experience
• At least 5 years in a similar senior role
• Experience leading a small team of engineers
• Experience designing marine or offshore machinery
• Familiarity with materials and coatings for submerged or corrosive environments
• Experience with subsea bearings, or hydrodynamic bearings, or hydrostatic bearings
• Experience with piping systems (pumps, valves, sensors, etc.)
• Experience analyzing secondary flows, such as pressure & flows in pipe networks
• Hands-on experience in fabrication, prototyping, or testing
• Familiarity with rapid prototyping techniques (3D printing, CNC, laser cutting)
• Experience with instrumentation and controls (pressure transducers, thermocouples, RTDs, etc.)
• Familiarity with NX/Teamcenter and FEA tools (NX NASTRAN, FEMAP)
• Experience with Python, Julia, or similar tools for data analysis
• Understanding of engineering standards 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 flexible 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.