We are a stealth renewable energy and ocean technology startup committed to rapidly developing and deploying technologies that will ensure a sustainable future for the Earth by unlocking the vast energy potential of its oceans.
We are developing a core technology that will operate in the worst conditions the world's oceans have to offer for years at a time without human maintenance or intervention.
As Director of Business Technology, you will develop and own systems across all facets of the company, including ERP/MRP systems for product engineering, secure computing infrastructure for research that generates valuable intellectual property, automated business workflows, and more. You will have three co-equal strengths: software development, business acumen, and security. You are a technologist first and foremost, and you deeply understand how software systems can enable business processes.
In this role you will be expected to have a high level of autonomy to become deeply familiar with the work of engineering and R&D teams, quickly conduct independent research on possible solutions, bring cohesive ideas to the table, and prototype and deliver outcomes. You get excited when you can see projects through their lifecycle, from gathering requirements to identifying solutions, implementation, and improvement.
The highest form of success is delivering solutions that our team didn't know were possible. We are a rapidly growing startup, and we need you to be equally able to do the work yourself, grow, and build and lead teams as the company scales.
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 staff have worked at organizations such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Virgin Orbit, Virgin Galactic, 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 we are backed by leading venture capital firms, private investors, philanthropic investors, and endowments.
We strive to be the best technical team on the planet and we compensate our team members accordingly.
- Identify gaps in business technology and implement solutions that increase our ability to scale through improving automation, reliability, and security
- Architect, prototype, and deliver state-of-the-art secure computing infrastructure, with simple, cohesive solutions across diverse functional requirements:
- CAD/Engineering
- Manufacturing
- Software development
- Embedded hardware development
- Corporate functions (HR, procurement, facilities, finance, etc.)
- Build the internal data model and architecture, understanding what information we have, where it lives, and how it moves through the business and associated technology systems
- Own and integrate data synchronization between production systems such as inventory and CAD
- Own the IT function, providing world-class software and hardware support for a highly innovative engineering organization. (There is one IT team member already in place, and you will be expected to build this team further as our needs grow.)
- 10+ years of directly relevant experience, or 5+ years with exceptionally rapid growth in responsibility in prior roles
- Experience connecting systems via data exports and APIs
- Experience with one or more of our existing software development languages (Elixir/Erlang, Rust, Python, Julia)
- Experience automating infrastructure configuration, combination of on-premise and cloud
- Understanding of business strategy and how that drives the organization of work across people and processes
- Ability to identify technology solutions that enable business processes at scale
- Strong ability to visualize and implement data architectures based on business requirements
- Extreme paranoia about information security, detailed knowledge of best practice in cybersecurity, and the wisdom to appropriately weigh the benefits of security measures against their costs
- Ability to "get your hands dirty" and build/deploy excellent solutions yourself
- Ability to visualize future needs and build high performing teams to meet them
- Solid understanding of technical projects from the details to the big picture
- A curiosity to learn and a passion for continuous improvement
- Deep networking and security experience
- General management experience, with strong knowledge of functional requirements (e.g., finance, procurement, legal, recruiting, HR, facilities)
- Prior ownership of an IT function
- Prior experience managing and growing teams
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems
- Experience working at a hardware company
The above qualifications are desired, not required. We encourage you to apply if you are a strong candidate with only some of the desired qualifications listed.
- Legal authorization to work in the United States
- Travel to test sites and manufacturing locations as needed
- Intermittently able to work longer hours and weekends to support critical needs. We expect a lot of each other, but we also offer a high degree of autonomy and work-life balance, including unlimited PTO and flexible working hours.
Our offices, lab, and machine shop are located in Portland, Oregon. This position requires consistent on-site work.
If hired for this role, you will receive:
- Cash compensation of $200,000 - $325,000
- Equity in the company. We're all owners, and if we're successful, this equity will 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:
- Unlimited 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 protection if you become disabled)
- Ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts, including 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA
- Relocation assistance to help facilitate your move to Portland if needed
Full-time
