Pilot Production Lead

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. This role leads pilot production: the place where new designs turn into real builds. You will start as a hands-on individual contributor working across Portland-area facilities as we grow. Early on, your focus will be building the systems that make pilot production work: schedules, dashboards, and workflows that keep builds moving from first article testing to tight-turnaround production runs. As we grow, you will build and lead a small production team. Your group will sit between development and factory-scale manufacturing, working closely with engineering, manufacturing development, quality, and supply chain teams to ensure that new products and processes scale smoothly when they move into the factory. Responsibilities:

• Translate project completion targets into production schedules and provide clear need-by dates to upstream teams
• Manage pilot production work both in-house and with contract manufacturing partners across Portland-area sites
• Stand up and operate pilot production workstations in collaboration with Manufacturing Engineers
• Support the build-out of MRP and MES systems, including defining production transactions and workflows
• Build production dashboards and KPIs to track output, throughput, and bottlenecks
• Hire, train, and manage a production team as our pilot capacity grows
• Work closely with engineering teams to move new designs from prototype builds toward stable production

Required Qualifications:

• 5+ years working cross-functionally with technical teams to produce a hardware product
• 2–5 years directly involved with pilot production (high-mix hardware builds working closely with design teams)
• Demonstrated ability to operate under aggressive production timelines
• Experience building and leading a team
• Experience building and using production dashboards or scorecards to drive improvements
• Familiarity with manufacturing methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, PDCA, or similar approaches
• Experience with factory tools and systems such as MES, SCADA, MRP, or QMS
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Desired Qualifications:

• Production experience across multiple hardware domains, with specific interest in experience with steel structures, electronics or avionics systems, pressure vessels, or marine coatings
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field
• Experience supporting new product introduction (NPI) or manufacturing development programs
• Experience improving manufacturing metrics such as OEE, throughput, yield, or cycle time
• Experience coordinating production across multiple facilities or external partners

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:

• Must be authorized to work in the United States. Compensation and Benefits:

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

• Cash compensation of $145,000 - $185,000
• 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 is an on-site position. Our offices, lab, and shop are located in Portland, Oregon.