Lead Mechanical Engineer, Turbomachinery

Lead Mechanical Engineer, Turbo machinery

Portland, OR

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.

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 turbo generator 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, Turbo machinery, 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 turbo generator, 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 turbo generator, 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.

• Lead the design, development, and integration of the Node's turbo generator system
• Define and own system-level performance requirements and design goals for the turbo generator
• 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
• Lead a high performing multidisciplinary engineering team while mentoring and guiding engineers and designers to foster a strong culture of technical excellence.
• 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

• A degree in mechanical engineering, structural engineering, aerospace engineering, or naval architecture, or similar
• 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

• 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
• Familiar…