Director of Project Operations (Drilling)

Bedrock Energy; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Bedrock Energy in Austin, TX is seeking an experienced Project Implementations Architect to build scalable field operations for geothermal construction. You will lead a growing team of drillers and serve as Project Executive, aligning field work with engineering guidance and client expectations.

You will define KPIs, resource plans, and investment priorities, while collaborating with technologists to test Bedrock tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Economics/Business, or related discipline.
• 10+ years leading drilling operations or field teams.
• Experience as project owner with P&L and client relationships.
• Excellent communication and ability to simplify technical topics.
• Willingness to travel 25%+ for ramp-up and sprints.

Responsibilities

• Build drilling organization for professional operations.
• Ensure Field Operations’ safety, compliance, and policies.
• Develop playbooks for procurement, maintenance, licensing, mobilization.
• Design scalable processes and tools for operational efficiency.
• Manage client relationships across projects and field teams.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Communication

Problem-solving

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

Graduate degree in related management

Tools

Project management software

Office Suite

Collaboration tools

Job description

Company

The earth beneath our feet holds extraordinary, untapped capacity to accelerate the clean energy transition, with limitless geo-energy available under every real estate asset. Bedrock Energy is on a mission to transform the heating and cooling of buildings, using carbon-free, hyper-efficient, and ultra-safe geothermal energy to radically reduce costs for people and the environment. Incorporated in 2022, Bedrock has raised over $25M in capital and is gathering exceptional talent to scale up geothermal heating/cooling for real estate and infrastructure developers in any city in the world. We seek creative, collaborative, proactive team members who inspire us with their high standards of excellence, integrity, and commitment to our shared mission.

Role

As the architect of the Project Implementations function, you will establish scalable processes, organizational systems, and partnerships that enable Bedrock to deliver professional, commercial-scale geothermal construction projects while deploying a variety of Bedrock technology tools. Over the last two years, Bedrock has demonstrated the proof-of-concepts for its first-of-its-kind subsurface technologies for the geothermal heating & cooling industry. As we progress past our first several drilling projects, the company is now focused on systematizing our Field Implementations function to grow towards larger-scale projects with ever-increasing operational efficiency. This role will be a combination of building up a robust Field Operations org made up of geothermal drillers, and serving as a Project Executive overseeing project success, with a rigorous feedback loop between the field organization and project execution.

With your sharp mind for operational efficiency—reliable field logistics, site safety, replicability, and quality outcomes—you will streamline and manage a world-class Project Implementation organization that operates impeccably in everyday urban environments. You will own the client relationship in projects work cross-functionally to ensure a seamless customer experience, and with equipment vendors to provide the Field team with everything they need to excel. The ultimate operational goal is to replicate this initial, sharply-honed Field Operations unit, many times over.

This role will also require strategic analysis, communication, and planning. You should expect to define new KPIs, resourcing hypotheses, investment priorities, and risk matrices from scratch. You will also work with Bedrock’s technologists to test and refine technologies that will fundamentally transform the economics, reliability, and scalability of constructing geothermal heating & cooling systems. Under your leadership, Bedrock will establish a strong reputation for quality and efficiency, and you will help set the early foundation of our entire company’s culture and standards of excellence.

Responsibilities

Team leadership and management

• Build a drilling organization that can execute a professional, air-tight construction operation
• Ensure Field Operations’ adherence with safety programs, regulatory compliance, Engineering guidance, and company policies
• Build capabilities and playbooks around procurement, maintenance, licensing, mobilization, and deployment of all field equipment and related parts as necessary for seamless projects
• Design, test, and roll out robust processes and playbooks for scalable operational efficiency
• Set up systems & mobile tools for communication, scheduling, productivity, and quality assurance among a diverse team of folks who are largely out in the field

Service delivery and project oversight

• Oversee project P&Ls for high-quality, cost-effective drilling projects for clients or internal R&D, based on Engineering designs and guidance
• Oversee teams to secure subsurface permitting, forecast and control costs, and ensure high-quality geothermal system commissioning
• Collaborate with Engineering teams to deploy novel Bedrock tools and equipment into geothermal installation projects
• Collaborate with Engineering teams to record and analyze data to identify operational inefficiencies and solutions

Strategic planning

• Collaborate with company leadership and other functional owners to understand, prioritize, and develop new operational capabilities as Bedrock grows
• Synthesize feedback from external and internal stakeholders, e.g. clients and drillers, to drive improvement and iteration of our technology with product and R&D

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Economics/Business, or related discipline; graduate degree in similar disciplines, or in management-related fields, is a plus
• 10+ years of demonstrated experience leading a high-performance team in drilling operations
• Experience as a project owner, including P&L oversight and client relationships
• Demonstrated experience initiating and communicating new processes based on evolving information and on-the-ground experience
• Outstanding communication skills, particularly articulating industry jargon and technical topics to cross-functional laypersons
• Strong project management and problem-solving skills, especially in changing environments with contending priorities and complex stakeholders
• Ability to create a positive work environment for Field team members and Engineering collaborators
• Proficiency with project management software, collaboration tools, and Office Suite (or similar)
• Passion for the energy transition
• Ability to travel - 25% at steady state, 50% or more in the beginning for ramp-up and during project and org-building sprints

Qualities

• Proactivity: You take ownership, offer hypotheses, and hold yourself accountable.
• Coachability: You welcome & react constructively to feedback and seek new skills with gusto.
• Excellence: You hold yourself, and your team members, to high standards of performance.
• Creativity: You enjoy finding resourceful, unconventional, flexible solutions to problems.
• Integrity: You take pride in ethical, honest behavior, no matter who is around to see it.
• Compassion: You remember empathy, respect, and care in your interactions with others.
• Commitment to Diversity: You actively look to surround yourself & collaborate inclusively with people who are different from you in experience, background, worldview, and resources.

Bedrock Energy is building a strong culture based on our Organizational Values. In addition, we are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Bedrock Energy is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.