Machine Operator - Contract

TAR; Odessa (TX); On-site; USD 28,000 - 41,000; Full time

Job summary

TAR is seeking hands-on operators to manage robotics on active field sites, operating from a tablet-based dashboard to keep activities on plan and on schedule. You’ll verify equipment readiness, maintain safety perimeters, and communicate issues to mission control while supporting field technicians.

The role requires outdoor work across shifts, reliability, and strong safety judgment. Training will cover running and monitoring equipment, reporting faults, and contributing to rapid responsiveness

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience operating machinery or heavy equipment on field sites.
• Willingness to work outdoors in varied weather.
• Proven reliability and punctuality for full shifts.
• Ability to learn to run equipment via a tablet/dashboard.
• Clear communication with mission control and site crews.

Responsibilities

• Run TAR's proprietary robotics on active field sites through full shifts, starting, monitoring, and stopping operations from a tablet-based operator dashboard to keep work on plan and on schedule.
• Complete pre-shift and post-shift walkarounds of every robot and its work area, verifying equipment condition, site readiness, and safe clearances before any machine moves.
• Own the safety perimeter around your machines: enforce exclusion zones, stop operations immediately when conditions change, and keep crews, visitors, and equipment clear of active work.
• Watch system status, alerts, and on-site conditions in real time, and escalate faults, anomalies, and near misses to mission control and field technicians with clear, specific reports.
• Log shift activity, downtime, and machine issues accurately on the dashboard so engineering and operations teams can fix root causes, not symptoms.
• Perform basic first-line upkeep (cleaning, visual inspections, consumable checks) and support technicians during repairs to get robotics back to work quickly.
• Feed what you see in the field back to the team, flagging workflow friction and dashboard issues that slow you down so the next version of the system runs better.

Skills

Machinery operation

Outdoor work

Reliability / punctuality

Safety awareness

Tablet/dashboard navigation

Tools

Tablet interface

Job description

TAR’s mission is to power intelligence for the world. We are building the world’s first off-grid power plant for data centers powered by renewable technologies.

We firmly believe AI should be built in the US for the benefit of all people. For that, power must be fast, clean and scalable. We are singularly focused on delivering GW-scale power faster than anyone has ever done, by rethinking every layer of the stack.

We vertically integrate to solve every bottleneck, from racking systems to power electronics to dispatch algorithms to on-site construction.

Leave your mark on the future of civilization-scale energy infrastructure.

Company

TAR is both a hardware and software company, we are building out massive, critical, physical infrastructure. TAR is working directly with one of the largest compute providers to scale and deploy 5GWs by 2028.

• High ownership. High Agency. Own project end-to-end. Great people don’t need to be managed.
• Speed. We achieve great things on incredible timelines. We push ourselves to go faster.
• First principles. No ego. No hierarchy. Challenge every assumption.
• Passion. Solving the energy problem is one of the largest challenges that faces the world now and in the future.

Responsibilities

• Run TAR's proprietary robotics on active field sites through full shifts, starting, monitoring, and stopping operations from a tablet-based operator dashboard to keep work on plan and on schedule.
• Complete pre-shift and post-shift walkarounds of every robot and its work area, verifying equipment condition, site readiness, and safe clearances before any machine moves.
• Own the safety perimeter around your machines: enforce exclusion zones, stop operations immediately when conditions change, and keep crews, visitors, and equipment clear of active work.
• Watch system status, alerts, and on-site conditions in real time, and escalate faults, anomalies, and near misses to mission control and field technicians with clear, specific reports.
• Log shift activity, downtime, and machine issues accurately on the dashboard so engineering and operations teams can fix root causes, not symptoms.
• Perform basic first-line upkeep (cleaning, visual inspections, consumable checks) and support technicians during repairs to get robotics back to work quickly.
• Feed what you see in the field back to the team, flagging workflow friction and dashboard issues that slow you down so the next version of the system runs better.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience operating or working around machinery or heavy equipment, ideally on a construction or similar field site. Active certifications are not required.
• Comfortable working outdoors on site for full shifts, in changing weather and on uneven terrain.
• A dependable track record of showing up on time, every shift. We are building a consistent crew, not rotating day labor.
• Able to learn to run and monitor equipment through a tablet or operator dashboard. If you are comfortable using a smartphone, we will train you on the rest.
• Sound judgment around safety, and the willingness to stop work and speak up when something is not right.
• Clear communication with mission control, technicians, and site crews.

Nice to Haves

• Experience on solar, utility, energy, or other large-scale infrastructure sites.
• Exposure to GPS-guided, remote-controlled, or autonomous equipment.
• OSHA 10 or OSHA 30, or a valid driver's license.