Project Manager, Partnerships & Projects

Azolla Ventures; Salt Lake City (UT); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

18 days PTO + accrual increase

Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage

Short and Long Term Disability

401k

Stock options

Growth opportunities

Job summary

Zanskar is seeking a highly organized Project Manager to support strategic partnership projects and government-funded programs, focusing on DOE and DOD initiatives. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, manage schedules, and help ensure timely deliverables with executive-ready updates.

This hybrid role is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, offering ownership, vendor engagement, and growth opportunities while advancing geothermal partnerships and program administration in a fast-paced startup

Qualifications

• Experience building and managing project plans, timelines, and deliverables across multiple workstreams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to proactively identify risks and drive solutions in a fast-moving startup environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage project plans, schedules, milestones, risks, and deliverables across partnership and government-funded projects.
• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams including DOE, DOD, and other federally funded initiatives.
• Prepare concise, executive-ready project updates and reports.
• Facilitate meetings and document decisions, action items, and owners.

Skills

Project management

Organization

Execution

Written & verbal communication

Ownership mindset

Startup environment

Cross-functional coordination

Vendor & partner engagement

Job description

Project Manager, Partnerships & Projects

Role Overview

Title: Project Manager, Partnerships & Projects
Hours: Full Time; Salaried
Location: Salt Lake City, UT (Hybrid)
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Manager: Director, Partnerships & Projects

Mission – Why we exist and why we need you

Geothermal energy is the most abundant renewable energy source in the world, yet itremains underdeveloped due to exploration risk, development complexity, and capitalintensity. At Zanskar, we are accelerating geothermal development by combiningtechnical excellence, disciplined execution, and strong strategic partnerships.As we advance multiple geothermal exploration and development partnerships, weneed a highly capable Project Coordinator who can help translate strategy into
execution. This role sits at the center of cross-functional workstreams and external relationships, ensuring that partnership projects move forward efficiently, professionally, and with strong internal alignment.

This is not a passive administrative role. It is an execution-oriented, high-ownership position for someone who can operate confidently with leadership, engage effectively with vendors and partners, and proactively solve problems in a fast-moving startup environment.

Outcomes - Problems You’ll Solve

In this role, you will help ensure that partnership projects:

• Stay organized, on schedule, and aligned across multiple internal teams
• Have clear next steps, owners, timelines, and documented decisions
• Are prepared for leadership reviews and external partner discussions
• Maintain strong communication between Zanskar, consultants, and vendors
• Anticipate risks early and proactively address bottlenecks
• Operate with startup agility while maintaining professional rigor

About the Role

Zanskar is seeking a highly organized and proactive Project Manager to supportstrategic partnership projects and government funded programs, with a particular focuson Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense (DOD) projects.Working closely with the Director of Partnerships & Projects, this role will coordinatecross-functional teams, manage schedules and deliverables, support grant and projectadministration, and help ensure complex projects move forward efficiently.Experience with federal grants or government funded projects is strongly preferred butnot required. We are also interested in candidates with strong project managementexperience who can quickly learn federal program requirements and bring structure to
complex, multi-stakeholder projects.

What You’ll Do

• Manage project plans, schedules, milestones, action items, risks, anddeliverables across partnership and government-funded projects.
• Support execution and administration of DOE, DOD, and other federally fundedprojects and grants.
• Track grant and project requirements, reporting deadlines, budgets, cost share,invoices/reimbursements, and key commitments.
• Coordinate cross-functional workstreams across Exploration, Drilling,Development, Engineering, Permitting, Land, Finance, Legal, and externalpartners.
• Coordinate preparation of technical and financial reports, project updates,presentations, and other required deliverables.
• Facilitate project meetings, document decisions and action items, and drive follow-through.
• Support communication with government stakeholders, commercial partners,consultants, vendors, and subcontractors.
• Prepare concise, executive-ready project updates and briefing materials.
• Identify schedule, budget, administrative, and execution risks early and help drivesolutions.
• Build and improve project management systems, trackers, documentation, andworkflows.
• Step into undefined gaps, create structure, and help keep multiple projectsmoving forward.

Competencies – What we’re looking for

• Strong project management, organizational, and execution skills.
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to bring structure and clarity to ambiguous or rapidly evolving projects.
• High ownership mindset and willingness to proactively solve problems.
• Comfortable working with technical teams, leadership, external partners, andvendors.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced startup environment.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with DOE, DOD, or other federal grants, cooperative agreements,contracts, or government-funded projects is strongly preferred, but not required.
• Experience in energy, infrastructure, engineering, natural resources,construction, or other technical/capital-intensive environments preferred but notrequired.
• Familiarity with project budgeting, financial tracking, reporting, or project controls.
• Experience coordinating consultants, vendors, subcontractors, or externalpartners.

What Makes This Role Unique

You will work at the intersection of geothermal development, strategic partnerships, andgovernment-funded programs, helping move complex projects from commitments andfunding through successful execution.

This role is well suited for someone who enjoys creating structure, coordinating acrosstechnical and business teams, solving problems, and taking ownership in anenvironment where processes are still being built.

You will help create structure where ambiguity exists, bring clarity to complex multi-stakeholder efforts, and elevate the overall quality and polish of project execution.

Benefits

• The position is based out of our headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Paid holidays
• 18 days PTO + PTO accrual increase based on tenure
• Medical, Dental & Vision Coverage
• Short and Long Term Disability and Group Life Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• 401k
• Stock options
• Growth opportunities at a company with a direct impact in displacing carbon emissions

Equal Opportunity Employer

Zanskar is an equal-opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, andlocal fair employment practice laws.