Shift Operator

Fervo Energy Co.; Utah; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Fervo Energy Co. in Utah is seeking a Shift Operator for Cape Station, a geothermal power plant. This hands-on role requires real-time monitoring, operation, and troubleshooting of the plant and brine gathering system.

You will work with control room, safety protocols, and maintenance teams, with a rotating schedule including nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime to keep production reliable and safe.

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or GED; technical or trade schooling preferred.
• Experience: 2+ years in industrial operations, power generation, or similar field.
• Technical: Read and interpret P&IDs, SOPs, manuals; understand control systems.
• Certifications: OSHA 10/30, CPR/First Aid, confined space entry or similar.
• Work schedule: Rotating shifts including nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime.
• Physical: Climb ladders, lift up to 50 lbs, work in heat/ outdoors.
• Soft skills: Detail-oriented, safety-first mindset; team player; good communicator.

Responsibilities

• Operate and monitor plant and gathering equipment to meet operational targets and grid compliance.
• Conduct regular plant walkdowns; document shift logs and data; troubleshoot basic issues.
• Respond to alarms and upsets per SOPs; coordinate corrective actions with maintenance/engineering.
• Provide detailed shift handover briefings; maintain communication with Control Room and supports.
• Assist maintenance during outages; prep equipment for safe access (lockout/tagout).
• Follow PPE rules and environmental safety regulations; report incidents.
• Record readings; generate reports; use CMMS to create work requests.

Skills

Attention to detail

Situational awareness

Safety mindset

Teamwork

Communication

Troubleshooting

Education

High school diploma or GED

Technical or trade school training

Tools

SCADA/DCS

P&IDs

SOPs

Equipment manuals

CMMS

Job description

The Shift Operator will be responsible for safely operating and monitoring plant and brine gathering systems to ensure reliable, efficient, and continuous power generation.

Fervo is building the most cost-effective, repeatable geothermal power plants in the world. Cape Station is where that work becomes operational reality — a commercial-scale geothermal facility that demands the same discipline, precision, and ownership that drives the best plant operations programs in the energy industry.

The Shift Operator will report to the Plant Manager and is responsible for the safe, reliable, and continuous operation of Cape Station’s geothermal power plant and brine gathering system. This is a hands-on, field-based role operating on a rotating 24/7 shift schedule that includes nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime.

Description

The Shift Operator is a core member of Cape Station’s plant operations team, responsible for real-time monitoring, operation, and troubleshooting of the geothermal power plant and brine gathering system. This role requires sound mechanical judgment, a strong safety orientation, and the ability to make independent decisions under pressure to keep the facility running safely and at peak performance. Success in this position means maintaining continuous, reliable power generation through disciplined adherence to operating procedures, proactive identification of equipment issues, and effective communication across shifts.

Responsibilities

• Operational Control: Operate and monitor plant and gathering equipment including turbines, pumps, separators, heat exchangers, generators, valves, strainers, and automation systems (SCADA/DCS). Start, stop, and regulate equipment as necessary to meet operational targets and ensure grid compliance.
• Routine Monitoring & Inspection: Conduct regular walkdowns of the plant and gathering system to identify abnormal conditions (leaks, vibrations, noise, etc.) and perform basic troubleshooting. Maintain accurate shift logs, checklists, and operational data.
• Emergency Response: Respond to alarms and system upsets according to standard operating procedures (SOPs). Take corrective action independently or in coordination with maintenance and engineering teams.
• Communication & Handover: Provide detailed shift handover briefings to incoming crews. Maintain communication with the Control Room, Supervisors, and support teams throughout the shift.
• Maintenance Support: Support maintenance teams during planned and unplanned outages by preparing equipment and piping systems for safe access (e.g., lock-out/tag-out, line draining). Report equipment malfunctions and assist in minor field-level corrective actions.
• Environmental & Safety Compliance: Follow all safety protocols including personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, hazard identification, and reporting. Ensure environmental compliance in accordance with air, water, and geothermal fluid handling regulations.
• Data Collection & Reporting: Record readings, prepare reports on production, equipment status, and anomalies. Utilize computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) to enter data and create work requests.

Required Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or GED required; technical or trade school training in power plant operations, industrial systems, or mechanical/electrical fields preferred.
• Experience: Minimum 2 years of experience in industrial operations, power generation, or similar field.
• Technical Skills: Familiarity with thermal or geothermal power generation processes strongly preferred. Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, SOPs, equipment manuals, and process control systems. Basic understanding of mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation systems.
• Certifications (Preferred): OSHA 10 or 30, CPR/First Aid, confined space entry, or similar certifications.
• Work Schedule Requirements: Ability to work a rotating shift schedule, including nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime as needed to support 24/7 operations. Must be able to respond to emergency call-outs and plant contingencies outside of normal working hours.
• Physical Requirements: Capable of climbing ladders, working at heights, lifting up to 50 lbs, and performing duties in adverse weather or high-temperature conditions.
• Other Attributes: Strong attention to detail, excellent situational awareness, and a safety-first mindset. Team-oriented with good communication and troubleshooting skills.

Location

This position is based at Cape Station, Fervo Energy’s state-of-the‑art geothermal power plant located in southwestern Utah. The site operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is staffed around the clock to ensure continuous, reliable power generation. This role requires working on a rotating shift schedule, including nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime, to support round‑the‑clock plant operations. Minimal travel is required for this position.

Fervo Energy commercializes technology to own, develop, and operate geothermal assets as the dispatchable foundation to a 100% clean energy future. As a 24/7, reliable clean energy resource, geothermal energy has a major role to play in the future electric grid and Fervo Energy’s key innovations bring a full suite of modern technology to make geothermal cost competitive. Fervo’s innovations include technologies such as advanced computational models, horizontal drilling, and distributed fiber optic sensing that we have developed with partners including Schlumberger, ARPA-E, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Fervo is supported through Cyclotron Road, the Department of Energy, Stanford University, and Breakthrough Energy Ventures.

Fervo Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, gender, religion, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sex, genetic information, sexual orientation, military and veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. It also prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.