Field Operations Manager

Title: Field Operations Manager
Hours: Full-time; Salaried
Pay: Range $90k - $130K/year
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Manager: Director of Exploration 

Mission – Why we exist and why we need you 

Geothermal energy is the massive renewable energy below our feet. There is 2,300 times more energy in geothermal heat in the ground than in oil, gas, coal, and methane combined. However, it’s been hard to find the right places to get that energy cheaply. At Zanskar, we’re exploring for and developing new resources in order to make geothermal a vital contributor to a fully carbon-free electricity grid. The Field Operations Manager at Zanskar will help us realize our goal of building the largest and most robust portfolio of geothermal resources in the Western US. 

We need the Field Operations Manager to manage and scale our field data collection program. We currently have a few teams of geotechs working in remote areas gathering a variety of data (temperature, geochemistry), and we are scaling to even more teams working at a faster tempo. Your role will implement systems/processes and manage teams to successfully and safely execute the field data collection program across multiple field projects simultaneously.  

Additionally, we’ll look to the Operations Manager to expand into other aspects of our operations as we do drilling campaigns with deeper holes and larger equipment, helping manage vendors and other operational aspects of drilling. Must be willing to travel, as this role will require being in the field as well as in office, depending on the needs of a specific project. 

Outcomes - Problems you’ll solve

The first three months will focus on implementing equipment and people systems/ processes/policies to improve the field tempo of 3-7 teams of field technicians so that they can focus on data collection and not be distracted by operational tasks such as training, equipment maintenance, equipment orders, fleet scheduling, etc. You’ll also be a key manager of the field techs that we will look to resolve conflict, motivate, and keep teams focused on effectively and efficiently collecting the most important data for company needs. 

Key systems/processes/policies include: 
- People: team scheduling, hours tracking, location tracking, onboarding, conflict resolution
- Safety: OSHA compliance, safety training, certifications, other compliance
- Equipment: maintenance, procurement, fleet management 
- Planning / Mgmt: Coordination with geoscience & other company functions to ensure permits, land leases, and data types are in line to direct field activities

Success after 3 months will look like multiple teams spending all their “on time” in the field with zero injuries, collecting thousands of reliable data points while being compliant with partner and land owner requirements. 

Competencies – What we’re looking for

Field Operations: Demonstrated experience managing operational teams in the field, not just an office. Preferred experience is in geoscience or environmental sampling, such as managing drilling or field campaigns for mining, geotechnical sampling, or geophysical operations. Your experience should enable you to learn new field and drilling methods quickly and will soon know the details of every method and equipment we deploy. It will be your responsibility to ensure the right equipment is procured and maintained to execute projects and will anticipate project risks and develop contingency plans to ensure continuous operations.

Strong leadership and Communication Skills: Excellent leadership abilities to motivate and manage teams of various educational and motivated backgrounds ranging from well-trained geoscientists to folks who just want to be outside working with their hands and hiking the rest of the time. You must be able to manage up to 10 - 20 Field Technicians, keep the team engaged, encourage strong and healthy communication among team members, while also diffusing any potential interpersonal issues. 

Safety Focused: Safety conscious for not just themselves, but also members of their team. Someone who does not cut corners on safety in the interest of meeting deadlines/saving time. 

Organized / Detail Oriented: This role will have a lot of moving parts and multiple projects that need to be extremely well organized, preferably with a project management software (i.e.Notion, Trello, &/or Asana). You need to be able to plan teams, fleet, and permitting/paperwork several weeks in advance and communicate it to all the correct stakeholders to make sure the team is out in the field on time safely. Additionally, you need to have a keen eye for supporting data quality checks and making sure data is being processed in scientifically rigorous ways.  

Adaptability: Adept at identifying and resolving operational challenges. Field operations are dynamic, with changing conditions and subsequent unexpected challenges. The ability to adapt quickly, be flexible, and make adjustments to plans/strategies is important for success in this role.

$90,000 - $130,000 biweekly
Location, Salary, and Benefits
- The position is located in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area.

Benefits include paid holidays, 15 days PTO, medical and dental coverage, stock options, a direct impact in displacing carbon emissions, and growth opportunities in a growing startup environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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