Director of Digital Thread Architecture

About the Company

The open ocean is Earth’s largest and most power-dense renewable energy resource. Panthalassa is harnessing that resource to generate the cheapest energy on the planet. Our mission is to provide abundant and affordable clean energy for everyone.

Founded in 2016 and based in the Pacific Northwest, our team comes from diverse backgrounds in aerospace, naval architecture, marine operations, hardware, software, and research. We are organized as a public benefit corporation and are backed by leading venture capital firms, private investors, philanthropic investors, and endowments.

About the Job

Our core technology is the node, a device that produces energy in the ocean’s harshest conditions for years at a time without human maintenance or intervention.

As Director of Digital Thread Architecture, you will define how information moves through the company as we scale from early manufacturing to large-scale production and field operations. You will architect the systems connecting engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, operations, and service so that data flows cleanly from initial design through deployment in the field — and back again. This role sits at the intersection of software systems, industrial operations, and organizational design.

This is a foundational role. You will make practical decisions about what we build now versus later, balancing startup speed with long-term scalability. You should be comfortable operating as both a strategic architect and a hands-on builder. Some days will involve roadmap discussions with leadership. Other days will involve debugging integrations, reviewing data models, or helping teams untangle operational problems at the system level.

Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills and be able to thrive in a creative, scrappy, and collaborative environment in which the best ideas change the company’s direction on a regular basis. If you are an excellent systems architect, regardless of your background, we want you to apply.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the enterprise digital thread architecture across engineering, manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and field operations systems.
• Create APIs, middleware architectures, and data pipelines that support increasing operational complexity and growing data volumes.
• Build and lead a systems architecture and integration team while remaining willing to operate as an individual contributor when needed.
• Build and maintain a phased roadmap for PLM, MES, ERP/MRP, QMS, WMS, EAM, FSM, SCADA, and HSE systems tied directly to production milestones and operational needs.
• Lead the integration of enterprise systems to create reliable, bidirectional data flow between design, manufacturing, and field operations.
• Design scalable integration patterns, data models, and governance frameworks that remain practical at our current stage and durable as production scales.
• Evaluate and select software platforms, cloud infrastructure, vendors, and integration partners, with a bias toward modular systems that can evolve without full replacement.
• Partner closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, IT, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to align systems decisions with real operational constraints.
• Define data governance, master data management, and change management processes across connected enterprise systems.
• Present architecture plans, technical tradeoffs, and investment recommendations clearly to company leadership.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise systems architecture, digital transformation, or systems integration in manufacturing, energy, industrial, aerospace, or similarly complex operational environments.
• Hands-on experience with at least three of the following system categories: PLM, MES, ERP/MRP, QMS, WMS, EAM, FSM, SCADA/DCS, or HSE management systems.
• Experience building new digital thread or enterprise integration architectures rather than inheriting mature systems.
• Strong understanding of enterprise integration architecture patterns, APIs, middleware, and iPaaS platforms.
• Strong knowledge of data modeling, master data management (MDM), and data governance practices.
• Experience working with cloud infrastructure and scalable enterprise system architectures.
• Ability to balance long-term architectural thinking with pragmatic execution in a fast-moving environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical tradeoffs clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience leading cross-functional technical initiatives involving engineering, operations, manufacturing, and IT stakeholders.
• Confidence operating independently and driving ambiguous projects forward.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing systems in an early-stage or scaling company environment.
• Experience in asset-intensive industries such as energy, aerospace, defense, maritime, or industrial equipment manufacturing.
• Experience with Industry 4.0 technologies including IoT systems, digital twins, advanced analytics, or predictive maintenance platforms.
• Exposure to AI/ML-driven analytics, predictive maintenance, or remote monitoring applied to field-deployed assets or energy systems. 
• Experience integrating operational technology (OT) systems with enterprise software platforms.
• Experience with cybersecurity and regulatory compliance requirements in industrial or energy environments.
• Master’s degree in a relevant technical discipline.
• Strong systems thinking and a habit of simplifying operational complexity instead of adding to it.

The above qualifications are desired, not required. We encourage you to apply if you are a strong candidate with only some of the desired skills and experience listed.

Additional Requirements

• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Travel to vendors, manufacturing partners, and operational sites as needed.

Compensation and Benefits

• If hired for this full-time role, you will receive:
• Cash compensation of $220,000 - 280,000.
• Equity in the company. We’re all owners and if we’re successful, this equity should be far and away the most valuable component of your compensation.
• A benefits package that helps you take care of yourself and your family, including:
• • Flexible paid time off
  • Health insurance (the company pays 100% of gold level PPO plan for full time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Dental insurance (the company pays 100% for full time employees and 100% for their partners and dependents)
  • Vision insurance (the company pays 100% for full time employees, their partners, and dependents)
  • Disability insurance (the company pays 100% for a policy to provide long term financial support if you become disabled)
  • Ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts, including 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA
• Relocation assistance to facilitate your move to Portland (if needed).

Location

• This role will preferably be based on-site in Portland, Oregon. Our offices, lab, and shop are located in Portland.
• Exceptional candidates may be considered for a hybrid or remote arrangement with regular travel to Portland.