Role Overview
Title: Project Engineer, Partnerships
Hours: Full Time; Salaried
Location: Salt Lake City, UT (Hybrid)
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Manager: Senior Manager, Partnerships & Projects (with strong matrix coordination with Exploration & Development)
Mission-Why We Need You
Geothermal energy is the most abundant renewable energy source in the world containing an estimated 2,300 times more energy than all fossil fuels combined yet it remains underdeveloped due to historical challenges in exploration risk and development cost. At Zanskar, we are changing that by combining advanced technology, rigorous geoscience, and strong partnerships to unlock new geothermal resources and accelerate development.
The Partnerships Project Engineer plays a critical role in enabling this mission by supporting partner-led geothermal projects from early exploration through development readiness. This role sits at the intersection of engineering design, project coordination, and external collaboration helping ensure that partnership projects are technically sound, well-defined, and positioned for successful advancement and investment.
Outcomes - Problems You’ll Solve: • In this role, you will help Zanskar and its partners design surface facilities and new equipment, improve existing facilities, and evaluate others’ designs. First priority will always be keeping employees safe, with all design and execution focused on safety first. You will support partnership projects by providing engineering expertise, coordinating technical workflows, and executing designs and plans, including vendor management.
- Support geothermal production and heat/power generation optimization by evaluating interactions between wells, surface gathering systems, separators, reinjection, pumps, and plant operating conditions to improve reliability, availability, and MW output.
- Evaluate operational impacts of geothermal fluid chemistry, including scaling, corrosion, non-condensable gases, pH, pressure/temperature changes, and erosion effects on pipelines, pumps, valves, and surface equipment.
- Review and comment on EPC, consultant, and vendor engineering deliverables to ensure designs are safe, operable, maintainable, and aligned with geothermal operating requirements. Responsibilities -What You’ll Do: • Surface facilities:Lead design/optimization of geothermal surface piping and pipeline networks (steamfield / brine gathering, reinjection, plant tie-ins), including routing, pressure drop, line sizing, operability, and constructability (geothermal piping design fundamentals: safely/economically transport steam/brine/two-phase with acceptable pressure loss).
- Define mechanical design basis: materials selection, corrosion/scale allowances, valve strategy, insulation/heat loss, supports, and expansion/flexibility approach (geothermal scaling/corrosion in process piping is a major driver of reliability/availability).
- Produce/oversee PFDs/P&IDs, isometrics, tie-in packages, bid scopes, and construction work packs; coordinate with civil/electrical/I&C, drilling, and operations.
- Downhole pumps & production support (artificial lift/reliability):Provide technical support for downhole pumping systems (lineshaft pumps/other artificial lift), including specification, vendor coordination, installation planning, commissioning procedures, and root-cause support for failures.
- Build monitoring and “run philosophy” for pumps: performance tracking, operating envelopes, startup/shutdown logic, and reliability improvement aligned with modern geothermal pump O&M best practices (e.g., monitoring suction/discharge, wear factor, vibration, standardized procedures). Competencies- What We’re Looking For: • BS in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent).5–12+ years in mechanical engineering for industrial energy infrastructure: geothermal, O&G, power, water, or similar.
- Demonstrated experience in at least two of: Surface piping / pipelines (gathering systems, hot brine/steam, reinjection)
- Rotating equipment & pumping systems (incl. deep-set/harsh service)
- Field execution / construction support / commissioning
- Partner-facing technical project leadership
- Equipment design and automation
- Project management habits: scope clarity, risk tracking, schedule discipline, documentation.
- Ability to manage and coordinate projects across multiple stages and stakeholders
- Strong communication skills, particularly in explaining technical concepts to mixed technical and non-technical audiences
- Collaborative mindset with the ability to work effectively across internal teams and external partners
- Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving startup environment
- Strong risk identification and mitigation skills, with the ability to propose alternative technical or operational pathways Preferred qualifications: • Geothermal-specific experience with scaling/corrosion/erosion issues in brine systems.
- Artificial lift / production pump experience in geothermal (e.g., lineshaft and/or ESP pump operation, commissioning, and reliability improvement strategies).
- PE license (or ability to obtain).
- Comfort negotiating and coordinating with vendors/EPCs; experience writing scopes, evaluating bids, and managing FAT/SAT. Working style: • “Owns the outcome” mentality-comfortable being the person who drives closure.
- Practical field orientation: can switch between calculations and a hard hat.
- Clear communicator with partners-direct, calm, and credible. Benefits: • Paid holidays
- 18 days PTO, with accrual increases based on tenure
- Medical and dental coverage
- 401(k) with company match
- Stock options
- Growth opportunities at a company directly advancing domestic geothermal energy and a carbon-free grid