Environmental Health and Safety Specialist

About the Company

We are a renewable energy and ocean technology company committed to rapidly developing and deploying technologies that will ensure a sustainable future for Earth by unlocking the vast energy potential of its oceans. Our focus is on capturing civilizational levels of ultra-low-cost renewable energy for applications including computing and affordable renewable fuels delivered to shore.

Panthalassa is a public benefit corporation headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and backed by leading venture capitalists, philanthropic investors, university endowments, and private investment offices. We operate as an idea meritocracy in which the best ideas change the company's direction on a regular basis.

Our staff have worked at organizations such as SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Tesla, Apple, Virgin Orbit, Astra, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, New Relic, Bridgewater, Raytheon, Disney Imagineering, and the US Army and Air Force, as well as research universities, startups, and small companies across a range of industries.

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.

We are seeking an Environmental Health & Safety Specialist who is most at home being close to the work. This is a hands-on, embedded role: you will work alongside engineers, technicians, and crews day-to-day, helping teams identify hazards, plan work safely, and solve practical safety problems in real time. The right person will earn trust by working close to the work, bringing practical safety judgment into planning and execution, and helping teams solve problems before they become incidents.

We are not here to slow things down; we are here to enable safe speed. That means building safety into how work gets planned and done, coaching people in the moment, and developing pragmatic solutions to the unexpected. At Panthalassa, safety is an enabler, not a gate, and this role is where that gets made real on the floor, the dock, and in the field.

We are looking for a self-starter who is comfortable with ambiguity, thrives in a startup environment, and treats safety as a collaborative, solutions-oriented practice rather than a compliance function. This role will be highly focused on strengthening daily safety presences, improving field execution and helping teams do high-risk work safely while the company continues to scale its broader EHS systems.  

Responsibilities

• Work alongside engineers, technicians, and crews in labs, shops, docks, and field environments to identify hazards, support work planning, and help teams execute work safely.
• Serve as a daily field safety partner to technical teams, with regular presence in shops, labs, manufacturing spaces, test areas, and field environments.
• Coach teams in the moment on safe practices, hazard recognition, and risk controls, building the kind of trust that makes safety conversations natural and ongoing.
• Develop and apply Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs) and other risk assessment methods to support work planning and identify controls before work begins.
• Support safe execution of higher-risk work, including LOTO, hot work, lifting and rigging, confined-space-adjacent work, shop fabrication, equipment installation, marine operations, field testing, and contractor activity.
• Contribute to  HAZID/HAZOP assessments for new projects and equipment, representing practical EHS perspectives in engineering risk reviews.
• Participate in engineering design reviews and safety reviews during construction, equipment installation, and process development, helping identify and address risks at the right stage.
• Provide timely, practical safety guidance to teams, developing solutions that mitigate emergent hazards without unnecessary disruption to work.
• Support incident investigations and help develop practical corrective and preventive actions.
• Maintain safety documentation including inspections, near misses, and incident records; support timely corrective action follow-through.
• Contribute to developing and delivering safety training for diverse technical audiences across fabrication, marine operations, electrical work, and lab environments.
• Support emergency response planning and drills.
• Contribute to building and refining EHS policies, processes, and training materials as the company grows.
• Work as a trusted partner to Engineering, Workplace Design & Operations, Manufacturing, Marine Ops, and Testing to ensure safety decisions are informed by how work actually gets done.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Environmental Health & Safety, field safety, industrial safety, construction safety, manufacturing safety, marine safety, or a closely related role. 
• Strong foundation in one or more of the following environments: industrial operations, fabrication, manufacturing, marine operations, field operations, hardware test labs, or hardware development. 
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and work effectively with technicians, engineers, and crews at all levels, with a hands-on, field-present approach.
• Strong hazard recognition skills and practical experience developing JHAs and other hazard analysis tools in complex technical environments.
• Experience supporting safe work execution in at least several of the following areas: LOTO, hot work, confined space or permit-required work, lifting and rigging, electrical work, machine guarding, chemical handling, shop fabrication, field work, or contractor safety. 
• Strong working knowledge of OSHA regulations, hazard communication standards, and risk assessment methodologies.
• Proven ability to support incident investigations and contribute to corrective and preventive actions.
• Ability to translate regulatory or technical concepts into clear, practical guidance for a variety of work settings.
• Comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-changing environments where procedures may still be developing and safety practices need to be built alongside the work.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with high-voltage electrical safety, including NFPA 70E requirements, LOTO programs, and safe energized work practices. 
• Background in metal fabrication, engineering, hardware assembly, or rapidly evolving industrial environments - particularly if your primary experience is in marine operations.
• Experience with marine operations or maritime safety, including risk assessments for field or vessel activities - particularly if your primary experience is in industrial or manufacturing environments.
• Working knowledge of lithium-ion battery safety, including storage, handling, and hazardous waste classification.
• Familiarity with HAZID/HAZOP methodologies and experience applying them in engineering design or process development contexts.
• Familiarity with key electrical and battery safety standards (e.g., NEC/NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, NFPA 855, UL 9540/9540A).
• Knowledge of federal, California, Oregon, and/or Washington OSHA regulations.
• Experience contributing to or participating in EHS training programs for diverse technical teams.
• Relevant certifications such as CSP, ASP, CHST, or OSHA 30.

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

• Travel to vendors and test sites as needed
• Intermittently able to work longer hours and weekends to support critical needs. While we expect a lot of each other, we also offer a high degree of autonomy and work-life balance, including unlimited PTO and flexible working hours.

Compensation and Benefits

If hired for this full-time role, you will receive:

• Cash compensation of  $105,000 - $145,000.
• 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, 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 is an on-site position. Our offices, lab, and shop are located in Portland, Oregon, and we also have a manufacturing presence in Vancouver, Washington.