Technical Operations Lead

Technical Operations Lead

The earth beneath our feet holds extraordinary, untapped capacity to accelerate the clean energy transition, with limitless geo-energy available under every real estate asset. Bedrock Energy is on a mission to transform the heating and cooling of buildings, using carbon-free, hyper-efficient, and ultra-safe geothermal energy to radically reduce costs for people and the environment. Incorporated in 2022, Bedrock has raised over $25M in capital and is gathering exceptional talent to scale up geothermal heating/cooling for real estate and infrastructure developers in any city in the world. We seek creative, collaborative, proactive team members who inspire us with their high standards of excellence, integrity, and commitment to our shared mission.

Bedrock is in our second year of deploying our engineering-intensive, technology-enabled approach to ambient geothermal construction. We seek to establish the foundations for scale up of our technical operations, which require rigorous processes tying engineering best practices to field deployment.

To lead this effort, we are bringing on a Technical Operations Lead to oversee clear, structured, and comprehensive drilling & completions engineering programs to be implemented in field operations. This responsibility includes oversight of the technical rigor, operational compatibility, ROI efficiency, and clarity of our drilling & completions work. This role will also oversee performance measurement and management, so that our technical operations can continuously improve across projects, regions, and rig versions.

Ultimately, this lead role will own the technical integrity of Bedrock's operational deployment. They will oversee proper engineering of Bedrock's ambient geothermal construction (bore designs, downhole tools, drilling parameters), and ensure these technical plans are consistent with company standards for safety, quality, uptime, cost, and performance.

Responsibilities

A. Technical Leadership and Mentorship

Manage, mentor, and technically supervise operations engineers in the development and validation of D&C programs

Approve borehole construction programs (drilling, completion, mud, BHAs, hydraulics).

Oversee engineer rotation for real-time technical support to field crews on downhole or surface equipment problems.

Drive technical capability development through mentoring, structured training, and performance feedback.

Review and technically approve operations engineers' deliverables before execution

Validate engineering calculations for operational usability and technoeconomic optimization, driving D&C procedures from ideation to field verification.

Lead solutioning of complex technical analyses, directing operations engineers on timely, accurate, and practical solutions.

Ensure consistency and accuracy in operations engineering products prior to execution.

B. Cross-functional and Operational Interface

Establish development workflows for technical standards, procedures, and manuals

Collaborate closely with Technology Engineering to develop technical operations guidance for their technologies, tools, and equipment products

Collaborate closely with Field Operations to establish accountability processes and KPIs

Manage interface between operations engineering and field operations teams for new releases of technology and operational procedures

Oversee readiness, training, and risk mitigation planning for upcoming field operations.

Coordinate communication and feedback between operations engineering and field operations to ensure seamless deployment and compliance

Oversee resources, schedules, and deliverables across the operations engineering team and external stakeholders (vendors, clients, corporate).

Represent operations engineering in cross-functional and corporate meetings to align technical initiatives with budget, strategy, and safety objectives.

Support sales engineering for customer acquisition

Collaborate with Field Operations to ensure health & safety adherence and risk management

Ensure HSE compliance and borehole control readiness.

Review and approve risk assessments and contingency plans.

Conduct incident investigations and root-cause analyses.

Implement corrective actions and technical safeguards.

C. Performance and Optimization

Integrate daily lessons learned into subsequent operations

Develop trackers/workflows for continuous improvement in drilling & completions performance and reliability (e.g., formation response, bit wear, mud loss).

Review daily drilling reports (DDR) and advise on parameter adjustments.

Lead regular technical optimization reviews and after-action analyses

Regularly evaluate construction efficiency and adherence to best practices in partnership with Field Operations Lead.

Drive technical solutioning sprints and report cross-functionally on progress and company implications.

Benchmark rigs or teams and drive standardization of best practices.

Champion data-driven decision-making by implementing digital drilling systems, real-time analytics, and automation tools to optimize performance.

Drive adoption of performance improvements across rigs and projects through structured rollout plans and measurable KPIs.

Example: Use real-time data analytics to identify inefficiencies like wiper trips duration and length, and roll out improvements fleet-wide.

Work closely with Product and Technology Engineering to identify, specify, and prioritize R&D projects from mechanical/electrical/software engineers to facilitate efficiency and safety.

Typical Operations Engineering Deliverables

Daily and weekly operational performance reports

Borehole lookback and lessons-learned reports

Technical and operational KPIs dashboards

Standard operating procedures (SOPs) and design templates

Post-borehole technical summaries

Qualifications

Master's Degree in Petroleum Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline

10-20 years of experience in drilling engineering, e.g. as a drilling engineer and/or O&G wellsite supervisor, with strong knowledge of drilling engineering principles: drilling fluids, wellbore stability, geomechanics, hydraulics, well control, torque and drag, and managed pressure drilling (MPD); rig and surface equipment operations, BHA dynamics; data-driven performance optimization

3+ years of people management experience

Knowledge of coiled tubing operations and geothermal borehole design and construction are preferred

Relevant certifications such as IWCF, WellCAP, Well Control

Familiar with software like WellPlan, Landmark, OpenWells, DrillOps, or WellView

Demonstrated experience initiating and communicating new processes based on evolving information and on-the-ground experience

Strong project management and problem-solving skills, especially in environments with new approaches built from scratch, frequent growth-driven changes and contending priorities, and complex stakeholders

Proven ability to build credibility across diverse team members and around diverse technical topics, and to navigate technical and business trade-offs effectively

Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to distill complex ideas and problems into actionable decision trees, and to clearly map out system dependencies

Positive, "yes if" mindset with a bias towards action; proactive and resourceful problem-solver with the ability to drive to consensus while maintaining healthy interpersonal respect and empathy for different viewpoints

Passion for the energy transition

Qualities

Proactive: You take ownership, offer hypotheses, and hold yourself accountable

Coachable: You welcome & react constructively to feedback and seek new skills with gusto

Excellent: You hold yourself, and your team members, to high standards of performance

Creative: You enjoy finding resourceful, unconventional, flexible solutions to problems

Integrity: You take pride in ethical, honest behavior, no matter who is around to see it

Compassionate: You remember empathy, respect, and care in your interactions with others

Inclusive: You actively look to surround yourself & collaborate inclusively with people who are different from you in experience, background, worldview, and resources

Bedrock Energy is building a strong culture based on our Organizational Values. In addition, we are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Bedrock Energy is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.