Operations Director

Vaulted Deep

Location: Houston, TX with significant time across all field operations. We currently have field operations in Kansas and Los Angeles, and anticipate developing five to ten sites across the US over the coming few years. Open to remote for outstanding candidates.

About Vaulted

Vaulted is an emerging leader in permanent carbon removal. As a Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) solution, Vaulted delivers permanent, high quality carbon removal at scale through the geologic sequestration of carbon-filled organic waste. We deliver this sequestration using slurry injection wells.

Vaulted’s approach is designed to be the lowest cost, gigaton scale, permanent carbon removal. We sequester sludgy organic wastes (biosolids, manure, agricultural, food waste, paper sludge, etc.) that today are sent to a landfill, dumped into an ocean/river, land applied, or otherwise left to decompose, releasing Green House Gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. Vaulted leverages a suite of patented, mature, geologic slurry injection technologies which allow us to sequester organic waste with minimal processing. We inject deep under the earth’s surface, where the carbon is permanently trapped under a layer of impermeable rock - the same formations that have kept hydrocarbons underground for millions of years. We have two permitted, operational facilities allowing us to reach near-term meaningful scale.

Our carbon removal goes beyond vaulting carbon - it improves local environmental and human health. Our operations redress historically unjust waste management practices and advance environmental justice.

Vaulted is backed by leading carbon removal and climate investors, including Lowercarbon Capital, Earthshot Ventures, and WovenEarth Ventures, as well as slurry injection pioneer Advantek Waste Management Services.

About the Role

At Vaulted, we have an aggressive plan to rapidly scale our business operations and climate impact. As the Operations Director, you will work directly with the Executive Chairman and leadership team to run well operations across our facilities. Responsibilities include:

• Oversee and manage all aspects of Vaulted’s slurry well operations, while developing a best-in-class field operations culture focused on safety, environmental stewardship, continuous improvement, reliability, and performance.
• Develop and implement operational strategies, plans, and procedures to achieve Vaulted’s annual and quarterly goals for waste injected and carbon removal deliveries.
• Lead, manage, and mentor field operations personnel to maintain high performance standards.
• Coordinate with environmental and regulatory agencies to ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations.
• Establish and monitor operational performance metrics, adjusting as needed to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Develop and manage operational budgets and plans to ensure cost-effective use of resources.
• Identify and implement operational improvements to enhance performance and scalability.
• Support the field teams in troubleshooting operational challenges in a timely manner.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including engineering, business development, finance and leadership to support company objectives.
• Develop and ensure the delivery of training programs for field operators
• Ensure that field teams deliver proper maintenance and operation of all equipment and facilities.
• Lead safety initiatives and promote a culture of safety across all company operations.

What You Will Bring

To succeed in this role, and to help the company to succeed in our mission, the Operations Director will need, most of all, to be a bridge between multiple disciplines and stakeholders with significantly different backgrounds, to create a cohesive operational culture focused on safety, environmental stewardship, continuous improvement, reliability, and performance. They will need to be able to manage multiple threads at the same time, while delivering against challenging goals in a safe manner. In addition, we seek a candidate with:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, environmental science, operations management, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in field operations management, preferably in the oil & gas, energy, agriculture, waste management or environmental services sectors.
• Demonstrated ability to develop a culture of safety and continuous improvement
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate a diverse team.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities, with a focus on operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Knowledge of environmental regulations and compliance requirements.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to travel extensively to field sites and other locations as required.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills in written and spoken English. Ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders, including customers, business partners and team members. Key to success in this role will be an ability to build trust and communicate effectively across the whole diverse Vaulted team.
• Ability to set up and execute project management systems and processes.
• Passion for and commitment to sustainability and the work of climate change mitigation

This is a unique opportunity to work in a fast-paced and rewarding environment where your contributions will directly lead to mitigating, and eventually reversing, the worst impacts of climate change.

Location is in Houston, TX, with frequent and extended travel to well sites located across the continental US. Open to remote for outstanding candidates.