Technical Operations Lead
About the Role
We are looking for an experienced Technical Operations Lead to oversee the team, systems, and processes that take CREW’s deployments from signed contract to reliable, long-term operation at wastewater treatment plants nationwide. This person leads the engineers, project managers, and field staff responsible for designing, procuring, building, installing, and maintaining our fleet — ensuring every deployment is robust, on budget, and on schedule.
This role blends technical judgment with operational leadership: technical fluency to hold designs and vendors to a high standard, paired with the operating discipline to run a distributed, multi-site deployment pipeline well. As the fleet grows, this person will also help shape the future of our deployments — improving controls, standardizing our approach, and informing strategy.
The ideal candidate is a hands-on operator who has led a distributed field service, deployment, or fleet operation before, is comfortable owning cost and schedule as business outcomes, and is energized by building the operating backbone of a fast-growing water technology company.
This position is a full-time role. Location is onsite at CREW’s Brooklyn, NY office. Remote considered only for exceptional candidates, with regular travel to Brooklyn expected.
Responsibilities
- Lead the cross-functional team (engineers, project managers, field technicians) that takes projects from kickoff through design, procurement, build, install, and commissioning to steady-state operation.
- Own cost and schedule discipline across every phase of the deployment pipeline.
- Set the operating rhythm, processes, and metrics that keep multiple simultaneous site deployments on track.
- Ensure our systems (tanks, silos, controls) are robust and field-proven.
- Manage relationships with design consultants, fabricators, skid builders, and contract manufacturers.
- Own reliability engineering and failure analysis as a program: set targets (MTBF, MTTR, asset life), and ensure field issues (pressure, flow, mechanical failures) are root-caused and converted into updated design standards and next-generation requirements — whether executed personally or through an engineer on the team.
- Establish and maintain engineering standards, technical documentation, commissioning procedures, and change-control processes to ensure consistency across all deployed systems.
- Push toward designs and vendor choices that make systems easier to deploy, service, and scale cost-effectively — without over-engineering.
- Build and run the systems, processes, and team that keep a growing, geographically distributed fleet operating reliably.
- Own preventive maintenance programs, remote monitoring and troubleshooting, and field service dispatch.
- Track and report fleet uptime, reliability, and service cost as core operating metrics.
- As the operation matures, take on more of CREW’s strategy and long-term deployment roadmap — standardizing what’s working and identifying where to invest next.
- Partner with commercial, supply chain, and finance to keep delivery targets, unit economics, and field performance aligned.
Requirements
- 10+ years leading teams (engineers, project managers, and/or field staff) that design, build, and operate physical equipment deployed across many sites — water/wastewater is preferred.
- BS in Mechanical, Civil, Environmental, or Chemical Engineering (or equivalent hands-on technical background).
- Track record standing up or scaling a distributed operation — field service, deployment, or O&M — for physical equipment across many sites.
- Experience managing vendor and consultant relationships for hardware, design, fabrication, or consumables.
- Comfortable owning cost and schedule as a business outcome.
- Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to run multiple sites, vendors, and priorities at once.
- Product or strategic thinking a strong plus — this role grows into shaping the future of our deployments.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, early-stage, or evolving company environment.
- Able to travel 20-40%.
- PE license a plus, not required.
Skills
- You practice extreme ownership (no task is too small).
- You love being in the trenches with your team and working with high empathy.
- You have a growth mindset.
Benefits
- Equity through the form of option grants
- Flexible paid time off
- 401(k) plan
- Well-equipped office environment
- Health benefits offerings
Pay
The expected base salary range for this role is $120,000–$180,000. Compensation at the time of offer is unique to each candidate and based on a variety of factors such as skill set, experience, qualifications, and work location.