Research Operations Director Jobs in Utah (NOW HIRING)

Lead the global deployment and operational scaling of autonomous building systems.

This is a career-defining opportunity to play a crucial role in a hyper-scale AI company that is transforming the future of autonomous systems, energy, and the built environment.

This role will serve as the operational bridge between AI systems and physical infrastructure. We are looking for an autonomous‑buildings deployment and operations leader, someone who treats deployments as a structured learning system. They understand how to track autonomy capabilities, validate performance in the field, and continuously improving operations through disciplined metrics and feedback loops.

This is an operations director role responsible for:

• Application engineering: Digital-twin project deployment
• Deployments: Site deployments, contractor coordination, and construction execution and life cycle
• Operations: 24/7 incident and change management of autonomous operations. Most of our work is in the EU managing buildings in constant use, placing special emphasis on the 24/7 management aspect of the role.

You will lead teams operating across a project pipeline that includes site surveys, digital-twin development, project engineering, and contractor coordination. You will ensure deployments run smoothly, timelines are met, customers are successful, and performance of autonomous buildings deployed is continuously improving.

• Lead global deployment operations for autonomous HVAC and building systems.
• Lead both Application Engineering and Deployment teams, including oversight of external deployment contractors.
• Establish structured rollout plans, deployment phases, and operational playbooks.
• Ensure deployments meet schedule, quality, and performance targets.
• Identify operational risks early and coordinate cross-team mitigation.

• Plan phased deployments across customer sites.
• Coordinate deployment and commissioning sequencing with the Applied Engineering team while interfacing with customers and driving contractors.
• Think in terms of autonomy skill rollouts, validation loops, and structured field learning, shifting away from traditional controls installs.
• Identify, vet, hire, and manage local installers and contractors globally.

• Digital Twin Modeling: Create the building’s digital twin by modeling spaces, equipment, and system relationships using PassiveLogic’s ontology framework.
• System Integration: Connect the digital twin to building infrastructure including HVAC systems, sensors, and meters.
• Autonomous Control Deployment: Configure and deploy PassiveLogic control models to optimize building performance, energy use, and occupant comfort.
• Commissioning & Optimization: Validate, calibrate, and continuously refine the digital twin to ensure accurate building behavior and improved operational efficiency.

• Ensure clean technical coordination between field teams, contractors, and engineering.
• Translate field constraints into actionable feedback for AI and product engineering teams.
• Guide commissioning efforts and system performance validation.

• Help customers understand how autonomy operates in practice and build trust in the system.
• Coordinate issue triage and ensure problems are resolved systematically, not reactively.
• Track and improve performance, operational metrics, and service reliability.

• Close the loop between field operations and product engineering.
• Identify recurring issues and deployment friction.
• Build repeatable deployment playbooks that improve with each rollout.
• Help shape the long‑term managed services operating model as the product scales.

You understand buildings, building science, HVAC, or controls deeply enough to operate confidently in the field, but you plan like a project manager, and lead like the supervisor of an intelligent, autonomous space.

You can speak fluently with field technicians, commissioning agents, and facility operators. At the same time, you collaborate productively with AI engineers, autonomy researchers, and software architects.

You may have previously led teams at a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) or other controlled environment space, managed robotic or autonomous system deployments, directed project management at a scaled MSI, or served as an applied technology director within an engineering consulting firm.

You are tech‑forward and future‑oriented. You organize and orchestrate complex deployments and ensure reliable, timely delivery.

• You are comfortable in mechanical rooms as well as in deep technical discussions.
• You are motivated by autonomy, robotics, and the future of intelligent infrastructure.
• You lead teams calmly under field pressure and bring structure to complex deployments.

You must have

• 7+ years of experience leading complex technology deployments, robotics systems (particularly those close to humans), autonomous systems, or large-scale operational rollouts.
• Hands‑on experience in robotics systems, mechanical engineering, building automation, retro‑commissioning, HVAC systems, or building science.
• Leadership experience managing technical field teams or deployment organizations.
• Field deployment or commissioning experience in commercial or industrial environments.
• Ability to read mechanical drawings and control schematics.
• Comfort working directly with customers, contractors, and technical stakeholders.
• Strong operational leadership and coordination skills.
• Comfort operating in fast‑moving, early‑stage environments.

You should have

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree, or equivalent experience, in engineering and management.
• Experience deploying complex hardware/software systems.
• Experience in managed services, field engineering, or technical operations.
• Experience coordinating cross‑disciplinary teams (engineering, construction, operations).
• A structured, research‑minded approach to field rollout.

It’s helpful to have

• Knowledge of performance contracting or energy optimization programs.
• Energy or sustainability certifications (AEE, LEED, BREEAM, WELL, CEM, CBCP, BEAP, CCP, or NABERS).
• Experience scaling field playbooks across multiple sites.
• Interest in climate tech and decarbonization.
• Experience in robotics, autonomous systems, or advanced industrial deployments.
• A bias toward building the future rather than maintaining the past.
• Familiarity with BAS protocols (BACnet, Modbus, wireless, and analog control systems).

We know there are candidates who might not fit everything we’ve described above, or who might have experience and skills we haven’t considered. PassiveLogic can sometimes be flexible enough to shift responsibilities to the right person, or otherwise identify open or upcoming roles that may better fit your professional background. Even if you don’t meet all the requirements above, we still want to hear from you.

• Deployment programs are structured, predictable, and on schedule.

• Application Engineering and Deployment Services teams operate as a coordinated unit.

• Field integrations are clean, with minimal reactive firefighting.

• Engineering receives clear, structured feedback from the field.

• Customers gain confidence in autonomous system deployments.

• Services operations become repeatable and scalable with performance metrics continuously improving.

• Competitive compensation
• Generous equity share package
• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• Disability and life Insurance options
• Flex PTO
• Team-building events
• Free catered lunch in the office Monday — Friday
• Free ski pass (We are at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon)
• Free National Park pass
• Onsite Gym

This role is based in our Salt Lake City headquarters. We believe that creativity and cohesion flows best when we are all together. When you’re constantly innovating, transforming whole industries, inventing new products and processes, and creating a more sustainable future through technology—and we are doing all these things—we believe we’re better as a team in‑person. That’s why all of our teams work from one of our office locations, five days a week.

• A cover letter telling us why you're the perfect candidate for PassiveLogic
• A resume
• A description of a project (of any type) you personally created, devised, built, managed, organized, or designed that was of your own self‑initiative

Diversity, inclusion, and belonging is woven into our values and everything we do. We welcome all—come as you are and bring your whole self. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity every day by maintaining a safe and inclusive environment for our employees at every stage of their careers.