Find & Apply For Construction Manager Jobs in Calipatria, California

Site Manager Phykion 250 West Schrimpf Road, Calipatria, CA 92233 $175,000 - $215,000 a year - Full-time About Phykion Phykion is reimagining aviation fuel. We cultivate hyper-productive microalgae to produce a scalable, low-carbon oil that drops directly into the HEFA pathway — the most commercially established route to sustainable aviation fuel. Our platform is built on three breakthroughs: a field-proven algae host with 5+ years of outdoor cultivation, proprietary trait stacking that has delivered a 10x gain in oil productivity to date, and an outdoor cultivation process on non-arable land fed by seawater and CO2. We are scaling this validated technology into demonstration production, paving the way for commercial supply of low-carbon oil by the end of the decade. As part of that scale-up, we are re-opening our pilot facility near Calipatria, California, and building the team that will bring the site back online and run it. The Role We are seeking a Site Manager to lead our Calipatria pilot facility end to end. Reporting to the VP of Deployment and Development, the Site Manager owns the operating performance of the site: safety, team, cultivation production, laboratory operations, facilities, and the day-to-day coordination that keeps the pilot running. They directly supervise the Project Development Engineer and the three functional leads: the Sr Algae Production Lead, the Lead Process Engineer, and the Facilities Supervisor. They work closely with R D and company leadership to translate Phykion's strategy into execution on the ground. As Phykion builds its demonstration facility, this role is expected to grow into Site General Manager. Duties and Responsibilities Own end-to-end operation of the Calipatria pilot facility — safety, uptime, production performance, laboratory operations and data quality, and team engagement and retention. Lead the facility restart from an operations standpoint — operational readiness, pre-startup safety reviews, staffing and SOPs, and handover from construction to operations. Direct the Project Development Engineer on the pilot restart and scale-up roadmap — bringing new equipment, systems, and expansions online cleanly. Manage the site budget, resource plan, and operating calendar; make the trade-offs between production goals, R D asks, and facility needs. Translate company leadership and board-level strategy into site execution; translate site reality back to company leadership so decisions get made with full information. Champion a strong safety culture and own the site EH&S program; ensure the site complies with applicable safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements, with support from an EH&S consultant. Lead hiring, team development, onboarding, and performance management across production, downstream processing, facilities, and project development functions. Represent the Calipatria facility externally — partners, investors, visitors, regulators, utilities, and local community. Run the operating-floor response during commissioning, campaign runs, weather events, and operational pushes — this is a hands-on leadership role, not a desk role. Requirements and Experience B.S. in Engineering, Biology, Agronomy, Agriculture, or related discipline required; M.S. preferred. Equivalent education and experience considered. 10+ years of relevant industry experience in production operations, plant management, or facility leadership, with 5+ years of direct site, plant, or facility leadership experience with full operational ownership. Experience hiring, developing, and leading cross-functional operations teams, ideally in a re-start, scale-up, or new-facility context. Demonstrated track record owning and improving a site safety culture. Business and budget sense — able to plan, allocate, and report on resources against production and strategic goals. Authorization to work in the United States is required.

Preferred Experience Strongly preferred:

an engineering background with hands-on familiarity with downstream unit operations (e.g., dewatering, centrifugation, extraction) — the Site Manager directly oversees the Lead Process Engineer and downstream processing operations.

Strongly preferred:

direct experience in bioprocessing or agricultural production — algae cultivation, fermentation, aquaculture, or comparable process-based manufacturing. Capital project experience (scoping, cost estimating, contractor management, construction, and commissioning) is highly valued — the Site Manager directs the Project Development Engineer on the scale-up roadmap and may absorb that scope under the Combined Scope path (see below). Strong communicator — able to represent the site to external stakeholders (partners, regulators, investors) and brief company leadership credibly. Bilingual English/Spanish preferred given the Calipatria site and workforce. Combined Scope — If You Also Bring Project Development Engineering If you also bring deep project development engineering experience — feasibility assessment, CAPEX/OPEX modeling, permitting, utility interconnections, cost estimating, vendor or EPC coordination, construction management, schedule control, and commissioning — we are open to a combined scope that includes the Project Development Engineer role. Phykion is at the point of scaling from pilot to demonstration, and a leader who can run the site today while developing the next facility is uniquely valuable. Compensation will reflect the broader scope. Work Location and Schedule On-site at our pilot facility near Calipatria, CA. Standard schedule with flexibility to support a 24/7 operation, including occasional weekend, evening, and on-call coverage during commissioning and campaign runs. Relocation Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates relocating to the Calipatria area. The Imperial Valley and surrounding communities offer a range of housing options at attractive cost of living relative to coastal California. Equal Opportunity Phykion is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Pay:

$175,000.00 - $215,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Flexible spending account Health insurance Paid time off Relocation assistance Vision insurance Application Question(s): This role is full-time and 100% onsite at our facility in Calipatria, CA. Are you able to work onsite at this location five days per week?

Work Location:

In person