Lead Field Operator – Wells, Drilling & Pumping

Department: Engineering

Location: Berkeley

Employment Type: FullTime

About Terranova

Terranova builds robotic systems that lift land, restore wetlands, and protect critical infrastructure from flooding and sea-level rise.

We are hiring an experienced operator to run our equipment safely and reliably at active job sites. This is a hands-on field position based in Berkeley, California, with regular travel to deployment sites.

The Role

This is not an office, engineering, or equipment-design position. Most of your work will involve operating, transporting, setting up, maintaining, and repairing equipment in the field.

We are specifically looking for a well-rounded oilfield operator with experience across drilling, well construction, workover, cementing, injection, or pressure-pumping operations. You should understand how an entire wellsite operates rather than having experience limited to one narrow specialty.

Experience progressing through multiple rig or well-service roles—such as floorhand, motorhand, derrickhand, driller, toolpusher, workover operator, or well-service operator—is strongly preferred.

You should be comfortable working outdoors, getting dirty, performing physical work, and troubleshooting equipment when something breaks. Practical field experience is more important than a college degree.

Responsibilities

• Operate Terranova’s drilling, pumping, injection, robotic, and support equipment

• Support borehole drilling, stabilization, injection, and pressure-pumping operations

• Monitor pressure, flow, equipment performance, and changing subsurface conditions

• Recognize and respond to borehole instability, lost circulation, pressure changes, equipment failures, and other field issues

• Rig up, inspect, operate, and break down pumps, hoses, valves, fittings, generators, and pressurized systems

• Load, secure, transport, stage, and unload equipment, tools, parts, and materials

• Operate or support skid steers, loaders, forklifts, trailers, pumps, and similar machinery

• Perform equipment inspections, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and field repairs

• Diagnose mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and controls-related failures

• Maintain safe, clean, and organized job sites, vehicles, trailers, and equipment

• Document operating conditions, equipment issues, repairs, and lessons learned

• Provide practical field feedback to improve Terranova’s equipment and procedures

Required Experience

• At least three years of hands-on oilfield, drilling, well-service, workover, cementing, completion, injection, or pressure-pumping experience

• Experience across multiple parts of wellsite operations rather than one narrow specialty

• Working knowledge of drilling fluids, borehole stability, lost circulation, casing, cementing, pumps, pressure lines, valves, and hydraulics

• Experience rigging up and breaking down field equipment

• Experience operating, maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing physical equipment

• Strong mechanical aptitude and practical field judgment

• Ability to safely use hand tools, power tools, and diagnostic equipment

• Ability to perform physically demanding work outdoors in changing conditions

• Willingness to work weekends, travel, and stay overnight when required

• Valid driver’s license and safe driving record

• U.S. permanent residency

Experience as a driller, toolpusher, workover-rig operator, well-service operator, or senior rig hand with exposure to both drilling and pressure-pumping operations is strongly preferred. A college degree is not required.

Schedule

This is a five-day-per-week position, but it is not a Monday–Friday schedule. Workweeks may include weekends, and schedules may change during field deployments. Occasional sixth days, travel, and overnight stays may be required.