Come join us: a rare opportunity to join Ocean Advisor as one of our Founding Software Engineering positions - a mission-driven, high-impact role at the intersection of AI, climate tech, and marine science.

🎯 The Mission

We’re building a platform to help the global fishing industry fish smarter, not harder, using predictive insights powered by geophysical data, satellite imagery, and machine learning. The goal? Dramatically boost yields while reducing environmental impact.

This isn’t theory -- we’re operating as a joint venture with a shareholding fishing company, ensuring our platform has real-world, high-stakes application from day one.

At Ocean Advisor, economics and sustainability are fundamentally aligned: every smarter fishing decision enhances both profitability and ecological resilience.

🌊 The Vision

A world where every commercial fishing decision is data-backed, driving sustainability, profitability, and resilience across the oceans.

👩‍💻 The Role: Founding Engineer

As the internal technical hire, you’ll work across our production platform—backend services, geospatial data systems, APIs, and cloud infrastructure—helping shape technical architecture as we scale.

Building and scaling cloud-native data infrastructure, including storage, compute, orchestration, and secure service deployment.

Your responsibilities will include:

Design, build, and evolve backend services that support production client workflows across analytics, geospatial intelligence, and operational decision systems
Architect and improve cloud-native infrastructure, including deployment workflows, containerized services, storage systems, observability, and service reliability
Work across multiple parts of the stack—including APIs, backend systems, infrastructure, and data services—depending on platform needs
Translate scientific models and business requirements into scalable production software
Help establish technical standards, engineering patterns, and development discipline as the team grows
Contribute to secure, maintainable engineering practices across code, environments, and production operations

We’re looking for:

Strong software engineering fundamentals, with production experience in one or more languages such as Python, Go, or JavaScript
Experience building and maintaining cloud-based systems and modern backend infrastructure
Familiarity with APIs, containerized services, infrastructure as code (IaC), and production deployment workflows
Strong independent problem-solving ability and comfort operating in ambiguity
Ability to move quickly, communicate clearly, and take ownership without heavy process
Genuine curiosity about sustainability, ocean systems, or applying technology to physical industries

🛠 Work Setup & Culture

Founder, Richard Wright: Ph.D. in Geography + MBA from UCLA, created Ocean Adviser from Scratch
Team:
- Flexible hybrid: ~2 days/week in Laguna Niguel, CA
- Comfortable with ambiguity, high velocity, and big bets
- Entrepreneurial mindset required—you’ll build, shape, and own
- Strong scientific curiosity is a bonus

💸 Compensation & Perks

Salary: $100–170K
Equity: not off the gate, exceptional - owner innovating & driving the value of the firm - its in the firms interest that you're an owner
Health, dental, and vision (same plan as the founder)
- ADP total source - better benefits relied on joined venture partner - meant for larger orgs)
Laptop provided
Minimum 15 days off, with unlimited PTO and monthly Flexible Fridays
Mission-aligned team deeply focused on ocean sustainability

If you're excited about building from 0 to 1 at the edge of AI and ocean tech—and you want your work to directly improve the sustainability of a $150B global industry—let’s talk.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Ocean Advisor - Software Engineer

Job Description