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Salary: USD 230,000 - 350,000 / annual
Panthalassa is a renewable energy and ocean technology company developing technologies to harness the vast energy potential of the ocean for sustainable applications including computing and renewable fuels. The company is a public benefit corporation backed by leading venture capitalists, philanthropic investors, and university endowments.
As Director of Marine Environmental Impact, you will report directly to the CEO and lead the company's environmental impact function as it scales. You will shape how Panthalassa's ocean energy platform interacts with marine ecosystems, setting a new standard for clean, low-impact renewable energy development.
Key responsibilities include:
**Company Strategy:** Build and lead Panthalassa's internal environmental impact function; expand the scientific research strategy around environmental impact, determining where research will be conducted internally versus facilitated externally; advise on how scientific uncertainty should inform company strategy, engineering priorities, and deployment plans.
**Environmental Impact Assessment:** Lead scientific evaluation of how the company's open-ocean technologies interact with marine ecosystems; develop and implement environmental assessment protocols, monitoring strategies, and mitigation measures for at-sea deployments; establish environmental metrics and standards for successive technology generations; lead documentation and publication of environmental research; develop approaches for independent scientific review and third-party validation.
**Engineering Partnership:** Collaborate with engineering and design teams to integrate environmental considerations into hardware design and operation; develop internal guidance for engineering teams on environmental tradeoffs; work with teams to instrument technologies for measuring environmental interactions.
**External Engagement:** Build partnerships with universities, research institutions, independent scientists, nonprofits, and government researchers; create opportunities for independent researchers to study technologies and publish findings; develop data-sharing approaches with the broader research community; represent Panthalassa in the scientific community at conferences and working groups; create scientifically accurate external and internal materials.
You will work closely with engineering teams, physicists, scientists, and marine operators to understand technology-ocean interactions and minimize ecological impact through each iteration.
**Requirements:**
- Doctorate in marine science, oceanography, ecology, environmental science, or related discipline, with substantial record of scientific research and leadership and at least five years of relevant postdoctoral professional experience
- Experience studying effects of human activities or technologies on marine mammals, fish, seabirds, benthic ecosystems, or other marine organisms
- Experience leading scientific teams, research programs, or multidisciplinary initiatives
- Extensive experience designing, conducting, or leading rigorous scientific research in marine or offshore environments
- Strong scientific judgment and willingness to communicate uncertainty and inconvenient findings clearly
- Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, operations, design, and manufacturing teams
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Strong commitment to scientific integrity, ocean health, and responsible technology development
**Desired Qualifications:**
- Experience leading significant research program, laboratory, scientific organization, or research institution, or building major scientific partnerships
- Experience with ocean sensing and environmental monitoring systems (passive hydrophones, temperature/salinity sensors, underwater cameras, eDNA, or other marine sensing technologies)
- Experience building, analyzing, and publishing large scientific datasets
**Additional Requirements:**
- Travel for fieldwork, partner visits, and conferences
- Ability to work occasional extended hours to support deployments
