The Role
As a Founding Engineer, you'll design and build backend services, improve cloud infrastructure, and contribute to sustainable software solutions for the fishing industry.
Summary Generated by Built In
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.
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.
A world where every commercial fishing decision is data-backed, driving sustainability, profitability, and resilience across the oceans.
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
- 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
- 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.
CompensationThe base pay range for this role is $100 – $180 per year.
Skills Required
- Strong software engineering fundamentals
- Production experience in Python, Go, or JavaScript
- Experience building and maintaining cloud-based systems
- Familiarity with APIs and containerized services
- Ability to operate in ambiguity and move quickly
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The Company
What We Do
OpenReq is a recruiting firm specializing in providing talent acquisition and staffing solutions for early-stage startups, particularly in the AI and Hard Tech sectors. They focus on technical and operations roles, helping founders manage the end-to-end recruiting process.
