[Hiring] Director of Naval Architecture – Advanced Offshore Systems & Vessel Retrofit @Impossible Metals

Role Description

We are seeking a Director of Naval Architecture to lead a small team in managing the outsourced design, retrofit, and integration of large offshore bulk container vessels that will support autonomous subsea mining operations at scale.

• Evaluate and select naval architecture engineering firms.
• Manage contracts and relationships with engineering, marine operations / shipping and yards.
• Build a small team of like-minded individuals to support the work.
• Liaise between the other technical development teams within Impossible Metals to ensure compatibility of activity and ship based engineering decisions.
• Develop concept vessel arrangements to support AUV deployment, recovery, and operations.
• Lead the externally contracted development of concept, preliminary, and detailed design of offshore vessels.
• Manage the outsourced launch and recovery systems (LARS), cranes, and handling equipment team.
• Work with partners on DP system integration, stability, seakeeping, and operability analysis.
• Own classification strategy (e.g., DNV, ABS) for regulatory and insurance compliance.
• Support ship acquisition, retrofit planning, and shipyard execution.
• Participate in vendor selection and RFP processes for marine systems.
• Travel to shipyards, offshore trials, and partner sites globally.

Qualifications

• Degree in Naval Architecture or Marine Engineering.
• 10–15+ years of experience in offshore vessels with a focus on industrial ship retrofit design and project management.
• Strong understanding of:
• Vessel retrofit and conversion projects.
• Offshore crane and handling systems.
• Stability, hydrodynamics, and seakeeping.
• Experience working with classification societies (e.g., DNV, Lloyd’s Register).
• Familiarity with DP retrofits.
• Familiarity with offshore operations.
• Experience interfacing with shipyards and equipment vendors.
• Comfortable operating in high ambiguity, early-stage design environments.

Bonus Points

• Experience with autonomous or subsea systems.
• Background in heavy lift or offshore construction vessels.
• Exposure to novel marine architectures or first-of-kind systems.

Benefits

• Entrepreneurial: We move fast, make decisions quickly, and take ownership.
• Builder mindset: We value people who can go from concept → analysis → execution.
• Cross-disciplinary: You’ll work closely with robotics, software, and operations teams.
• Low bureaucracy: Small team, high trust, high accountability.
• Mission-driven: We are tackling one of the most important critical metals supply chain challenges of our time.
• This is a place where:
• You will be expected to lead, not wait.
• You will have real influence over major technical decisions.
• You will help define systems that don’t yet exist in the industry.