Director of Naval Architecture

Impossible Metals • Pittsburgh, PA

6d

About The Position

Impossible Metals is seeking an experienced, entrepreneurial Director of Naval Architecture to lead development, retrofit, integration, and commissioning of offshore vessels that support autonomous subsea operations. This hands-on leadership role will establish the company’s naval architecture capability, develop a small internal team, and manage external engineering firms, shipyards, equipment vendors, and marine partners through vessel conversion and new-system integration projects.

The Director will work across naval architecture, robotics, offshore operations, and marine systems to define vessel operations, autonomous underwater vehicle deployment and recovery, and safe, efficient offshore missions. The role will take vessel concepts from early design through detailed engineering, retrofit, commissioning, and offshore operation in a fast-moving startup environment.

The role has ownership of vessel design and program execution, including acquisition and retrofit planning; integration of launch and recovery systems, cranes, handling equipment, dynamic positioning systems, and supporting infrastructure; required naval architecture analyses; classification and regulatory strategy; vendor selection; and management of technical, schedule, cost, integration, and execution risks. The Director will coordinate closely with robotics, mechanical, electrical, software, marine operations, and leadership teams, and support offshore trials, commissioning, and operational readiness. Regular travel to shipyards, vessels, offshore trials, engineering partners, and vendor locations in the US and internationally is required.

In the first six months, success means establishing a clear naval architecture execution path and the internal and external technical capability to carry it out; advancing vessel arrangements and integration requirements through a disciplined design process; enabling effective cross-functional coordination and documented decisions; and identifying and actively managing major technical, regulatory, classification, shipyard, vendor, cost, and schedule risks.

Impossible Metals is developing technology intended to change how critical battery metals are collected from the ocean floor, with the goal of doing so in an environmentally responsible and economically competitive way. The role offers ownership over vessel and marine architecture, influence on major technical and commercial decisions, and the opportunity to take vessel programs from concept through real-world deployment.

Requirements

• Degree in Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Approximately 10–15+ years of relevant experience in naval architecture, offshore vessel engineering, marine engineering, or vessel conversion programs.
• Significant experience with industrial vessel retrofit, conversion, or major modification projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing vessel design or retrofit programs involving external naval architecture firms, shipyards, equipment vendors, and other engineering partners.
• Strong technical understanding of vessel stability, hydrodynamics, seakeeping, operability, and marine systems integration.
• Strong understanding of offshore crane systems, lifting and handling systems, and launch and recovery equipment.
• Experience working with classification societies such as DNV, ABS, or Lloyd’s Register.
• Familiarity with dynamic positioning systems and DP retrofit or integration projects.
• Experience interfacing directly with shipyards through design, planning, construction, retrofit, commissioning, or trials.
• Strong technical judgment and ability to make practical engineering decisions while requirements are evolving.
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead small, high-performing technical teams.
• Strong vendor and project management skills, including managing outsourced technical work without outsourcing technical ownership.
• Ability to work effectively across naval architecture, mechanical, electrical, robotics, software, and marine operations teams.
• Comfort operating with ambiguity, incomplete information, and first-of-kind engineering challenges.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly within the US and internationally.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with autonomous vessels, AUVs, ROVs, subsea robotics, or other complex subsea systems.
• Experience with offshore construction, heavy-lift, subsea installation, cable-lay, or other specialized offshore vessels.
• Experience designing or integrating LARS, moonpools, A-frames, cranes, winches, or other subsea handling systems.
• Experience with first-of-kind marine architectures or major vessel conversions involving novel operating concepts.
• Experience with vessel acquisition, technical due diligence, or evaluation of candidate vessels for conversion.
• Offshore commissioning or sea-trial experience.
• Experience working in a small, high-growth technology company.
• Experience developing systems for harsh, remote, deep-water, or offshore environments.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead Impossible Metals’ naval architecture capability, including developing a small internal team and determining when external engineering expertise is needed.
• Evaluate, select, and manage naval architecture firms, shipyards, marine engineering partners, and technical vendors.
• Lead concept, preliminary, and detailed vessel design for offshore operations involving autonomous subsea systems.
• Develop and refine vessel arrangements for AUV deployment, recovery, storage, handling, maintenance, and offshore operations.
• Lead vessel acquisition, retrofit planning, integration, commissioning, and shipyard execution.
• Own integration of major marine systems, including launch and recovery systems (LARS), cranes, handling equipment, dynamic positioning systems, and supporting vessel infrastructure.
• Coordinate stability, hydrodynamics, seakeeping, operability, and other naval architecture analyses required for vessel design and offshore operations.
• Own vessel classification and regulatory strategy, working with appropriate classification societies.
• Serve as the primary interface between naval architecture activities and robotics, mechanical, electrical, software, marine operations, and leadership teams.
• Ensure vessel engineering decisions are compatible with the requirements of the broader team’s subsea systems.
• Lead marine-system vendor selection, technical evaluations, RFP processes, and major equipment decisions.
• Identify and manage technical, schedule, cost, integration, and execution risks throughout vessel development and retrofit programs.
• Support offshore trials, commissioning activities, and operational readiness.
• Travel to shipyards, vessels, offshore trials, engineering partners, and vendor locations in the US and internationally.

Benefits

• Stock options in an early-stage technology company
• 4 weeks’ vacation
• Flexible hours
• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• Simple IRA
• Health savings account
• Domestic and international travel associated with vessel development, shipyards, commissioning, and offshore operations

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director