Software Engineer, Sofar Ocean

Position Overview

Application Deadline: Open until filled

Salary: $100,000 to $139,000 annually

Position Type: Full-time, San Francisco

Experience Required: Early-career to mid-level software engineer eager to grow in a startup environment

Description

Sofar Ocean is hiring a Software Engineer in San Francisco, California, on a full-time basis with a salary range of $100,000 to $139,000.

Sofar Ocean builds ocean technology and weather routing tools that help the maritime transport industry reduce fuel consumption, emissions, and risk. The role joins the team scaling Wayfinder, the company’s groundbreaking ship-routing optimisation engine that combines weather data with ship performance models and user constraints to find the most efficient routes across the world’s oceans.

The Software Engineer designs, develops, and maintains services within the Wayfinder Optimization Engine, working primarily in Rust with elements in Python, collaborating with a team of engineers, ocean scientists, and product designers.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain services in the Wayfinder Optimization Engine.
• Develop a deep understanding of customer workflows and the critical data they use to operate.
• Collaborate with engineers, ocean scientists, and product designers to translate user needs into high-quality software.
• Improve internal workflows and core algorithms that drive top-line optimisation metrics.
• Roll out new features that delight clients across maritime transport.
• Work primarily in Rust with elements in Python across the routing optimisation system.
• Collaborate with engineers to deliver end-to-end features to users.
• Contribute to a small, growing startup team operating with pace and ambiguity.

Requirements

• Deeply committed to building a product with positive impact on the world.
• Passionate about the craft of software engineering, including beautiful interfaces for humans and maintainable interfaces for systems.
• Curious and experimental in the face of rapid technology change including LLMs.
• Enthusiastically leverages agentic programming techniques.
• Exposure to Rust, C++, C, or other compiled non-garbage-collected language.
• Clear communicator who enjoys collaborating with engineers, designers, product managers, and scientists.
• Can rapidly acquire new technical skills in a fast-paced, high-delivery environment.
• Excited to be part of a small but growing startup team.
• Understands the realities of startup life and is energised by pace, ambiguity, and the hands-on nature of a small team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Coursework or equivalent in optimisation problems and control systems.
• Coursework or equivalent background in physics.
• Experience integrating weather data, oceanographic models, or satellite-derived ocean data.

Additional Notes

• Onsite in San Francisco.
• Joining a mission-driven team focused on reducing fuel use and carbon emissions in shipping.

How to Apply

Apply through the Sofar Ocean careers portal.

Required application materials:

• Resume detailing software engineering experience, especially with Rust, C++, or other systems-level languages.
• Cover letter expressing interest in ocean technology and the Wayfinder mission.
• Links to relevant projects, code samples, or open source contributions where applicable.