Head of Maritime Certification & Regulatory Strategy (IC)

Description Orca AI is building the future of maritime navigation. Having secured recognition from ABS, Lloyd’s Register, and ClassNK, we are moving from theory to global scale. As a senior-level Individual Contributor (IC), you will be the primary architect of our safety cases, the lead author of our technical submissions, and the direct technical interface with Class surveyors. As a hands-on Individual Contributor, you will own the end-to-end certification lifecycle. You aren't just managing a process; you are the primary architect of our safety cases, the lead author of our technical submissions, and the direct interface with Class surveyors and engineers. Impact: Hand-build the regulatory engine that powers the world’s leading autonomous navigation platform. What You’ll Own End-to-End Submissions: Personally author and manage the technical dossiers for Product Design Assessments (PDA) and Type Approvals across DNV, ABS, LR, BV, and ClassNK. Technical Risk Execution: Facilitate and document FMEA, HAZID, and HAZOP workshops, turning raw engineering data into structured, defensible safety arguments. Regulatory Engineering: Work deep within the product cycle to map SOLAS, COLREG, and IACS UR E27 requirements into specific design specs and JIRA tickets. Evidence Strategy: Hands-on collection and analysis of sea-trial data to build "equivalent safety" cases for AI-driven systems. Audit & Lifecycle Ownership: Maintain the "Live" certification state of our fleet, ensuring every software release stays within the "Certified" envelope.  Why This Role Matters: You are the bridge between "Black Box" AI and "Rule-Based" Maritime Law. By joining as a hands-on lead, you will personally define the safety standards that will govern the next generation of autonomous shipping. Requirements Experience Requirements 8+ Years of "In the Trenches" Experience: You have a proven track record within a Classification Society or a maritime tech company, specifically focused on Bridge Systems or Navigation Technologies. Direct PDA & Type Approval Success: You have personally led at least 2–3 complex systems through the full Product Design Assessment (PDA) or Type Approval lifecycle from start to finish. Rule Mastery (Hands-on Application): You don't just know IMO, SOLAS, and COLREGs exist; you have written safety cases that interpret these rules for novel technologies. Risk Assessment Facilitation: You are an expert at running HAZID/FMEA sessions and can translate technical failure modes into regulatory risk profiles. Autonomy & AI Exposure (Strongly Preferred): Experience navigating Technology Qualification frameworks for AI-enabled or autonomous systems (MASS).  Who You Are The "Player-Architect": You can read a system architecture diagram as easily as a rulebook. The Solo Driver: You are comfortable building your own documentation repositories and driving results without a large support staff. The Technical Diplomat: You know how to "unstick" a complex approval process by speaking the specific technical language of Class surveyors.