Head of Launch – Africa

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Cultivate and sustain relationships with national maritime authorities, port authorities, and regional organizations throughout Africa.

• Anticipate changes in regulations, trade limitations, and policy updates, and formulate strategies to mitigate operational risks.

• Collaborate with Legal and Compliance teams to ensure that market entries comply with local labor, customs, trade, spectrum, equipment type-approval, data management, and maritime safety standards.

• Create scalable market-entry strategies tailored for specific African markets.

• Set up frameworks for import, customs, logistics, warehousing, and staging for SmartMast™ hardware.

• Identify, evaluate, and onboard local installers, fabricators, and port-side vendors.

• Engage with and convert commercial fleet operators, independent vessel owners, port authorities, and maritime organizations.

• Negotiate and finalize partnership and space-use agreements to secure vessel capacity and establish long-term maritime relations.

• Oversee partner onboarding and ensure operational integration meets Quartermaster’s quality, safety, and performance standards.

• Forge lasting relationships with fleets, ports, and maritime organizations.

• Recruit, scale, and mentor a diverse local team.

• Align global product, engineering, legal, and marketing teams with the requirements of the African market.

• Act as the main feedback conduit to leadership regarding regional dynamics, technical needs, and localized risks.

• Propel the installation, activation, and reporting of SmartMast™ units across Africa’s coastal waters.

⛳️ Requirements

• Over 8 years of experience in senior operations, market launch, business development, or public policy roles.

• Ideally, experience within the maritime, logistics, or other highly regulated industries.

• Extensive understanding of the political, regulatory, and business diversity present across Africa’s coastal regions and maritime economies.

• Proven history of managing government relationships, regional maritime organizations, and public-private partnerships across various jurisdictions.

• Demonstrated success in closing complex B2B partnerships, joint ventures, or fleet agreements in emerging or frontier markets.

• Capability to develop a market-entry strategy and negotiate stakeholder partnerships.

• Fluency in English is required.

• Professional proficiency in French, Arabic, Portuguese, or Swahili is highly preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• A competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.

• Comprehensive health benefits and retirement plans.

• Opportunities for professional development and growth.

• Flexible working arrangements and a supportive work environment.