---
title: 'Field Operations Lead - Arabian Gulf at Quartermaster'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/field-operations-lead-arabian-gulf-quartermaster-arabian-gulf-m7rvynds7114'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-09'
---

# Field Operations Lead - Arabian Gulf at Quartermaster

- **Company:** Quartermaster
- **Location:** Arabian Gulf
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-07-31
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/quartermaster/a3e17947-2de8-44b5-b2d1-b43997264f5d

## Job description

## About Quartermaster

Quartermaster is a U.S. maritime technology company. We put safety and connectivity systems aboard commercial vessels and deliver the resulting maritime situational awareness data as a commercial service. We are scaling across the Arabian Gulf and hiring a regional lead to drive it.

The Job

Close fleet-scale agreements with vessel operators across the Gulf, and move our regulatory approvals faster than they would move without you. You will be Quartermaster's senior regional representative across the Arabian Gulf, reporting directly to leadership in the United States.

## What You'll Own

- Fleet growth: Open and close agreements with vessel owners and operators across the region to get our equipment installed at scale.
- Execution: Manage multi-country operations end to end — installations, field team, logistics, and the local partners who make it happen across each market.
- Regulators: Support our engagement with maritime and ports authorities across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman — clearing approvals and answering the concerns that would otherwise stall installs.

## What You Need

- Based in the Gulf region, ready to travel extensively across the GCC.
- Senior standing in the Gulf's domestic maritime industry, with direct working relationships among vessel owners and operators across multiple countries — fleet owners know you, take your call, and will hear you out.
- A closer. You find the way around obstacles, work through owner objections, and carry commercial agreements from first meeting to signature.
- Working familiarity with maritime regulatory environments across the Gulf states, and the credibility to navigate them on our behalf.
- Fluent English and Arabic.

## Nice to Have

- Additional regional languages (Urdu, Hindi, Tagalog, Farsi) reflecting the multinational maritime workforce in the Gulf.
- Relationships across the region's maritime regulatory bodies — UAE Federal Transport Authority (FTA), Dubai Maritime Authority, Abu Dhabi Maritime, Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), Saudi Transport General Authority (TGA), Qatar Ministry of Transport / Mwani Qatar, Bahrain Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, Kuwait Ports Authority, and Oman's ASYAD Group / Ministry of Transport. Experience carrying vessels through any of these processes is a real asset.
- Standing in regional industry bodies (e.g., national shipowners' associations, GCC maritime committees).

## About Quartermaster

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Quartermaster builds a real-time, distributed maritime awareness network by equipping vessels with AI-powered sensor packages (SmartMast) and an analytics platform.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A)
- **Headquarters**: Arlington, Virginia, United States
- **Founded**: 2023
- **Founders**: Neil Sobin (CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Maritime intelligence, defense technology, AI/robotics, ocean sensing
- **Target customers**: Governments (navies, coast guards), commercial shipping operators, insurers, and maritime researchers (B2G, B2B)
- **Mission**: “Connect every vessel on the water to create a comprehensive, real-time picture of our oceans, unlocking critical data insights that underpin a prosperous global maritime ecosystem.” [quartermaster.us](https://www.quartermaster.us/about)

## Products & Services
- **SmartMast**: A weather-hardened hardware package (cameras, radios, sensors) mounted on a ship’s mast that continuously collects and relays maritime data. Combined with an AI analytics platform, it provides real-time vessel identification, anomaly detection, and environmental monitoring. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **Quartermaster Analytics Platform**: Cloud-based software that ingests SmartMast data and applies computer vision and machine learning to generate actionable intelligence for fleet operators, insurers, and government agencies.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: $43 million in Series A funding (announced May 20, 2026) [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Co-led by First Round Capital and Quiet Capital, with participation from TMV, Steel Atlas, BoxGroup, Operator Partners, Shorewind Capital, and David (surname not specified). Key hires from Anduril (Steve Ribaudo as CGO) and Scale AI (Matt Beck as COO). [quartermaster.us](https://www.quartermaster.us/about) | [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai)
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount grew 625% year-over-year to 40 employees (as of mid-2026). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai)
  - Over 600 ships equipped with SmartMast, covering 10 million square miles of ocean. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
  - Assisted in “over 20 rescues of mariners at sea.” [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
  - Operates in 7 countries (Panama, Colombia, South Korea, UAE, Brazil, Taiwan, United States). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proprietary hardware edge**: SmartMast is far more advanced than the standard AIS (Automatic Identification System), which is opt-in and easily spoofed. Quartermaster’s sensors provide persistent, verified, real-time data that is less susceptible to fraud. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **Pro-mariner incentive model**: Rather than selling sensors to fleet operators (a tough sell in a low-margin industry), Quartermaster creates value for mariners (e.g., rescue support, safety data) to encourage voluntary adoption, locking in network effects. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **First-mover in distributed ocean sensing**: No other company has deployed a real-time, AI-powered sensor constellation at this scale, giving Quartermaster a data moat and early relationships with governments and commercial fleets.

## Strategic Focus
- **Engineering hiring**: A large portion of the $43M Series A is earmarked for hiring engineers (RF, software, AI, systems) to accelerate product development. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **Fleet expansion**: Continue equipping more vessels with SmartMast, especially in key maritime corridors, to densify the network.
- **New applications**: Developing uses for government intelligence, marine autonomy training data, environmental monitoring, and insurance risk assessment.
- **Global presence**: Scaling operations in Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East (already in 7 countries). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai)

## Why Work Here
- **High-impact mission**: Directly contribute to ocean safety, security, and sustainability – work that has tangible real-world results (e.g., rescues at sea).
- **Fast-growing startup**: 625% YoY headcount growth; employees have significant ownership and influence over product direction.
- **Engineering culture**: “A single engineer can make a significant impact in relatively short periods of time” because the ocean space is largely untapped. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
- **Remote-friendly**: Some roles (e.g., “Opportunity Hire”) are listed as remote, though the HQ in Arlington, VA likely expects hybrid for core engineering teams. [quartermaster.us](https://www.quartermaster.us/jobs/opportunity-hire)
- **Diverse, inclusive environment**: Equal opportunity employer that encourages individuals of all backgrounds to apply. [quartermaster.us](https://www.quartermaster.us/jobs/opportunity-hire)
- **Notable perks**: Not explicitly listed, but the company emphasizes pro-mariner values and a collaborative, mission-driven culture.

## Sources
1. [quartermaster.us/about](https://www.quartermaster.us/about)
2. [techcrunch.com](https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/20/this-startup-raised-43m-to-build-a-hive-mind-for-ships/)
3. [linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/quartermasterai)
4. [quartermaster.us/jobs/opportunity-hire](https://www.quartermaster.us/jobs/opportunity-hire)
5. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/quartermaster](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/quartermaster)

## Other roles at Quartermaster

- [Recruiter](https://feeny.ai/job/recruiter-quartermaster-arlington-3sdcz2zcyhe3) — Arlington, VA
- [Senior Embedded Engineer – Robotics & Sensor Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-embedded-engineer-robotics-sensor-systems-quartermaster-arlington-g9ykt3vms2s7) — Arlington, VA
- [Hardware Test & Integration Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/hardware-test-integration-engineer-quartermaster-arlington-3h259071tfrk) — Arlington, VA
- [Senior Software Test Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-test-engineer-quartermaster-arlington-6nbzdydrbnja) — Arlington, VA
- [IT Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/it-engineer-quartermaster-arlington-dg98g3jag2ds) — Arlington, VA
- [Head of Launch (Africa)](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-launch-africa-quartermaster-united-states-tvqm6j5d7zc3) — United States
- [Head of Launch (Europe)](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-launch-europe-quartermaster-london-p4r55emm9sfw) — London, United Kingdom
- [Head of Launch (Middle East)](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-launch-middle-east-quartermaster-arabian-gulf-smed3h4gvyr0) — Arabian Gulf
- [Strategic Projects Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/strategic-projects-manager-quartermaster-arlington-4n11y1ksbf2n) — Arlington, VA
- [VP of Supply-Fleet Recruitment](https://feeny.ai/job/vp-of-supply-fleet-recruitment-quartermaster-new-york-jx7vs2ppd95y) — New York, NY