---
title: 'Senior Software Engineer at Sofar Ocean'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-sofar-ocean-san-francisco-zzwa5h3fhd97'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-06'
---

# Senior Software Engineer at Sofar Ocean

- **Company:** Sofar Ocean
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Posted:** 2026-08-27
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/sofarocean/33af3ff4-5b0d-4f36-a6a9-7fbea540cbf1

## Job description

## THE ROLE

You will be a key contributor to frontend and backend engineering on cloud software systems on the Spotter team, which is a highly cross-functional group that designs our sensing systems and the applications that connect them. You’ll work alongside other software engineers and collaborate directly with hardware and firmware engineers to build features in applications like spotter.sofarocean.com http://spotter.sofarocean.com and APIs (see docs.sofarocean.com http://docs.sofarocean.com) that interact with our hardware products: Spotter, Smart Mooring, next generation platforms, and Sofar’s open hardware connectivity stack Bristlemouth www.bristlemouth.org http://www.bristlemouth.org.

You thrive in small and collaborative multidisciplinary teams, and love learning something new and surprising every day. You strive for the shared success of improving the health of our oceans and planet by shipping a cohesive, performant and impactful product.

You’re a full-stack engineer with experience developing frontend and backend elements of modern web applications. Our tech stack includes React on the frontend with backend APIs written using Typescript, Express, and Postgres. You will own features across the stack and should be comfortable architecting solutions from the data storage layer to UIs.

This role will be working onsite at our Pier 28 office at least 3 days per week and reporting to our Senior Engineering Manager.

## RECENT TEAM STORIES

We had a particular user account with rapidly increasing numbers of deployed hydrophones, reporting data more and more frequently, with many users concurrently opening the dashboard that displays complex visualizations of this real-time streaming dynamic data, so that the load on the backend system was compounding exponentially. We’re proud of some intense, fun, and successful performance testing work we did, with solutions that spanned React component data invalidation, multiple layers of caching, database index optimization, and remotely configurable thresholds on the hardware systems.

We're currently automating some processes for configuring and updating a wide range of remote hardware devices in order to make it easier for users to manage their systems safely without contacting support. One part of the challenge is documenting the giant unwritten decision tree that has only ever been performed by our very smart and deeply knowledgeable colleagues. We all continue to surprise each other by bringing up yet another caveat or edge case that we have to account for in software.

## FUN STUFF

- Gorgeous Pier 28 office where we test systems in San Francisco Bay
- Lunch provided 3 days a week
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
- Flexible PTO, plus one company-wide office closure week

## ABOUT YOU

- Passionate about building a product with a positive impact on the world
- Product engineer mindset with deep customer empathy and strong opinions
- Comfortable owning a feature end-to-end with minimal spec
- A clear and empathetic communicator who enjoys collaborating with other engineers, designers, product managers, and scientists
- Rapidly acquire new technical skills and knowledge in a fast-paced, high-delivery environment
- Mentor others in an open, respectful, empathetic manner, including through thoughtful code reviews
- Excited to join a 100-person growing startup

## MINIMUM JOB QUALIFICATIONS

- 5+ years of professional software development experience in modern cloud environments
- Significant professional experience with Typescript, React, & Postgres
- Owned the full lifecycle of features from conception and architecture, through development and testing, release with CI/CD, monitoring and alerting, to maintenance and optimization

## BONUS POINTS

- You love the ocean and have a connection to it that you could strengthen by joining Sofar
- Significant expertise with deployments spanning several AWS services like ECS, ALB, CloudFront, RDS, ElastiCache, Lambda, IAM, and more
- Complex data visualization experience (circular wave energy, hydrophone spectrogram)
- Acoustics expertise or knowledge about sonic propagation in dynamic ocean environments
- Have worked directly with hardware or firmware colleagues

## ESTIMATED SALARY RANGE

- $140,000-$179,000 + stock options
- The range listed is what we reasonably expect to pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and may be modified in the future. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, experience, and equity package.

## About Sofar Ocean

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Sofar Ocean is an ocean intelligence platform that connects the world’s oceans to power a more sustainable future by deploying a global sensor network to provide real-time marine weather data and voyage optimization for shipping, research, and defense.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B-III)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Tim Janssen, PhD (Co-Founder & CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Marine Technology, Ocean Intelligence, Data Analytics, Maritime Shipping, Climate Tech
- **Target customers**: B2B — shipping companies, commercial operators, charterers, vessel performance managers, governments (NOAA, U.S. Navy), researchers, and defense organizations
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "To connect the world's oceans to power a more sustainable future."

## Products & Services
- **[Wayfinder](https://www.sofarocean.com/)**: Voyage optimization software that recommends the best route, speed, and schedule for each voyage. Built for shipping companies, it combines live maritime weather data, vessel performance models, and commercial constraints to cut fuel use and emissions while keeping schedules on track.
- **[Spotter Platform](https://www.sofarocean.com/)**: A global network of solar-powered sensing platforms that measure waves, weather, and subsurface data in real time. Used by governments, researchers, and defense for live ground truth data from the ocean. Capabilities include surface sensing (waves, wind, weather), subsurface sensing (sound, currents, temperature, water quality, water level), and mobile autonomous operations.
- **Marine Weather**: Real-time storm warnings, seakeeping alerts, and hyperlocal forecasts powered by the company’s own sensor network. Trusted by NOAA, the U.S. Navy, and the world's largest shipping fleets.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding raised of **$73.25M** (Series B-III, last raised ~1 year ago) [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/sofar-ocean-technologies)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Peter Rive (Chairman, founding team), NOAA, U.S. Navy, and the world's largest shipping fleets [sofarocean.com](https://www.sofarocean.com/company/about)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Operates the largest privately-owned ocean sensor network in the world, collecting **1.5 million real-time observations daily** [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/sofar-ocean)
  - Marine weather forecasts are **up to 50% more accurate** than traditional models [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/sofar-ocean)
  - Over **2,500 Spotters deployed globally** and **25 million+ hours of ocean observations** collected [sofarocean.com](https://www.sofarocean.com/)
  - Trusted by NOAA, the U.S. Navy, and the world's largest shipping fleets [sofarocean.com](https://www.sofarocean.com/)
  - **125 total employees** [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/sofar-ocean)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Largest privately-owned ocean sensor network in the world** — a proprietary data moat that competitors cannot easily replicate.
- **50% more accurate marine weather forecasts** than traditional models, powered by real-time data from their own Spotter buoys [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/sofar-ocean).
- **Proven traction with top-tier customers**: Trusted by NOAA, the U.S. Navy, and the world's largest shipping fleets [sofarocean.com](https://www.sofarocean.com/).
- **Hardware + Software + Data flywheel**: The Spotter hardware network feeds proprietary data into Wayfinder software, creating a self-reinforcing competitive advantage.
- **Mission-driven brand**: "If we have to choose between more profit or better oceans, we choose the ocean" — strong alignment with sustainability and climate goals.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling the sensor network**: Continuing to deploy Spotters globally to increase data density and forecast accuracy.
- **Expanding commercial shipping adoption**: Driving fuel savings (4–8% average reduction) and emissions reduction for the maritime industry.
- **Defense & government contracts**: Deepening relationships with NOAA, U.S. Navy, and other government agencies for ocean intelligence.
- **Product development**: Enhancing Wayfinder routing software and Spotter platform capabilities (mobile autonomous, subsurface sensing).
- **Global expansion**: Hiring for roles in APAC/Singapore, indicating international growth.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture**: "If we have to choose between more profit or better oceans, we choose the ocean" — strong environmental purpose [sofarocean.com](https://www.sofarocean.com/company/careers).
- **Hybrid work model**: Most roles are hybrid (combination of remote and on-site), with a beautiful waterfront office in San Francisco that is dog-friendly [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/sofar-ocean).
- **Generous benefits**: Flexible PTO (plus 10 office closure days and the last week of December off), 12 weeks parental leave (with an additional 4 weeks for birthing parents), healthcare (medical, dental, vision), 401(K), company equity [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/sofar-ocean).
- **Remote support**: One-time home office stipend for remote team members, relocation bonus for those moving to the Bay Area, Green Card & Visa sponsorship for eligible team members [sofarocean.com](https://www.sofarocean.com/company/careers).
- **Culture**: Team-driven celebrations, autonomy and ownership, annual onsite week with all remote team members, strong internal community of ocean-lovers, dog-friendly office [sofarocean.com](https://www.sofarocean.com/company/careers).
- **Values**: "Oceans First" — if they have to choose between more profit or better oceans, they choose the ocean. "Build for the mission, be pragmatic, and move fast. Ocean health can’t wait." [sofarocean.com](https://www.sofarocean.com/company/careers)

## Sources
1. [sofarocean.com](https://www.sofarocean.com/)
2. [sofarocean.com/company/careers](https://www.sofarocean.com/company/careers)
3. [sofarocean.com/company/about](https://www.sofarocean.com/company/about)
4. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/sofar-ocean)
5. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/sofar-ocean-technologies)

## Other roles at Sofar Ocean

- [Senior Software Engineer — Maritime Optimization](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-maritime-optimization-sofar-ocean-united-states-pxsqwf5qsnqv) — United States
- [Senior Software Engineer — Fleet Workflow Integrations](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-fleet-workflow-integrations-sofar-ocean-san-diego-72xvd121nh2h) — San Diego, CA
- [Senior Mechanical Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-mechanical-engineer-sofar-ocean-san-francisco-d3rsdc2n3t52) — San Francisco, CA
- [Sourcing Partner, Talent Acquisition](https://feeny.ai/job/sourcing-partner-talent-acquisition-sofar-ocean-san-francisco-h6pea0hp4sbg) — San Francisco, CA
- [Senior Firmware Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-firmware-engineer-sofar-ocean-san-francisco-n8jw4vhpx2rj) — San Francisco, CA
- [Science Engagement Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/science-engagement-lead-sofar-ocean-san-francisco-wnegda8ere7h) — San Francisco, CA
- [Defense Customer Success Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/defense-customer-success-lead-sofar-ocean-united-states-r6bayj4ybegk) — United States
- [Staff Scientist - Underwater Acoustics](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-scientist-underwater-acoustics-sofar-ocean-san-francisco-jn3mw90vqnxh) — San Francisco, CA
- [Principal Scientist - Underwater Acoustics](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-scientist-underwater-acoustics-sofar-ocean-san-francisco-rdy81m33sgxx) — San Francisco, CA
- [Senior Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-finout-tel-aviv-c6q96kpgh2e9) — Tel Aviv, Israel