Narwhal is connecting the disconnected systems that run global shipping, ERPs, supplier portals, forwarder platforms, vessel management systems, and automating the workflows that currently burn thousands of hours of manual work. We're not building another SaaS dashboard. We're building AI agents that read PDFs, extract data from emails, synchronize inventory across incompatible systems, and learn from operator feedback to get smarter over time. We need a Head of Engineering & AI who can turn this vision into production-grade reality.
What You'll Do
- Own the technical architecture: build the systems that enable AI agents to operate inside legacy maritime software without requiring APIs or system replacement
- Lead the development of our vessel-centric data layer, the foundational ontology that maps every piece of equipment, part, and supplier relationship to each vessel
- Design and deploy AI agents (LLMs + RPA + computer vision) that automate procurement, logistics tracking, inventory reconciliation, and compliance workflows
- Build robust integration infrastructure that connects ERPs (BASSnet, ShipNet, MariApps), forwarder systems, supplier portals, and vessel management platforms
- Implement enterprise-grade security, data isolation, and compliance frameworks for multi-tenant shipping company deployments
- Scale engineering practices: establish architecture patterns, code standards, deployment pipelines, and testing frameworks that enable fast iteration without breaking production
- Build and mentor an exceptional engineering team across full-stack, backend, AI/ML, and data infrastructure
- Partner directly with customers through our Ambassador Program, embedding with operators to understand workflows, validate solutions, and iterate based on real-world usage
Who You Are
- 8+ years engineering experience with 3+ years leading technical teams
- Deep expertise in system integration, API design, and working with legacy enterprise software
- Strong AI/ML background: hands-on experience deploying LLMs, building agent systems, and implementing computer vision solutions in production environments
- Experience with RPA frameworks and UI automation for systems without APIs
- Solid understanding of data architecture, knowledge graphs, and ontology design
- Track record of building secure, reliable systems that handle sensitive enterprise data
- Comfortable with ambiguity, you thrive in complex problem spaces where the right solution isn't obvious
- Equally technical and strategic: you can debug production issues and present architecture decisions to executives
- Passionate about building products that operators actually use, not just impressive demos
- Comfortable working directly with operators in their environment, this role requires spending time embedded in shipping operations centers, not just running remote calls
Nice to Have
- Experience in supply chain, logistics, freight forwarding, or industrial operations software
- Background in enterprise integration platforms (middleware, ETL, data synchronization)
- Familiarity with maritime systems (ERP platforms, planned maintenance systems, procurement software)
- Track record at early-stage startups, especially product-market fit stage
Why Join Narwhal
- Founding engineering leadership role with meaningful equity ownership
- Solve genuinely hard technical problems: making AI work inside legacy systems most companies can't touch
- Build for operators managing billion-dollar fleets where your work has measurable impact
- Shape engineering culture from day one
- Work directly with customers, see your code in production within weeks
How to Apply
Send your resume and a note about why you're interested to careers@narwhal.ai
Tell us:
- What excites you about building for maritime operations
- A hard problem you've solved that's relevant to this role
- Why you want to join at this stage
We'll respond within 48 hours.
