Marine Standards Development Associate

Compass-Maritime-Group; Annapolis (MD); On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Paid time off

Bonus potential

Job summary

The organization in Annapolis, MD is seeking a Standards Development Associate to support the development and review of safety standards for the recreational marine industry. You will coordinate meetings, prepare materials, track proposed changes, and translate complex discussions into clear documentation.

Key requirements include practical marine knowledge, strong organizational skills, and the ability to work both independently and with a small team in a mission-driven nonprofit setting.

Qualifications

• Hands-on knowledge of boats and marine systems is required.
• Ability to learn new technical information quickly.
• Strong verbal and written communication for meetings and records.
• Experience coordinating committees or meetings is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support the Project Technical Committees and subcommittees throughout the standards process.
• Coordinate meetings, invitations, agendas, and follow-up materials.
• Review packets and technical docs for completeness and accuracy.
• Participate in virtual and in-person meetings and record key decisions.
• Edit standards documents during meetings and apply approved changes.
• Communicate with committee members and industry stakeholders.
• Assist with events, webinars, and related programs.

Job description

Annapolis, United States | Posted on 10/01/2026

Help shape the standards behind saferboating

Our client is seeking an organized,knowledgeable, and collaborative Standards Development Associate to support thedevelopment and ongoing review of the safety standards used throughout therecreational marine industry.

Our client is a nonprofit membership organization and the essential source oftechnical information for the international marine industry. Its voluntarystandards help guide the design, construction, maintenance, and repair ofrecreational boats—and approximately 90% of boats on the water are built to the standards. They are developed through a consensus-based processinvolving more than 400 marine professionals serving on 16 Project TechnicalCommittees.

This position plays an important role in keeping that process organized,productive, and moving forward. You will work alongside the standards team,committee members, and marine-industry experts to coordinate meetings, preparetechnical materials, track proposed changes, and help translate complexdiscussions into clear, accurate documentation.

This is a strong opportunity for someone who understands boats and marinesystems but may be ready to move beyond a traditional service, manufacturing,or field-based role. You do not need to arrive as a standards expert—but youmust bring marine knowledge, curiosity, strong organizational skills, and theability to learn.

Requirements

What you’ll do

• Support the Project TechnicalCommittees and subcommittees throughout the standards-development andreview process.
  
• Coordinate committee meetings,including scheduling, invitations, agendas, supporting documents,presentations, and follow-up materials.
  
• Review meeting packets andtechnical documents to ensure materials are complete, accurate, and readyfor committee consideration.
  
• Participate in virtual andin-person committee meetings, capture key decisions, and maintain clearrecords of proposed revisions and next steps.
  
• Edit standards documents duringmeetings and incorporate approved changes accurately.
  
• Communicate with committeemembers, marine professionals, regulators, and other industrystakeholders.
  
• Respond to questions about the Standards and connect callers with the appropriate technical resourceswhen needed.
  
• Support webinars, presentations,email communications, and other standards-related programs.
  
• Assist with events andcommittee activities
  
• Maintain organized records within the association-management and internal standards-development systems.
  
• Collaborate closely with thestandards team and contribute wherever needed in a small, mission-focusedorganization.
  

A typical day may include

• Reviewing messages from committeemembers, subcommittees, and industry stakeholders.
  
• Preparing documents andpresentations for an upcoming committee meeting.
  
• Participating in a virtualmeeting and updating standards language as the group works throughproposed changes.
  
• Answering questions from membersor marine professionals seeking guidance on a standard.
  
• Scheduling a webinar,coordinating meeting logistics, or following up on committee action items.
  
• Working with colleagues to keepseveral standards and committee timelines moving at once.
  

What you’ll bring

• Practical knowledge of boats,marine systems, boatbuilding, service, repair, surveying, or another areaof the recreational marine industry.
  
• A strong ability and willingnessto learn new technical information.
  
• Confidence working with groups ofprofessionals who may bring different—and sometimes stronglyheld—perspectives.
  
• Excellent organizational skillsand the ability to coordinate multiple meetings, documents, deadlines, andpriorities.
  
• Clear written and verbalcommunication skills.
  
• Comfort facilitating discussions,presenting information, and speaking in front of groups.
  
• Strong attention to detail,particularly when reviewing and editing technical documents.
  
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word,Excel, and PowerPoint, along with Adobe applications and virtual meetingplatforms.
  
• Comfort learningassociation-management and proprietary software.
  
• The ability to work bothindependently and collaboratively.
  
• A genuine interest in making boating safer.
  

Especially valuable

• An ABYC certification orfamiliarity with ABYC Standards.
  
• Previous experience working witha professional association, membership organization, technical committee,or standards-development organization.
  
• Experience coordinatingcommittees, boards, working groups, or consensus-based projects.
  
• Familiarity with marine-industryevents, education, certification, or regulatory organizations.
  
• A bachelor’s degree or anequivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
  

Work environment and travel

The Standards Development Associate will initially work from the headquarters in Annapolis to learn the organization, systems, standardsprocess, and team. A hybrid arrangement may be considered after the employee isfully established in the role.

Most committee meetings are conducted virtually, generally on a monthlyschedule. The position also supports several key events throughout the year,including an in-person Standards Week featuring multiple committee meetings.Some travel will be required.

Compensation and benefits

• An annual salary of$55,000–$65,000, based on experience
  
• Health insurance
  
• Vision insurance
  
• 401(k)
  
• Paid time off
  
• Potential year-end bonus based onorganizational performance; bonuses are not guaranteed
  
• Professional development and theopportunity to build relationships across the recreational marine industry