Senior Underwater Acoustics Scientist

Sofar Ocean; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 121,000 - 171,000; Full time

Job summary

Sofar Ocean designs, builds, and deploys ocean sensing networks to empower ocean intelligence. We seek an experienced scientist/engineer in ocean acoustics to advance our underwater acoustics platform and contribute to real-world marine applications.

You will shape strategy, develop sensing capabilities, and collaborate across cross-functional teams to translate research into deployable products, leveraging AI methods and field-tested datasets for robust acoustic performance.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in underwater acoustics.
• Experience developing acoustic sensing systems or algorithms for detection, classification, localization, mapping, or environmental characterization.
• Strong understanding of marine acoustic propagation, ambient noise, signal processing, and practical constraints of ocean sensing.
• Experience working with real-world acoustic datasets, field deployments, and/or operational sensing systems.
• Experience applying statistical signal processing, machine learning, or modern AI methods to acoustic detection, classification, or environmental inference.
• Excellent communication skills, and you excel working in a cross-functional team.
• Experience translating scientific research into operational products or customer-facing capabilities.
• Ph.D. in acoustics, ocean engineering, electrical engineering, applied physics, oceanography, or a related field, but we will consider highly qualified candidates of any education level with equivalent experience
• Strong reputation within the ocean acoustics community, with experience contributing to research programs, technical partnerships, or externally funded work
• Enthusiasm and experience in leveraging LLMs to magnify personal impact
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance. Under U.S. law, only U.S. citizens are eligible to obtain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Shape Sofar's underwater acoustics strategy and support the technical vision for an underwater acoustics platform.
• Develop capabilities to detect, classify, and localize underwater objects using passive and/or active acoustic sensing methods.
• Advance methods for creating acoustic maps of the marine environment, including ambient soundscapes, propagation conditions, and oceanographic context.
• Provide an acoustics-centric perspective on sensing system design, deployment, data quality, and performance validation.
• Collaborate with Sofar's oceanic and sensing scientists, software engineers, and firmware teams to translate acoustic research into operational products.
• Coordinate and conduct field experiments, data analyses, and simulation studies to evaluate acoustic system performance in real-world conditions.
• Bring deep expertise in marine acoustics to complement Sofar's teams.
• Contribute to product requirements, technical roadmaps, and research priorities for new underwater acoustic capabilities.
• Represent Sofar externally with customers, research partners, government agencies, and the broader ocean acoustics community.

Skills

Underwater acoustics

Acoustic sensing systems

Statistical signal processing

Machine learning

Cross-functional teamwork

Customer-facing capabilities

Security clearance readiness

Education

Ph.D. or equivalently experienced in acoustics/ocean engineering/electrical engineering

Job description

Sofar Ocean designs, builds, and deploys ocean sensing networks to empower ocean intelligence. We seek an experienced scientist/engineer in ocean acoustics to advance our underwater acoustics platform and contribute to real-world marine applications.

You will shape strategy, develop sensing capabilities, and collaborate across cross-functional teams to translate research into deployable products, leveraging AI methods and field-tested datasets for robust acoustic performance.