Head of Launch (Africa)

About Us

At Quartermaster AI, we leverage cutting-edge AI and robotics technology to enhance maritime domain awareness. Our mission is to become the eyes, ears, and brain of the ocean by enabling every vessel to collaboratively sense, compute, and communicate. Quartermaster is a venture-backed Maritime Domain Awareness company providing near real-time insights to government and commercial partners via our SmartMast product. SmartMast is a COTS sensor system consisting of a camera, a software defined radio, and a proprietary onboard AI component installed on vessels worldwide, and managed by Quartermaster.

About the Role

As Head of Launch for Africa, you will lead Quartermaster's expansion across one of the world's most diverse and fast-evolving maritime regions. This is a high-stakes, dual-mandate role: you will serve as our chief diplomat and operational strategist. You will be responsible for proactively de-risking our business across a wide range of jurisdictions and regulatory regimes, while identifying and securing the maritime partnerships that anchor Quartermaster's growth. Success in this role is measured in SmartMast units installed, activated, and reporting on Africa’s coastal waters.

Key Responsibilities

Regulatory Strategy & Market De-risking

• Government & Regulatory Relations: Build and maintain proactive relationships with national maritime authorities, port authorities, and regional bodies across Africa’s varied regulatory landscape.
• Policy & Compliance Mapping: Anticipate regulatory shifts, trade restrictions, and policy changes across the continent's overlapping port state control regimes, including the Abuja MoU and Indian Ocean MoU, along with continent-wide frameworks such as the African Union’s 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy, and develop strategies to neutralize risks before they impact operations.
• Compliance Leadership: Partner with Legal and Compliance to ensure every