Head of Launch (Europe)

About the role

The candidate will own the end to end market entry strategy for European maritime regions with a focus on regulatory navigation and partnership generation. They will act as the primary liaison between Quartermaster and European public authorities, ensuring all interactions reflect the company's compliance-first ethos. In this capacity, they will de risk operations by identifying and mitigating jurisdictional, trade, and policy barriers before they affect deployment. The role requires building durable relationships with fleet operators, port authorities, and vessel owners to drive adoption of SmartMast solutions. They will translate global product strategy into locally viable market playbooks that respect regional nuances and regulatory expectations. The hire will also be accountable for assembling and leading a high performing local team aligned on execution quality and timelines. Success will be defined by the number of activated SmartMast units reporting reliably from European waters.

Key facts

What you'll do

Develop and execute market entry playbooks that address the specific regulatory and commercial characteristics of individual European countries.

Establish import, customs, and logistics frameworks to streamline the flow of SmartMast hardware into target ports with appropriate staging and warehousing.

Build and maintain relationships with national maritime administrations, flag state authorities, and EU level bodies to support regulatory compliance and acceptance.

Map and monitor policy shifts, trade restrictions, and requirements such as the Paris MoU to proactively adjust go to market strategies.

Partner with Legal and Compliance to ensure alignment with local labor, customs, trade, spectrum, equipment type approval, data handling, and maritime safety regulations.

Identify, assess, and onboard local vendors including installers, fabricators, and port side partners who can meet Quartermaster's quality and safety standards.

Map key commercial stakeholders including commercial fleet operators and independent vessel owners, then prioritize outreach based on strategic fit and deployment potential.

Negotiate partnership and space use agreements that secure vessel capacity and establish clear operational rights for SmartMast installations.

Lead the onboarding of new fleet, port, and vendor partners to ensure smooth integration with global product, engineering, and operations workflows.

Serve as the primary feedback channel from European markets to company leadership, surfacing regional dynamics, technical requirements, and emerging risks.

Manage relationships with port authorities and maritime organizations to minimize bureaucratic friction and accelerate deployment timelines.

Recruit, mentor, and scale a cross functional local team covering field operations, market support, and stakeholder engagement.

Align global product, engineering, legal, and marketing teams with the specific requirements and constraints of European markets.

Champion a bias for action by drafting market entry plans in the morning and securing stakeholder commitments in the afternoon.

Requirements

Candidates must bring a minimum of 8 years of experience in senior operations, market launch, business development, or public policy roles, preferably within maritime or highly regulated sectors. They must demonstrate a working knowledge of European maritime frameworks, trade regimes, and the variation across regional markets. Proven ability to navigate government processes, engage with multilateral regulatory bodies, and steward public private partnerships is essential. A track record of closing complex B2B partnerships, fleet agreements, and joint ventures is required. The ideal candidate operates with a bias for action, showing the capacity to move from planning to execution under tight timelines. Fluency in English is mandatory for all communications and documentation. Professional proficiency in French is required to engage effectively with stakeholders and partners across key European markets.

Nice to have

Only roles and skills explicitly mentioned in the source are considered preferred or optional.

Practical notes

The position is full time based in London. The candidate must be prepared to manage travel in line with business needs and adhere to relevant visa requirements. Applications will be evaluated based on the information provided in the candidate's materials relative to the stated requirements.