Hiring: Principal Scientist - Underwater Acoustics Company: Sofar Ocean Location: San Francisco, CA Job Posted Time: 2026-09-10 12:02:02 Target Skills & Keywords : Embedded Systems, Firmware, LLM, Machine Learning, Microsoft Excel, Security Clearance, Systems Design About the job Required Skills: •Sofar designs, builds, and deploys ocean sensing networks at a global scale to power ocean intelligence. We are expanding our sensing and intelligence capabilities into underwater acoustics and looking for a world-class expert in ocean acoustics to set the technical product vision for Sofar’s underwater acoustics platform. •Lead Sofar’s underwater acoustics strategy, defining the technical vision for an underwater acoustics platform that supports real-world marine applications. •Develop capabilities to detect, classify, localize, and track acoustic sources and targets using passive and/or active techniques. •Drive AI/ML model development for edge-based and cloud-based acoustic intelligence models. •Advance methods for mapping and characterizing the ocean soundscape—including ambient noise fields, acoustic propagation conditions (e.g., sound-speed structure and transmission loss), and the oceanographic and geoacoustic context that drives them. •Provide an acoustics-centric perspective on sensing system design—including hydrophone/array selection, calibration, and geometry—as well as deployment strategy, data quality, and performance validation. •Partner cross-functionally with Sofar’s ocean and sensing scientists, hardware and software engineers, to translate acoustics domain expertise into operational products. •Design and conduct field experiments, at-sea data collection, data analyses, and modeling and simulation studies (including propagation and detection-performance modeling) to evaluate acoustic system performance under realistic ocean conditions. Qualifications: •Deep expertise in underwater acoustics •Practical experience developing acoustic sensing systems or algorithms for detection, classification, localization, mapping, or environmental characterization •In-depth knowledge of marine acoustic propagation, ambient noise, signal processing, and the practical constraints of ocean sensing in the real world •Excellent communication skills, and you excel working in a cross-functional team •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 leading externally funded research programs or strategic technical partnerships. •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. •Operational familiarity with embedded sensing systems, firmware constraints, or edge processing for acoustic applications •Operational familiarity with the constraints of autonomous ocean platforms, including limited power, bandwidth, onboard compute, sensor calibration, and long-duration deployments. Compensation: •$137,000 - $185,000 / year Interested candidates, please apply directly through the job posting on company's career page or try via AI auto apply on this platform. Don't miss this opportunity to join a forward-thinking team!