Chief Technology Officer

About the Organization

SkyTruth is a nonprofit conservation technology organization that uses the view from space to protect people and the planet. We are specialists in developing, demonstrating, and operationalizing the application of remote sensing to address the pressing conservation issues of our day. We create web-based services and products featuring satellite imagery and other satellite datasets, and our staff are motivated to make all of our work open, public, and free.

Mission: Sharing the view from space to promote conservation for people and the planet.

Vision: Everyone around the world enjoys a healthy environment and sustainable livelihood because transparency is the norm: polluters know they will be seen and caught, industries have cleaned up their practices, and governments are vigorously enforcing environmental protection.

Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity

The staff and leadership of SkyTruth believe that diversity and inclusion among our teammates are critical to our success as an organization. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and cultures. SkyTruth is an equal opportunity employer. We hire and promote qualified professionals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees of SkyTruth and our partners, vendors, suppliers, and contractors. Your skills and experiences are needed here!

SkyTruth’s Flagship Projects

Cerulean and Inambari apply machine learning to analyze satellite imagery at scale. Cerulean automates the near real-time detection of oil pollution at sea, from cargo ships and tankers as well as oil and gas platforms, and identifies the polluters. Dozens of potential partners and users have expressed high interest in using Cerulean as a tool to decarbonize commercial shipping and stop new offshore oil extraction. Inambari provides an early warning of illegal mining in tropical forests, creating opportunities for governments and activists to intervene, heading off major damage to ecosystems and threats to Indigenous communities.

For more information about SkyTruth and our projects, please visit our website.

About the Position

SkyTruth received a major three-year grant in late 2021, positioning us to double our staff and turbocharge our impact. We are seeking a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) motivated by this opportunity to build and lead a diverse and thriving SkyTruth technology team that will successfully execute these projects and continually innovate to create new opportunities for SkyTruth to promote conservation and environmental justice worldwide.

Working closely with SkyTruth’s President, John Amos, the CTO will serve as a thought partner and will be a member of the leadership team. The CTO will be responsible for recruitment and management of the technology team that will build and implement our project portfolio with anticipated growth of close to 20 staff in 2022. The CTO will stay abreast of advances in remote sensing, computer vision, data availability, data science and analytics, and related subjects, and will regularly brainstorm with the President to explore and evaluate opportunities for future directions and set priorities for the development of SkyTruth’s technology program. The CTO will assist the President with outreach and other activities to raise SkyTruth’s profile and will periodically present at meetings, conferences, and other events.

The CTO will also work closely with SkyTruth’s Chief Operating Officer and the Director of Impact and Strategic Partnerships to align program objectives and outputs with a strategic vision and to successfully execute on grants tracking and deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and manage SkyTruth's conservation technology program
• Grow and lead a program that delivers innovation and conservation benefits for people and the planet
• Envision how existing and emerging forms of technology can be used to scale SkyTruth’s ability to create world-changing impact
• Research and recommend ways to strengthen and expand SkyTruth’s technology skills, approaches, and assets
• Maintain SkyTruth’s web properties, tools, products, and services
• Effectively communicate and enthusiastically promote SkyTruth’s mission, program, services and products at meetings, conferences, and other events 

Key Attributes and Qualifications

SkyTruth’s CTO will be excited by our mission: using the fast-evolving areas of space and data technology to address climate change, promote conservation, and champion environmental justice around the globe. The CTO will enjoy recruiting and managing a diverse team to execute our technology portfolio and will have experience leading teams to successfully implement complex multi-year projects. The CTO will have strong communication skills and will be effective at engaging with SkyTruth’s staff and Board, and promoting SkyTruth’s work and mission to our partners, funders, and the public. 

Team Building

• 10+ years of proven success at designing, recruiting, and managing technical teams
• Hands-on programming experience and the ability to jump in where needed as the team grows
• Substantial experience developing and deploying machine learning models for applications related to computer vision or image analysis
• Experience launching and supporting a fast-growing, cloud-deployed service offering with a dynamic user interface and API
• Strong communication skills with the ability to present a technology vision confidently in a way that recruits support both internally and externally 

SkyTruth’s Tech Stack

• Remote sensing (aerial/satellite imagery, AIS)
• Raster and vector analysis (GDAL, QGIS)
• Cloud computing (GCP/Earth Engine, AWS)
• Machine learning (CNNs/Random forest)
• Geographic database (PostgreSQL)
• Interactive mapping (Maps API)

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time salaried position with an expected salary range of $150,000 - $175,000, depending on skills and experience. SkyTruth offers a robust benefits package. 

Location

SkyTruth is a fully remote organization working across multiple time zones, so working hours may vary according to geography, operational, and personal needs. While this role can be based anywhere, the candidate must be able to reliably accommodate meetings across North American time zones. Periodic domestic and international travel may be necessary to participate in conferences, presentations, and meetings. In-person meetings will only resume when safe to do so given the COVID-19 pandemic.

To Apply

• SkyTruth has partnered with CEA Recruiting for this search. We welcome candidates to apply for this position by following the link below to submit a resume and cover letter.
  • Please direct all inquiries to Megna Patel at megna@ceaconsulting.com.
• Cover letters may be addressed to John Amos, President.