Full-Stack Developer – OAE Data Commons

Written By Jacki Long

Remote | Part-time Contract | Immediate start

Submarine Scientific is seeking a Full-Stack Developer to build the first-ever OAE Data Commons, a web platform that will aggregate, standardize, and surface Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) field data from academic, public, and private sector contributors.

The OAE Data Commons builds upon the foundational work established through the OAE Data Management Protocol, and provides a technical framework to access field data and enable independent synthesis and interpretation of field research data. 

This is an exciting opportunity to help define and build the data management infrastructure for a rapidly emerging climate technology field. Your work will directly support OAE researchers, project developers, registries, and verifiers by complying OAE field data to FAIR practices (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), supporting a scientifically valuable sector.

About the Project

The OAE Data Commons is one of several interconnected OAE Data Management Tools funded by the Carbon to Sea Initiative and developed by Submarine Scientific. As part of this ecosystem, the Data Commons will:

  • Provide a single entry point for discovering OAE field project metadata and links to open or controlled-access datasets.

  • Integrate with metadata standards and related tooling for the OAE Data Management Protocol, such as the Metadata Builder, and Compliance Checker. You can read more about these tools here.

  • Consist of clear, user-friendly interfaces with visual elements to facilitate search/filter functionality and dataset discovery (such as a project map or other intuitive navigation tools) to help users explore OAE projects and move easily between project, experiment, and dataset pages.

  • Support both technical and public users—from data synthesis teams to general audiences—while later versions add a secure, logged-in submission process for research data managers and companies contributing datasets.

  • Grow in later phases to accommodate automated compliance checks, AI-assisted search & discovery, and governed data access.

We are hiring a hands-on full-stack developer who can translate clear functional specs and/or UX wireframes into a working, well-structured platform. This role is scoped specifically for the back-end and front-end implementation of the Data Commons web platform, including the project directory, experiment pages, dataset registry, search/filter tools, and basic admin pipeline.


In this role, you will be the primary developer on the OAE Data Commons, collaborating closely with the Project Lead and Technical Lead on product requirements, design, and architectural alignment with other tooling. While not a strict requirement, we are excited to hear from candidates with design experience who can work directly in Figma, building wireframes and UX assets alongside other team members.


Qualifications

Must Have

  • 5+ years of experience developing full-stack web applications; familiarity with Next.js and TypeScript is preferred.

  • Strong front-end development skills, having worked with different front-end architectures and able to navigate trade-offs of static site generation, server-side rendering, and working with dynamic content. 

  • Experience with front-end mapping libraries (Leaflet, Mapbox, or similar).

  • Experience bootstrapping software projects from scratch and managing tooling like CI, testing suites, staging environments, etc.

  • Experience evaluating and provisioning various kinds of database technologies (e.g., SQL or NoSQL).

  • Experience working with structured data schemas in JSON.

  • Comfortable building search/filter logic, including geospatial filters.

  • Experience with AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., Copilot, Claude Code) and the ability to use them effectively alongside your own skills.

  • Ability to work autonomously and communicate clearly in a small, collaborative team.

Nice to Have

  • Experience with building data discovery portals, scientific data catalogs, or data governance systems.

  • Experience with linked data, LinkML, semantic web, or knowledge graph technologies such as RDF / SPARQL.

  • Familiarity working in Figma and ability to mock up your own wireframes for clean, responsive UIs.

  • Experience with access-controlled or brokered data systems.

  • Interest in climate technology, ocean science, or environmental data systems.

Contract Details

  • Start date: Immediate

  • Project Scope / Duration: The MVP phase is estimated at roughly 3 months at 15–20 hours per week. The detailed scope and budget will be refined together with the hired developer prior to contract initiation.

  • Rate: Hourly; competitive pay based on experience. Developer should track and invoice hours on a monthly basis.

  • Location: Remote.

How to Apply

Please send the following to hiring@submarine.earth 

  • A short cover letter describing relevant experience with links to past relevant projects, GitHub, portfolio, etc.

  • Resume.

We encourage applicants from backgrounds historically underrepresented in ocean technology and climate engineering.

Jacki Long
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