Job description
Planetary Technologies' vision is to protect and restore the ocean and climate for generations to come. We do this by enhancing the ocean's natural ability to fight climate change through carbon dioxide removal and storage. Our team combines expertise in ocean science, metallurgy and geochemistry to safely and effectively scale up ocean-based CO2 management solutions. Working collaboratively with all of our stakeholders, we develop a cost effective and sustainable set of tools aimed at protecting and restoring our oceans and climate, ultimately doing carbon dioxide removal and storage at gigatonne scale.
We are leaders, scientists, and engineers working together to collectively embody our values: respect, curiosity & creativity, accept responsibility, and win for all.
The Role
Planetary has proven the science. We're looking for a proven leader to scale the business.
We are seeking a VP Project Origination to own three outcomes that define Planetary's next chapter:
- Secure our alkalinity feedstock supply. You will convert identified supply opportunities into negotiated, executed contracts that keep our operations fed today and make our next projects bankable.
- Originate and close carbon removal offtake agreements. You will own our buyer relationships end-to-end, from pipeline development through structuring, negotiation, and contract execution, turning growing market demand into signed, revenue-generating commitments.
- Develop Planetary's next project to operation by end of 2028. You will lead the origination and development of our second operating project including site identification, outfall access, permitting strategy, community and government engagement, and the anchor offtake through to final investment decision and into operation.
You will work as a close partner and peer to our VP Projects, who leads engineering, operations, and project delivery. He identifies supply leads and defines what the operation needs; you negotiate and close the agreements. You develop and structure new projects; his team engineers, builds, and runs them. This is a teammate relationship at the center of the company.
This role reports directly to the CEO and is responsible for credits contracted and delivered against commitments, supply secured at target costs, and project development milestones met.
Core Responsibilities
- Negotiate and close feedstock supply agreements with strategic suppliers, ensuring Planetary has sufficient alkalinity supply to hit production targets while understanding the life-cycle impacts of supply decisions
- Originate, structure, negotiate, and close carbon removal offtake agreements with corporate and institutional buyers, including structures that support project financing
- Lead origination and development of new projects (working closely with the VP Projects) including site and outfall identification, permitting pathways, stakeholder and community engagement, and commercial feasibility through to investment decision
- Own and maintain strong, predictable relationships with commercial partners, industrial outfall partners, and strategic suppliers
- Manage the full commercial cycle from lead generation through RFP responses, negotiation, contract execution, and post-award delivery against commitments
- Build the commercial and development function as Planetary scales, including future team growth
About You
- 12+ years in commercial, project development, or origination roles in physical-asset industries like energy, renewables, infrastructure, industrial processing, water, or climate technologies
- A track record of personally negotiating and closing material commercial agreements: offtakes, PPAs, supply or feedstock contracts, tolling agreements, or site agreements
- Experience taking at least one project or major commercial initiative from origination through execution. You can point to something that exists because you developed it
- Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder relationships across industry, government, and community contexts
- Familiarity with permitting and regulatory processes for industrial or coastal/marine projects is a strong asset
- Experience with GHG accounting, carbon markets, or CDR is an asset
- An excellent communicator who adapts content and style to the audience, from plant operators to institutional buyers to public stakeholders
- Curious about climate change technologies and passionate about protecting our world for future generations
- Based in Canada; candidates in Ottawa or Atlantic Canada will be prioritized
Planetary is committed to supporting and valuing the diversity of our team as well as the diversity of the clients and communities we serve. Valuing diversity means recognizing and respecting human differences and similarities - creating the context where each person can develop and bring their best self to their work and life. We are committed to employment equity and will endeavour, where feasible, to eliminate systemic barriers to advancement and/or redress the under-utilization of underrepresented groups. We are committed to equal employment and we encourage candidates from all cultural and educational backgrounds as well as all genders and sexualities to apply.
Planetary does not use artificial intelligence to screen candidates.
Typical pay for similar roles
EstimateThe middle half of pay advertised on Rejobs for this group over the last 24 months. This employer has not stated a salary.
About this role
About Planetary Technologies
Company Overview
Planetary Technologies, a privately held company
HeadquartersDartmouth, Canada
Founded2019
SizeApproximately 30 employees ranged from 11 to 50 in recent years (source: linkedin.com)
What They Do
Planetary Technologies specializes in ocean-based carbon removal through coastal ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE), focusing on restoring seawater chemistry to capture atmospheric CO2 effectively (source: planetarytech.com). The company’s patented process recovers natural alkaline minerals from industrial byproducts and introduces purified alkaline minerals such as magnesium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide into coastal outfalls at existing infrastructure sites like power plants and wastewater treatment facilities (source: xprize.org). Their Ocean Carbon Platform automates alkalinity addition, monitors ocean safety, and measures and monetizes carbon removals, targeting carbon removal buyers, climate-tech customers, and industrial partners rather than traditional utility clients (source: xprize.org). Planetary emphasizes scientific validation, third-party verification, and transparency in its operations, leveraging existing coastal infrastructure to scale its impact efficiently (source: lobbycanada.gc.ca). Their approach results in durable carbon removal, seawater restoration, and reduced ocean acidity, positioning them as a leader in climate technology innovation (source: cbinsights.com).
Projects & Track Record
Planetary Technologies has demonstrated its ocean alkalinity enhancement technology through a multi-year project in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which has been operational for over two years and is scaling from 25,000 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes of CO2 removal annually (source: unreasonablegroup.com). This demonstration project has achieved the issuance of the first seawater restoration credits on an accredited registry, marking a significant milestone in verified ocean carbon removal (source: unreasonablegroup.com). The company is actively developing additional ocean carbon removal projects worldwide, leveraging its modular deployment model that integrates with existing coastal infrastructure such as power plants and wastewater treatment facilities (source: xprize.org). Partnerships with major carbon removal buyers including Stripe, Shopify, and British Airways underscore its growing market presence and credibility in the climate-tech sector (source: levels.fyi).
Recent Developments
In the last two years, Planetary Technologies has secured a prestigious XPRIZE Carbon XFactor award, which included approximately $1 million USD in funding, highlighting its innovative approach to carbon removal (source: betakit.com). The company completed a Series A funding round in October 2024 valued at about $11.35 million USD, bringing total funding to approximately $14.6 million USD from investors such as BDC, XPRIZE, Evok Innovations, DNX Ventures, Amplify Capital, and ICONIQ Capital (source: thecompanycheck.com). Concurrently, Planetary has been scaling its Halifax demonstration project by a factor of 10 annually over the past three years, moving from research and development toward commercialization and larger-scale carbon removal delivery (source: unreasonablegroup.com).
Working There
Planetary Technologies offers roles across ocean science, chemical and process engineering, environmental monitoring, software and data systems for measurement and verification, operations, partnerships, and internal business functions, reflecting its multidisciplinary climate-tech focus (source: xprize.org). The company operates primarily from its Dartmouth headquarters with an additional office in Ottawa, providing hubs for collaboration and innovation (source: linkedin.com). Publicly available information suggests a small, hands-on startup culture emphasizing collaboration with researchers, regulators, and local communities, with a "roll up your sleeves" attitude that encourages active engagement and problem-solving (source: lobbycanada.gc.ca). While specific employee benefits are not publicly documented, the company’s structured team and partnerships indicate a professional environment focused on impactful climate solutions (source: ccib.ca).
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