Chief Operating Officer (COO)

About InPlanet InPlanet is a mission-driven, remote-first ClimateTech startup headquartered between Germany Brazil and the US with hubs in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, New York and London. We’re scaling Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) in tropical agriculture as a powerful method to remove carbon, regenerate soils, and transform the way food is grown in the tropics. Our vision is simple but bold: to sequester gigatons of CO2 while regenerating tropical soils in order to create a liveable planet with nutritious food and healthy ecosystems for future generations. We’re doing this in partnership with farmers, scientists, and industry leaders - and we’re growing fast. Our company culture blends people-first care and performance excellence. The Rocket represents our ambition and drive; the Heart symbolizes our focus on empathy, integrity, and collective impact. We’re proud of our globally diverse team and inclusive culture. Our teams span across continents, but our boots are firmly on the ground in Brazil - where the real climate impact happens. You can check out independent reviews by other candidates on Glassdoor to see how people experience the interview process with us. Check out our Culture page here About the Role Hybrid, with travel in Brazil Location: Brazil (São Paulo or surrounding regions preferred) Language Skills: Must: Portuguese, English (fluent) Start Date: asap We are searching for a seasoned, strategic, commercial, and hands-on COO to lead and shape our go-to-market strategy for novel mineral-based carbon removal products across agricultural and mining sectors and evolve our operational backbone. In this role, you’ll oversee our entire value chain - from mineral inputs and field operations to our internal science engine and technology roadmap. This is a senior role where bold strategy meets operational precision to drive transformational scale. This is a rare opportunity to refine product-market fit , identify scalable customer use cases, lead the integration of field deployment, scientific integrity, and operational scaling in one of the world’s most promising carbon removal approaches. On the operational front, you will work closely with our Chief Impact Officer and VP of Operations , who leads the charge on regional management, farmer acquisition, and the logistical execution of rock powder spreading across Brazil. You’ll work hand-in-hand with our VP of Science , ensuring that our field strategy is aligned with our scientific standards, operational goals, and long-term climate impact targets - building a delivery system that is not only efficient, but deeply trusted by our farming partners. As a core strategic and visionary player, you’ll work cross-functionally to ensure our product offering is differentiated and delivers real agronomic value while meeting carbon certification requirements. You’ll be responsible for orchestrating our 1-100 scale-up journey : evolving early pilots into robust, repeatable, and high-impact operations at national scale. We’re at a tipping point of scale, with growing complexity across teams, partners, and international ecosystems. The ideal candidate has a strong operational track record , ideally in Brazilian agribusiness , and can bridge execution with innovation. You will report directly to the CEO and be a critical member of our Senior Leadership Team alongside our CFO. You’ll directly lead a large and growing team, including: VP of Operations and all project deployment teams including Supply and Regional Managers Strategic collaboration with our Chief Impact Officer , and commercial partners Close partnership with our VP of Science Collaboration with Carbon , and Technology teams You’ll play a central role in aligning science, fieldwork, and operations , ensuring we stay ahead in the rapidly evolving climate and carbon removal landscape. Key Responsibilities Strategy, Innovation & Scaling Operations You’ll help define and scale a novel carbon removal product - taking it from early traction to being a key player in agriculture and mining. This is a 1-100 leadership role, demanding bold strategy, deep market insight, and relentless execution. Lead the design and execution of a world-class ERW deployment operation across Brazil, with scalability in mind. Translate InPlanet’s carbon and climate goals into clear operational strategies and regional delivery models. Drive continuous improvement through operational KPIs, systemisation, and performance data. Agricultural & Supply Chain Leadership You’ll drive go-to-market strategies that bring breakthrough mineral products into entrenched agricultural systems, building the trust and partnerships needed for national adoption. Commercial creativity and strategic grit will be essential. Build strategic partnerships with input suppliers, logistics providers, agricultural service firms, and regional stakeholders. Oversee the sourcing, logistics, and deployment of rock powder - from mine to farm. Ensure operational excellence and compliance with carbon standards, farmer requirements, and regulatory frameworks. Science-Driven Operations & Technology Alignment Collaborate with Science, Carbon, and Technology teams to ensure smooth integration of R&D, field trials, and data flows. You’ll bridge science and market, ensuring our product not only works in trials but wins in the real world. Field feedback will shape product evolution and create operational systems that scale with credibility and speed. Support the legal team to uphold integrity in carbon reporting and environmental impact. Team & Culture Building You’ll build a leadership culture that’s entrepreneurial, fast, and accountable - turning high performers into high-impact owners. Your teams will know not just what to do, but why it matters. Lead, mentor, and grow high-performing operations teams across Brazil and globally. Champion a culture of accountability, collaboration, and impact-driven execution. Empower regional managers and technical leads to deliver quality projects at scale. You can be a Rock-Star if you have Core Skills & Experience 10+ years of senior leadership in operations, supply chain, or agribusiness in Brazil and in high-growth or startup contexts. You’ve scaled something from messy beginnings to market success - ideally as a founder, GM, or CEO. You know what product-market fit looks like, and how to turn it into category leadership. Proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams and building scalable systems from the ground up. Strong communication and negotiation skills in Portuguese and English. Key Qualities Visionary but pragmatic - able to balance long-term strategy with daily urgency. A confident, emotionally intelligent leader who knows when to listen, act, and delegate. Comfortable navigating complexity, ambiguity, and rapid growth. Hands-on, humble, and willing to “get your boots dirty” when needed. Passion for sustainability, tropical agriculture, and climate innovation. Bonus Points Experience in impact-driven sectors such as climate, carbon markets, or regenerative agriculture is a big plus. Deep knowledge and network of Brazilian agriculture, logistics, or mining. Experience building strategic and commercial partnerships in Brazil, within agriculture. Experience with building and scaling tech for agriculture. Strategy and management consultant is also a plus. Living Our Values At InPlanet, we have a big vision of solving climate change, and we are looking for individuals who are genuinely passionate about making a positive difference in the world of Carbon Removal Solutions. Trust guides our actions, drive fuels our efforts, and impact is our goal. Trust : You believe in being kind and transparent in the workplace, fostering an environment where trust thrives and collaboration flourishes Drive : You possess an innate drive to take action with a hands-on, can-do attitude, propelled by urgency Impact: You dream big and are committed to making a meaningful difference in the world, aligning with our overarching mission to address climate change Benefits Competitive Compensation expectations and our comp philosophy are openly discussed in the first interview with the goal of managing expectations fairly Share options to make you feel like an owner Home Office Budget Hybrid Remote: ideally around Sao Paulo Personal development budget Language Programme Monthly Allowance 40 days annual leave The opportunity to be autonomous, make a huge difference and belong to a vision. Bi-annual offsites in Brazil yay! Laptop to fuel your productivity InPlanet Compensation Philosophy At InPlanet, our philosophy revolves around ensuring fair and unbiased compensation and equitable equity pay, coupled with competitive benefits, across all regions where we operate. The reason behind our salary range being wide or undefined at the first stages of the interview is because of our international presence and globally distributed workforce, we utilize geo ranges to account for varying pay differentials, forming a crucial part of our global compensation strategy to remain competitive across diverse markets as we expand our reach. These ranges are determined by role, level, and location, recognizing the nuanced demands of each market. The actual base pay for the selected candidate is influenced by factors such as location, skills, experience, training, business requirements, and market dynamics, with the range subject to potential adjustments in alignment with our commitment to fairness and transparency. Application Process Roughly 8 hours across 4-6 weeks from CV-screening. Interview with VP of People Interview with the Hiring Manager (required core skills and competencies) 1-2 more 1:1 interviews with core leaders Panel with 4+ team members (specific task, preparation needed) Verbal reference check & psychometric profiling Offer To hear about updates on future opportunities, please follow us on LinkedIn To keep up with InPlanet market updates, subscribe to our Newsletter How to Apply We kindly ask you to submit your CV in English, as this is the main language we use here at InPlanet (unless it is justified to be in Portuguese). This job description is intended to provide a clear summary of the responsibilities, scope, and expectations associated with this opportunity. It may apply to a range of working relationships, including independent contractor or service-based arrangements, depending on the candidate's location and compliance framework. Each engagement is assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure alignment with applicable laws and InPlanet’s global operating standards. Being an equal opportunities work provider is very important to us, and we are committed to ensuring that no applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions which cannot be shown to be justifiable. We design our processes to be fair and equitable, and we believe in continuous learning.