Chief Operating Officer

About InPlanet

InPlanet is a mission-driven, remote-first climate technology startup 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 to sequester gigatons of CO2 while regenerating tropical soils to create a liveable planet with nutritious food and healthy ecosystems for future generations. We're growing fast, in partnership with farmers, scientists, and industry leaders. Our culture blends people-first care and performance excellence.

We're proud of our globally diverse team and inclusive culture, with our boots on the ground in Brazil where the climate impact happens. Independent reviews by other candidates on Glassdoor reflect our interview process. Check out our Culture page for more context.

About The Role

Hybrid, with travel in Brazil. Location: Brazil (São Paulo or surrounding regions preferred). Language Skills: Must be Portuguese and English (fluent). Start Date: Ideally Q3/4 2025. We are seeking 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. You will oversee the 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.

You will refine product-market fit, identify scalable customer use cases, and lead the integration of field deployment, scientific integrity, and operational scaling in one of the world's most promising carbon removal approaches. You'll work closely with the Chief Impact Officer and Head of Operations on regional management, farmer acquisition, and the logistical execution of rock powder spreading across Brazil. You'll collaborate with the VP of Science to ensure alignment of field strategy with scientific standards, operational goals, and long-term climate impact targets, building a delivery system that is efficient and trusted by farming partners.

As a core strategic and visionary leader, you'll work cross-functionally to ensure our product offering is differentiated and delivers agronomic value while meeting carbon certification requirements. You'll be responsible for orchestrating our 1-100 scale-up journey from early pilots to robust, repeatable, high-impact operations at national scale. You will report directly to the CEO and be a critical member of the Senior Leadership Team alongside the CFO, directly leading a growing team including:

• Head of Operations and all project deployment teams including Supply and Regional Managers
• Strategic collaboration with the Chief Impact Officer and commercial partners
• Close partnership with the VP of Science
• Collaboration with Carbon and Technology teams

You'll play a central role in aligning science, fieldwork, and operations to stay ahead in the evolving climate and carbon removal landscape.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy, Innovation & Scaling Operations: define and scale a novel carbon removal product, taking it from early traction to market leadership in agriculture and mining. This is a 1-100 leadership role demanding bold strategy, market insight, and relentless execution.
• Design and execute 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

• Drive go-to-market strategies to bring breakthrough mineral products into entrenched agricultural systems, building trust and partnerships for national adoption.
• Build strategic partnerships with input suppliers, logistics providers, agricultural service firms, and regional stakeholders.
• Oversee 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.
• Bridge science and market to ensure product success in real-world deployments; use field feedback to evolve the product and scale operations with credibility and speed.
• Support the legal team to uphold integrity in carbon reporting and environmental impact.

Team & Culture Building

• Build a leadership culture that is entrepreneurial, fast, and accountable.
• Lead, mentor, and grow high-performing operations teams across Brazil and globally.
• Champion accountability, collaboration, and impact-driven execution.
• Empower regional managers and technical leads to deliver quality projects at scale.

Core Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of senior leadership in operations, supply chain, or agribusiness in Brazil and in high-growth or startup contexts.
• Experience scaling something from early beginnings to market success; understands product-market fit and how to achieve 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 yet pragmatic; balances long-term strategy with daily urgency.
• 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.
• 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.

Living Our Values

We value Trust, Drive, and Impact as core principles guiding our actions and outcomes.

• Trust: foster kindness and transparency in the workplace.
• Drive: take action with a hands-on, urgent approach.
• Impact: commit to meaningful climate change-related outcomes.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation, with openness about the compensation philosophy in the first interview.
• Share options to align with company success.
• Home office budget, hybrid remote (ideally around Sao Paulo).
• Personal development budget and language program monthly allowance.
• 40 days annual leave and bi-annual offsites in Brazil.
• Laptop provided for productivity.

InPlanet Compensation Philosophy

We emphasize fair and unbiased compensation and equitable equity pay across regions. Salary ranges may be broad early in the process due to our international presence and geo-based ranges, with actual base pay determined by location, skills, experience, and market dynamics.

Application Process

Roughly 8 hours across 4-6 weeks from CV screening. Steps typically include:

• Interview with VP of People
• Interview with Hiring Manager (core skills & competencies)
• 1-2 additional 1:1 interviews with core leaders
• Panel with 4+ team members (including a specific task and preparation)
• Verbal reference check and psychometric profiling
• Offer

How To Apply

Please submit your CV in English (or Portuguese if justified). This job description may apply to a range of working relationships depending on location and compliance. We are an equal opportunity employer and strive for fair processes for all applicants.

Seniority level: Executive
Employment type: Full-time
Job function: Analyst and Management
Industries: Software Development

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