Chief Regulatory Officer
hace 1 día
Austin
Chief Regulatory Officer — PLANET.TECH Establish the First Livestock Methane RIN Pathway We're building cattle-mounted methane capture technology that converts enteric emissions into renewable natural gas — creating new revenue streams for farmers while addressing the largest untapped source of agricultural greenhouse gases. We need someone who knows how to establish regulatory pathways that don't exist yet. The Mission "Building technology to solve planetary-scale problems so everyone on earth can live better." We're creating the regulatory frameworks that transform agricultural methane emissions into renewable energy revenue for farmers. Join our founding team as we establish the first-ever EPA and CARB pathways for livestock-mounted methane capture. The Opportunity The Challenge: Navigate uncharted regulatory territory where livestock enteric methane capture has never been approved for credit generation under RFS or LCFS. Your Role: Own the complete regulatory strategy — from EPA RFS pathway petitions to CARB LCFS credit applications to federal grant strategy to corporate sustainability partnerships. The Impact: Enable technology that generates $400-800/cow/year in new revenue for farmers while addressing agricultural emissions at planetary scale. The Clock Is Running: EPA and CARB pathway approvals take many months from initial engagement. Every month of delay is a month of lost revenue for farmers and a month later to market for the company. We need someone who can start building agency relationships immediately or already has them in place. Where We Are • 28.8% field capture efficiency (up from 3% in October — commercial viability achieved), • 35 California dairy LOIs representing $255M in pipeline value, • First pilot live at a Texas dairy farm, • Accepted into Draper University Spring 2026 residency, • Raising $500K angel round, then our Pre-Seed in less than 6 months, • Multiple patents filed, • 10-person founding team, all working for equity, • Texas A&M AgriLife Research partnership for P1 100-cow pilot What You'll OwnRegulatory Pathway Development • Design and execute EPA Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) pathway petition for livestock-mounted enteric methane capture — a first-of-kind feedstock category, • Establish CARB Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credit pathways for agricultural methane-to-RNG conversion, • Build personal relationships with program officers at EPA (OTAQ) and CARB — the regulatory timeline starts when these conversations start, • Create regulatory frameworks that enable farmer revenue generation, not just compliance, • Navigate novel regulatory territory requiring creative problem-solving, relationship-building, and precedent-setting advocacy Multi-Agency Coordination • Lead EPA engagement for RFS pathway petition, • Drive CARB strategy for Tier 2 pathway application and potential methodology amendment for enteric methane, • Ensure compliance with applicable USDA livestock handling and animal welfare standards for on-animal devices, • Coordinate state-level agricultural and environmental regulatory requirements across target markets Corporate Sustainability Partnerships • Identify and engage food/CPG corporations for strategic development, • Position PLANET.TECH as the enteric methane measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) partner for corporate supply chains, • Develop corporate partnership revenue that funds operations while regulatory pathways are being established, • Build relationships with corporate sustainability leads who can accelerate market access and provide deployment capital Non-Dilutive Funding Strategy • Identify and execute federal grant opportunities that accelerate deployment, • Build a grant portfolio that funds pilot expansion and regulatory validation studies, • Leverage government relationships to access early-stage climate technology funding programs Cross-Functional Integration • Partner with our VP of Farm Sciences on lifecycle GHG analysis and carbon intensity calculations, • Collaborate with engineering leadership to ensure device development aligns with compliance standards, • Support CEO in investor communications around regulatory milestones — your progress is a direct valuation driver, • Work with CFO to model revenue timing based on pathway approval schedules Who You Are Essential • EPA/CARB Expertise: Proven track record navigating EPA Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and/or CARB Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) pathways, • Renewable Energy Credits: Deep understanding of RIN generation, LCFS credit quantification, and carbon credit monetization, • Pathway Development: Experience establishing novel regulatory pathways or methodology amendments for new technologies — not just maintaining compliance for existing ones, • Relationship Builder: Ability to build genuine, productive relationships with regulatory agency staff at both federal and state levels Highly Valued • Government Agency Experience: Prior employment at EPA (especially OTAQ / Renewable Fuel Standard division), CARB, USDA, or DOE with insider knowledge of decision-making processes and relationship networks. If you're a former federal agency professional looking for mission-driven climate impact, we especially want to talk., • Biogas/RNG Regulatory Background: Prior work establishing RNG pathways, biogas facility approvals, or renewable fuel credit programs — the closest existing regulatory precedent to what we're building, • Grant Strategy: Experience with federal grant applications (DOE, USDA, EPA) and non-dilutive funding pathways, • Corporate Sustainability Experience: Familiarity with Scope 3 reporting, SBTi commitments, or corporate supply chain decarbonization programs, • Agricultural Knowledge: Understanding of dairy/livestock industry economics, farmer decision-making, or agricultural policy, • Climate Tech Startup Experience: Understanding of fast-moving startup environments where regulatory strategy enables revenue The Person • Pioneer mentality: When agencies say "we've never approved this," you develop creative pathways to "yes", • Mission-driven: You care about solving this problem, not just clocking hours, • Ownership mindset: You approach every regulatory decision with accountability for company success — this is your strategy, not someone else's plan you're executing, • Comfortable with ambiguity: Early-stage startup building a first-of-kind technology in uncharted regulatory territory. Structure is something you create, not something you inherit. Compensation & Structure Location Remote-first with regular travel to Austin, TX headquarters and Washington, D.C./Sacramento for agency engagement. Austin-based candidates preferred but not required for exceptional candidates. Compensation • Equity: Significant founding team equity stake with 4-year vesting, 1-year cliff, • Base Salary: Competitive base upon funding close (targeting $80-120K depending on experience), scaling to $180K+ as the company grows. We follow an Amazon-style compensation philosophy: base salary caps with substantial equity scaling based on seniority and impact., • Revenue Impact: Your pathways directly enable hundreds of millions in revenue for agricultural partners. This role scales to one of the highest-compensated positions in the company. Transparency PLANET.TECH is pre-revenue and currently closing our angel round. Base salary begins upon funding close (target: Q2 2026). Candidates willing to begin on a deferred compensation or consulting basis during the fundraise will receive additional equity consideration. We are honest about where we are — and we're looking for someone who sees the upside, not just the risk. How We Work • Revenue-first regulatory strategy: Every filing decision is optimized to enable farmer revenue, not impose costs, • Win-win frameworks: We design pathways where farmers profit, agencies achieve climate goals, and technology scales, • Data-driven advocacy: All agency engagement is grounded in pilot results and third-party university validation, • Mission-first: Every decision is optimized for maximum planetary impact Apply Send your resume and a brief note on why this role interests you to . No cover letter required. We'd rather hear how you think about building a regulatory pathway that doesn't exist yet.