Jason Williams brings to his role as Engineering Senior Manager two decades of experience in subsea robotics and deep ocean science. As a professional engineer, his career has been defined by his leadership in developing and operating cutting-edge robotic platforms for scientific exploration in the deep ocean. Jason has been with Schmidt Ocean Institute since 2015, initially joining as the Lead Mechanical Engineer. In this role, he played a pivotal part in the development of the ROV SuBastian, taking the vehicle from concept to full operational deployment in offshore science expeditions. Since then, Jason has continued to support ROV operations and expeditions aboard SOI’s in-house research vessels. He now manages the Robotic Systems Department, overseeing the design, implementation, and operation of advanced subsea robotic systems. In 2020, Jason founded Scientific Ocean Vehicle Alliance (SOVA), an international community of professionals dedicated to the development and operation of robotic vehicles used in ocean science. This initiative has provided a platform for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and advancing the technology that enables deep ocean exploration.
Jason’s career in remotely operated vehicles started in 2004, where he led the mechanical team at Triton Logging, to develop ROVs for harvesting trees in dammed reservoirs. This required innovative designs for locating, cutting, and retrieving trees in remote locations in Canada and Malaysia. He moved from underwater logging to ocean science in 2009 where he was involved with the installation of the world’s first underwater ocean observatories: NEPTUNE Canada and the Oceans Observatory Initiatives. He played an integral role in the NEPTUNE Canada project, from collaboration with scientists to build scientific platforms to planning offshore installation and maintenance cruises.
Jason’s success as a project manager and designer for NEPTUNE Canada led to his follow-up role as Manager of Mechanical Systems for the Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility (CSSF). At CSSF he was responsible for managing personnel and equipment to support the ROV ROPOS, including scientific exploration, subsea engineering, and deep-sea equipment deployments. Jason’s time at sea with CSSF also gave him the opportunity to be trained as an ROV pilot and supervisor.
Outside of work, Jason enjoys kayaking, paddleboarding, and scuba diving—all of which keep him connected to the water and to the very environments he works to explore and understand.
