Cofounder & Chief Strategy Officer

Cofounder & Chief Strategy Officer

Company: Soundside Collective

Location: Remote / Wilmington, NC

Initial engagement: Part-time consulting arrangement, with a pathway to full-time executive leadership

Compensation: Modest monthly consulting retainer plus contractual eligibility for milestone-based equity awards, subject to definitive agreements.

About Soundside Collective

Soundside Collective is a coastal conservation company built around a simple belief: When you love something, you protect it.

We believe our coasts are more than beautiful places to visit. They’re home to vibrant communities, unique ecosystems, and cultures worth preserving. As our world changes, protecting these places requires new approaches that bring together people, businesses, and capital around a shared commitment to their future.

We’re working toward that mission through two complementary businesses.

Our consumer business creates coastal-inspired apparel and lifestyle products that celebrate the places we love while directing a portion of sales toward research institutions and nonprofit organizations working to protect and restore coastal ecosystems and communities.

Our enterprise business develops innovative financial products designed reverse the traditional risk transfer process in order to attract more private investment into coastal resilience. By connecting investment opportunities with measurable reductions in coastal risk, we’re exploring new ways to finance the interventions that can help coastal communities adapt, thrive, and endure in a changing world.

Together, these efforts reflect our belief that coastal conservation should be both a shared responsibility and an opportunity to create lasting value.

We’re now looking for an entrepreneurial partner to help transform our consumer business into a successful coastal lifestyle brand that can grow its reach, strengthen its identity, and generate meaningful support for the places we’re working to protect.

The opportunity

As our prospective Cofounder and Chief Strategy Officer, you’ll work directly with the founder to assess, reposition, and grow Soundside’s consumer business.

You’ll have considerable influence over our brand identity, merchandise, pricing, customer acquisition, marketing, and sales strategy.

We’re looking for someone who has helped build or scale an independent apparel, surf, outdoor, or lifestyle brand—and knows how to translate a compelling brand concept into consistent revenue.

Key responsibilities

* Conduct a comprehensive assessment of our current products, pricing, website, branding, and marketing.

* Develop and execute a strategy to improve conversion, customer acquisition, and revenue.

* Refine merchandise strategy, including apparel designs, product assortment, pricing, and margins.

* Build an effective e-commerce, social media, content, and digital marketing operation.

* Identify opportunities in wholesale distribution, retail partnerships, collaborations, and community engagement.

* Establish measurable sales, profitability, and customer retention targets.

* Develop a scalable operating model for the consumer business.

* Transition into long-term executive leadership as agreed commercial milestones are achieved.

Ideal background

* Demonstrated experience growing an emerging apparel, surf, outdoor, or lifestyle brand.

* Strong knowledge of e-commerce, merchandising, brand development, and consumer marketing.

* Experience developing and executing revenue-generating strategies.

* Entrepreneurial judgment, creative instincts, and hands-on operating experience.

* An interest in coastal culture, conservation, and mission-driven businesses.

Experience with brands similar to Jetty, Dark Seas, and other independent coastal lifestyle companies is especially relevant.

Cofounder opportunity and compensation

This is an early-stage founding opportunity rather than a conventional salaried executive position.

The initial engagement is intended to be a part-time consulting relationship supported by a modest monthly retainer. We intend to offer a contractually defined right to future equity, with Class B non-voting share awards earned progressively through agreed business milestones.

The initial equity issuance and transition into full-time salaried employment are intended to occur once the consumer business achieves agreed sustainable financial performance. Exceptional long-term contributions may create opportunities to earn Class A voting equity.

All compensation, equity entitlements, and transition terms will be subject to mutually agreed definitive documentation.

We’re looking for a genuine partner who wants to help build and own something meaningful.