From Naval Architecture to Regional Director: What Building Cadmatic’s US Business Looks Like for Juan Prieto
You have worked in marine engineering for years. You know the software your customers use because you have used it yourself. At some point, you started wondering what the other side of those conversations looks like: being the person who understands the tool well enough to help someone else get the most out of it, especially for Cadmatic careers USA opportunities.
Juan Prieto made that move. He studied naval architecture in Finland, worked in the industry, and came across Cadmatic during his studies and early career. In 2017, he joined the company as a Sales Manager in the Netherlands before relocating to Canada in 2023 to build out Cadmatic’s presence in North America. Earlier this year, he became Regional Director, Americas. On July 13, Cadmatic opened its first dedicated positions in the United States. The people who fill those roles will work directly with Juan, making these some of the first Cadmatic careers USA positions available.
We spoke with Juan about the US market, what the three open roles entail, and what this kind of work requires of the people who do it well.
The US market, and why now
The US shipbuilding industry has been changing quickly. There is a strong political and commercial push to build more ships domestically, modernize shipyard operations, and move faster on defense programs that have been in planning for years. The customers Cadmatic works with in the US look the same as the ones it serves globally: shipyards, design offices, and engineering firms that need to bring their workflows up to date. What changed is the momentum around the work, and this momentum is reflected in the recent Cadmatic careers USA openings.
One specific program brought Cadmatic deeper into North America. The ICE Pact, a trilateral agreement between Finland, the US, and Canada, covers the construction of icebreakers for the US Coast Guard. Because Cadmatic is deeply involved in icebreaker design and production in Finland, the company first became part of the program through Canada and later expanded into the US.
“This cooperation between the three countries meant we had more opportunities in the US and in Canada,” Juan says. “In Canada it started earlier, but it expanded to the US.“
Commercial shipbuilding is also returning.
“There are plans from the US to bring back commercial shipbuilding,” Juan says. “That means we will likely have more opportunities, and we need to have our own people on the ground.“
Three roles, three different profiles
Cadmatic is opening three roles in the US:
All roles are fully remote with regular travel to customer sites across the US and Canada. Juan is clear that they are genuinely different tracks.
The Technical Account Manager sits close to the sales function. This person works with Juan to build client relationships at a strategic level, helping shipyards and design offices think through how Cadmatic fits into their broader operations and where the software can take their business next.
“The TAM is someone with a technical background, hopefully in shipbuilding or mechanical engineering, but also with a commercial mindset,” Juan says.
The conversations happen at a strategic level, and this person needs to be comfortable having them.
The Application Specialists work inside the support structure. When a client wants to do something new with the software or when something is not working as expected, they contact this person.
“The Application Specialist is someone with a technical background who helps customers in their day-to-day operations,” Juan says.
The roles require deep software fluency, the ability to quickly read a customer’s technical setup, and the patience to work through problems on-site.
All roles involve frequent client visits.
“We try to be at the client’s side a lot,” Juan says. “Sometimes for a few days, sometimes for a week. We sit down, hear what they are facing, and try to solve it there.”
The work is field-based, at customer locations across the US and Canada. In short, professionals interested in Cadmatic careers USA will find these positions demanding but rewarding.
What this kind of work requires
Juan is specific when asked what profile does well in consultative roles like these. Engineering experience is a must-have for success in these roles.
“To drive this type of consultative work, you need to understand what customers are talking about and translate that into what the software can do to provide better tools for their job,” he says.
You need to have worked in the industry to have those conversations with any real weight. Working from the US also requires self-direction, especially in the early months. When Juan begins his day on the West Coast, the team in Europe is almost through theirs.
“Sometimes there are early morning meetings at 6 or 7 a.m.,” he says, “but that also means you can finish earlier and have the rest of the afternoon for yourself.”
The candidates Cadmatic is targeting for these first roles are on the East Coast: Louisiana, Mississippi, and Virginia, where the time zone overlap with Europe works better from the start.
Cadmatic’s culture is international rather than tied to a single national way of working.
“We are not really bound to a Finnish way of working or a Dutch way of working,” Juan says. “We have a pretty unique culture where we try to take the best of all those. It is a more relaxed environment. Having good work-life balance is important.”
The US team is new, and Juan is direct that learning comes with the territory. The first people on the ground will shape what the US operation becomes.
What the career path looks like
Juan’s own path is the clearest answer to this question. He joined as a Sales Manager, moved into a Senior Sales role, and now leads the Americas region.
“If you want to grow into sales, that is what I did. If you want to grow on the customer success side, you can start as an Application Specialist and move toward deeper technical expertise as a Key Application Specialist or Lead Application Specialist. Or take the people-manager route, from Team Lead to Technical Manager or Director. Both paths exist, and there are examples of each within the company,” he says.
The growth at Cadmatic is not handed out on a schedule.
“Cadmatic gives you a lot of independence to do your work. You can work in your own way to achieve the goals,” Juan says.
People who want to own their work and build something over time tend to do well. People who prefer clearly defined frameworks at every step are better off knowing that upfront.
The marine software world has a quality worth mentioning for anyone considering this kind of move.
“It is a very niche business,” Juan says. “Everyone knows everyone. You always see them at exhibitions, in projects, and you feel this sense of community.”
A client Juan worked with years ago in Croatia is now connected to a project he is running in Canada. The industry is global but tight, and that carries over into the day-to-day work.
The roles open in the US
The roles require a background in naval architecture, marine engineering, or shipbuilding.
Read the full job descriptions on Cadmatic’s careers page for current Cadmatic careers USA offerings:
