While the world was captivated by the ongoing rescue efforts to save the five passengers of OceanGate’s Titan Five submersible vessel, OceanGate Expeditions posted a job opening on its website for a submersible pilot.
“The management of OceanGate, Inc. has an immediate opening for a Sub Pilot/Marine Technician to help manage and operate our fleet of manned submersibles and support vessels,” the listing read. “We are looking for a committed and competent individual with [a] combination of strong mechanical and interpersonal skills who can work on sensitive marine equipment, perform regular maintenance and operate complex systems to support dive operations (this is not an ocean sciences or marine research position). This is an excellent opportunity for a high-energy professional who is interested in a long-term position with a growing company.”
According to the listing, “The successful candidate will be self-driven, flexible, positive, and willing to work in a small, close-knit team environment; must have the drive to follow through on tasks and be goal-oriented. Competitive salary and benefits/medical package.”
Requirements for the position included U.S. citizenship with a valid driver’s license, ability to work in confined spaces and meet physical requirements such as fitting through a 28″ diameter ring and lifting 50+ lbs. Candidates were also expected to have strong analytical and communication skills and be comfortable working independently and as part of a team.
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OceanGate’s employment page declared itself to be an equal opportunity employer willing to accept “all qualified persons without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, or disability,” which stands in contrast to what the late CEO Stockton Rush declared in a two-year-old Zoom interview in which he indicated that he prioritized diversity and youth over experience when hiring people.
“When I started the business, one of the things you’ll find, there are other sub operators out there, but they typically have gentlemen who are ex-military submariners, and you’ll see a whole bunch of 50-year-old white guys,” Rush said. “I wanted our team to be younger, to be inspirational, and I’m not going to inspire a 16-year-old to go pursue marine technology. But a 25-year-old, you know, who’s a sub pilot or a platform operator or one of our techs can be inspirational. ”
The website appears to have been taken down since, but the listing is viewable through internet archives. Based on the archive site, the listing predated the doomed mission of the Titan Five but nevertheless remained online through the rescue mission until the entire site went dark.
