Job description for a marine supervisor in the Gulf of Mexico?

Marine Supervisor — Gulf of Mexico (GoM)

Leads and controls all marine operations around offshore assets in the GoM, ensuring safe vessel movements, stability/ballast integrity, lifting and deck operations, and full compliance with USCG/BSEE/BOEM and international marine standards.

I. Core Responsibilities

• Marine operations control: Plan and execute vessel approaches, standby, DP red/yellow-line exclusion zones, and safe clearances within the 500-m safety zone.
• SIMOPS coordination: Deconflict marine activities with drilling, construction, diving/ROV, well services, and helideck operations; chair toolbox talks and SIMOPS calls.
• Stability and ballast supervision: Maintain trim/draft/GM; approve ballast moves; verify watertight integrity; sign off on stability condition reports before major lifts or heavy weather.
• Mooring/anchoring oversight: Direct anchor-handling, pre-lay, tensioning, and watch circles for temporary/permanent moorings on fixed, semisub, TLP, and spar installations.
• DP assurance: Verify DP capability, weather windows, autosDP/joystick trials, ASOG/WSOG adherence, and FMEA close-outs before close-proximity work.
• Deck, lifting, and cargo operations: Approve lift plans, crane selection and derating, rigging configuration, backload sequencing, and deck stow/sling management per lifting standards.
• Marine logistics interface: Sequence PSVs, OSVs, AHTS, and construction vessels; optimize deck and bulk transfer windows; manage bunkering and potable water transfers.
• Weather and metocean readiness: Monitor fronts, Loop Current eddies, squalls, and hurricanes; call go/no-go; initiate storm demobilization and tow or disconnect procedures where applicable.
• Regulatory and class compliance: Enforce USCG 33/46 CFR, BSEE SEMS II, BOEM requirements, SOLAS/MARPOL/COLREG, ISM/ISPS, and API/IMCA/OCIMF guidance for GoM operations.
• Emergency response leadership: Serve as marine lead for collision/grounding, pollution, DP run-off, man overboard, fire, and abandon-ship; run drills and maintain GMDSS readiness.
• Permit-to-work (PTW) control: Authorize hot work, over-the-side work, confined space entry, over-rail lifts, and bunkering permits; verify isolations and simultaneous operations barriers.
• Safety and assurance: Conduct vessel inspections (OVID/CMID-style), crane audits, gangway checks, and deck walkdowns; close actions from findings.
• Documentation and reporting: Maintain vessel movement logs, stability records, lift registers, cargo manifests, pollution prevention records, and incident reports.
• Competency and coaching: Mentor deck crew, ABs, riggers, and junior marine staff; verify HLO and banksman competencies; conduct JSA reviews.
• GoM specifics: Implement hurricane season plans (June–November), NTLs and Notices to Lessees compliance, and US OCS security/access control standards (TWIC).

Key Marine Stability Formulas Used

• Displacement: \(\Delta = \rho \, \nabla\)
• Metacentric radius: \(BM = \dfrac{I}{\nabla}\), with waterplane second moment \(I\) and volume \(\nabla\)
• Metacentric height: \(GM = KB + BM - KG\)
• Righting lever (small angles): \(GZ \approx GM \, \sin\phi\)
• Free surface correction to KG: \(\Delta KG_{FSC} = \dfrac{\sum FSM}{\Delta}\)
• Trim from longitudinal shift: \(\text{Trim} = \dfrac{w \times d}{MCT_{1\,\text{in}}}\) (or metric equivalent)
• Mooring watch circle (DP or anchored): \(R = \sqrt{X^2 + Y^2}\) with alarm thresholds per ASOG/field rules

II. Required Skills and Demands

Technical Skills

• Stability and ballast control: Class-approved stability software use, free-surface management, compartment status control.
• DP and close-proximity operations: ASOG/WSOG application, DP capability plots, drift-off/run-off scenarios, tracker and transponder management.
• Mooring and anchor handling: Catenary principles, line tension monitoring, pre-lay design checks, storm mooring readiness.
• Lifting and rigging: Lift planning, crane charts and derating (sea state/wind), rigging selection, critical lift execution.
• Navigation and communications: COLREG-compliant traffic management, ECDIS/AIS, GMDSS, VHF/UHF discipline.
• Regulatory competency: USCG OCS regs (33/46 CFR), BSEE SEMS II, SOLAS/MARPOL/ISM/ISPS, API lifting, IMCA marine guidance.
• HSE and PTW: JSA, energy isolation, dropped object prevention, over-the-side controls, bunkering pollution prevention.
• Emergency management: Muster control, search and rescue coordination, pollution response, incident command basics.

Soft Skills

• Decisive leadership under time and weather pressure.
• Clear communications with multi-vessel fleets and offshore teams.
• Situational awareness and risk-based thinking.
• Conflict resolution during SIMOPS and schedule compression.
• Coaching and competency assurance for deck and marine crews.

Certifications & Compliance (GoM-typical)

• BOSIET/FOET with HUET and CA-EBS; SafeGulf/RigPass; H2S.
• TWIC and offshore medical fitness.
• STCW and officer-level CoC or national license (estimated, asset-dependent).
• DP awareness/induction (full DP cert preferred for DP-intensive roles).
• Lifting Supervisor/Crane competency per offshore lifting standards.
• HLO/HDA endorsement if overseeing helideck operations (asset-dependent).
• SEMS II training; ICS 100/200 desirable for emergency management.

Physical Demands

• Offshore rotations with 12-hour shifts; night operations.
• Work at height, climbing ladders, confined spaces, donning PPE and survival gear.
• Manual handling on open decks in heat, humidity, and dynamic sea states.
• Fitness for emergency response and extended muster.

III. Tools, Software, and Equipment

• Stability and ballast systems: Class-approved stability analysis software; ballast control consoles; draft gauges; tank level sensors.
• DP and positioning: DP consoles, reference sensors (DGPS, taut wire, laser/ radar), MRUs, wind sensors.
• Mooring and anchor handling: Tension monitoring, chain/wire counters, fairlead/gypsy systems, chasers, pennants, shark jaws, stoppers.
• Lifting and deck: Crane management systems, load cells, man-rider controls, rigging registers, container certification tags, sea-fastening equipment.
• Navigation and comms: ECDIS, AIS, radar, GMDSS (VHF/MF/HF), SAT phones, UHF for deck/rigging teams, PA/GA.
• Metocean and forecasting: Integrated weather feeds, wave radar, current profilers, hurricane tracking dashboards.
• Assurance and PTW: ePTW systems, marine audit checklists (OVID/CMID-style), lifting plan templates, JSA libraries.
• Pollution control: SOPEP/BMP kits, booms, skimmers, scuppers, drip trays, transfer hoses with breakaways.

IV. Work Environment

• Location: Offshore GoM, from shelf platforms to deepwater floaters (˜100–3,000+ m water depth).
• Schedule: Common rotations 14/14, 21/21, or 28/28; 12-hour shifts; overtime during SIMOPS or weather events.
• Exposure: High heat/humidity, squalls, Loop Current and eddies, hurricane season contingency operations.
• Travel: Heliport staging and crew change by helicopter or crew boat; occasional onshore marine planning meetings.
• Asset types: Fixed platforms, semisubs, spars, TLPs, drillships, construction vessels, PSVs/OSVs, AHTS.

V. Reporting Lines and Interfaces

• Reports to: Offshore Installation Manager (OIM) or Marine Superintendent (asset/contractor dependent).
• Direct reports: Deck crew, ABs, riggers, crane ops; may provide functional oversight of BCO/ballast personnel.
• Key interfaces: Vessel Masters/DP Operators, Drilling/Completions Supervisors, Construction/ROV/Diving Supervisors, HSE, Logistics/Materials, Helicopter operations, Classification/Surveyors and regulatory representatives.
• Handoffs: Vessel movement plans, marine advisories, lift plans, stability condition reports, SIMOPS matrices, and daily marine logs to OIM and onshore marine team.

VI. Career Ladder

• Next roles: Senior Marine Supervisor ? Marine Superintendent ? Offshore Installation Manager (marine track) ? Offshore Operations Manager.
• What’s needed to move up: Proven leadership on complex SIMOPS, hurricane demob/mob events, deepwater DP campaigns, zero-incident lifting record, audit readiness; advanced stability and DP competence; strong regulatory track record.