Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Head Diver

🎯 Role Definition

The Head Diver is the senior on-site diving professional responsible for the planning, execution, safety and continuous improvement of commercial diving operations. This role leads the dive team, manages dive plans, enforces compliance with industry regulations (IMCA, ADCI, HSE, OSHA), maintains diving and hyperbaric equipment, coordinates with project managers and ROV teams, and acts as the primary point of contact for dive-related safety and technical execution. The Head Diver ensures mission success while minimizing risk, controlling costs, and preserving client relationships through disciplined operational delivery and clear communication.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Commercial Diver / Offshore Diver (surface-supplied or SCUBA)
Senior Dive Technician / Dive Supervisor
ROV Technician with commercial diving background

Advancement To:

Diving Operations Manager
Marine Operations Manager
Offshore Installation Manager / Offshore Project Manager

Lateral Moves:

ROV Supervisor / ROV Operations Manager
Salvage or Subsea Construction Supervisor
Dive Safety Officer / HSEQ Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the day-to-day planning and execution of all diving operations (surface-supplied, SCUBA and saturation) ensuring work objectives are met on budget, on schedule and in full compliance with company and statutory diving regulations (IMCA, ADCI, HSE, local authorities).
Create, review and authorize detailed dive plans, risk assessments and method statements for complex underwater tasks including inspections, welding, cutting, salvage, rigging and underwater construction.
Serve as the Dive Supervisor and accountable person on-site for diver safety, decompression management, hyperbaric chamber operations and emergency response, including coordination with medical teams and medevac resources.
Manage and mentor the dive team: assign roles, deliver on-the-job training, evaluate performance, maintain certifications, and ensure competency matrices are current for all diving personnel.
Conduct pre-dive briefings and post-dive debriefs; ensure all divers and tender teams understand tasks, emergency procedures, communications protocols and environmental constraints.
Oversee gas management and gas blending operations (air, nitrox, heliox) including gas quality control, cylinder handling, and logging in accordance with industry best practices.
Maintain, troubleshoot and certify diving equipment and systems (dive umbilicals, helmets, full-face masks, life support systems, compressors, gas panels and hyperbaric chambers) to ensure operational readiness and regulatory compliance.
Implement and enforce JSA/HAZID, Permit-to-Work, LOTO and Confined Space procedures in all dive planning and execution phases.
Coordinate closely with project managers, vessel masters, ROV teams, crane operators and subsea engineers to sequence work, synchronize surface and subsea activities and optimize resource utilization.
Lead incident investigations for dive-related events and near-misses; prepare formal reports, identify root causes, and drive corrective and preventive actions to closure.
Ensure timely and accurate documentation: dive logs, daily reports, equipment maintenance records, medical records, inspection certificates, and certification renewal scheduling.
Develop and maintain emergency response plans including hyperbaric chamber activation, recompression procedures, compressed gas leak response and diver rescue drills.
Supervise underwater inspection, NDT (ultrasonic, MPI), and survey activities; ensure data quality and handover of actionable reports and subsea deliverables to clients and engineering.
Manage vendor relationships for specialized services (subsea welding, heavy lift salvage, ROV support), negotiate contracts and validate scope and competence prior to mobilization.
Control inventory, procurement and maintenance schedules for diving consumables, spares, PPE and critical life support equipment to minimize downtime and cost overruns.
Ensure environmental protection measures are implemented during diving operations, including pollution prevention, waste handling and compliance with local environmental regulations.
Coordinate decompression schedules and diver roster management for single and multi-shift operations; optimize crew fatigue management and fitness-for-duty assessments.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives in diving safety, equipment reliability and operational efficiency through lessons learned, KPIs and best-practice adoption.
Provide subject-matter expertise during project bidding and scoping phases: estimate dive hours, equipment needs, logistical requirements and risk allowances.
Represent the company in client meetings, safety audits and regulatory inspections; maintain professional relationships and deliver transparent operational reporting.
Supervise surface support craft and tender operations including winch and crane interfacing, diver staging, and emergency extraction procedures.
Manage quality assurance and control for subsea work, ensuring tasks meet technical specifications, codes and client acceptance criteria.
Maintain personal diving certifications, medical fitness, and continuous professional development to stay current with evolving standards and technologies.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Commercial diving certification and supervisory qualifications (e.g., IMCA Supervisor, ADCI Supervisor, local equivalent) with extensive logged hours in surface-supplied, SCUBA and/or saturation diving.
Proven experience operating and certifying hyperbaric chambers and managing decompression protocols for commercial operations.
Gas blending and gas management expertise (air, nitrox, heliox), including gas analyser use and QA/QC procedures.
Strong equipment maintenance knowledge: life support systems, dive helmets and full-face masks, umbilicals, compressors, and diver telemetry/communications systems.
Competence in developing and approving dive plans, risk assessments, method statements and permit-to-work documentation to meet IMCA/HSE/OSHA standards.
Proficiency with subsea inspection and NDT techniques (UT, MPI), underwater welding/cutting oversight or direct experience, and integration with ROV survey data.
Familiarity with ROV operations and ability to coordinate combined diver/ROV tasks, including tether management and worksite deconfliction.
Emergency response and incident investigation skills, including preparation of formal reports and implementation of corrective actions.
Strong record-keeping ability: dive logs, equipment maintenance records, gas logs, medical clearances, and certification tracking.
Proficiency with MS Office, project reporting tools and common diving software; ability to produce technical reports and client deliverables.
Knowledge of vessel dynamic positioning (DP) implications for diver safety and ability to coordinate with bridge and DP operators.
Welding, rigging and lifting awareness as applied to subsea construction and salvage activities.

Soft Skills

Leadership and crew management: proven ability to motivate, train and discipline multi-disciplinary dive teams.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills for clear briefings, reporting and client liaison.
Strong decision-making and situational awareness under pressure, particularly during emergency or decompression events.
Organized, detail-oriented and able to prioritize multiple concurrent projects and shifting operational demands.
Collaborative mindset: works effectively with project managers, engineers, ROV teams, vessel crews and clients.
Problem-solving and analytical skills to troubleshoot equipment failures and develop practical mitigation plans.
Cultural sensitivity and adaptability for international deployments and diverse client environments.
Commitment to safety culture, continuous improvement and regulatory compliance.
Time management and scheduling skills for crew rosters, certification windows and maintenance cycles.
Resilience and physical fitness aligned with the demands of offshore and underwater work.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent with formal commercial diving training and supervisor certifications.

Preferred Education:

Associate or Bachelor's degree in Marine Technology, Naval Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Offshore Engineering, or related technical discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Marine Technology / Maritime Studies
Offshore and Subsea Engineering
Diving Medicine / Hyperbaric Technology
Mechanical or Ocean Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 7–15+ years of progressive commercial diving experience, including at least 3–5 years in supervisory roles.

Preferred: 10+ years with documented experience in complex offshore programs, saturation diving campaigns or high-risk salvage and subsea construction projects; proven history of leading multi-disciplinary teams and managing hyperbaric emergency responses.