Generally the majority of contract work in the North Sea takes place between April and September. Oct to March produces some pretty rough sea conditions and clients tend to try and avoid operating in these periods due to the non productive cost of weather downtime.

ROV people tend to be in one of two categories:- Electrical/Electronic or Mechanical/Hydraulic.

When you first start out in ROVs you will tend to be one or the other. As you progress in your career you will have to learn about the other. The job title is Pilot TECHNICIAN. Some people tend to forget this! By the time you reach Sub Engineer Level, you are expected to know how to fix ALL parts of the ROV system, both electrical and hydraulic.

The best qualifications to have are either experience (in the form of Armed Forces training or a "proper" apprenticeship) or vocational qualifications such as ONC, HNC, NVQs etc.

Degrees are not particularly helpful, as it is thought that there is not enough practical experience gained (someone who had a Degree in Engineering - "he could tell you the square root of an orange but he couldn't peel it").

Likewise, qualifications in Marine Biology or Environmental studies, just because it involves the sea, it will not help you fix an electrical problem on an ROV.

 

Some companies have invented several grades of Pilot, of Sub Eng, even of Trainee! This is mainly to allow them to give small pay increases to people without bumping them up a whole level.

Generally (and following IMCA guidelines) there is usually the following (from low to high):-

Trainee - as the name says, brand new out of the box.

Pilot Tech 2 - minimum 6 months experience. Assists in the operation and maintenance of the ROV system under the guidance of the ROV Supervisor and Senior Pilot. Not expected to be able to carry out complex flying or manipulator tasks. Expected to be pro-active and self-motivated in learning all aspects of the ROV system

Pilot Tech 1 - minimum 12 months experience.  Assists in the operation and maintenance of the ROV system under the guidance of the ROV Supervisor and Senior Pilot. Expected to be able to carry out flying or manipulator tasks, and carry out planned maintenance and repairs under the direction of the ROV Supervisor and Senior Pilot

Senior Pilot or Sub Engineer - minimum 2 years experience.  Assists in the operation and maintenance of the ROV system under the guidance of the ROV Supervisor. Expected to be able to carry out complex flying or manipulator tasks. Experienced and knowledgeable in the operations and technicalities of all parts of the ROV system. Responsible for ensuring that all parts of the ROV system are operational and that maintenance is carried out. Responsible for the technical paperwork, fault reports and stores.

Supervisor - minimum 3 years experience. Runs the operation and maintenance of the ROV system sometimes under the guidance of the ROV Superintendent. Expected to be able to carry out complex flying or manipulator tasks.  Experienced and knowledgeable in the operations and technicalities of all parts of the ROV system.  Responsible for ensuring that all parts of the ROV system are operational and that maintenance is carried out by the Senior Pilot and Pilots. Responsible for the daily and weekly reports, and liaising with the Client.

Superintendent - minimum 5 years experience.  Responsible for the smooth running of one or more ROV systems. Liaising with the Client to ensure that all required tasks are carried out. Usually Company representative while onboard a vessel. Dealing with all ROV personnel under him, including appraisals. Normally on jobs where more than one ROV is involved.