ROV Engineer

Member Joined: Oct 08, 2005 Location: Inversnecky

Saw this job posted a few places recently.

Think it's for Heerema in Holland.

This seems to be an increasing trend in recent years. A job which was/would be perfect for an experienced rov bod wanting to move onshore has now become the preserve of graduates with no experience of ROVs at all.

Amazing how much harder this kind of thing makes the job offshore.

Also amazing is the attitude of these "engineers". Usually along the lines of "What do you know about Subsea ops, you rov spanner monkey?"

Thought Macondo might have shook things up a bit, but I guess 11 dead "oilfield trash" isn't enough off a wake up call.

Member Joined: Sep 21, 2009

Attitude! (The adverts I read recently need 4+ years experience).

Success offshore needs good both ROV crew and good engineering support. Arrogance on either side just ends up with broken subs and blame storms.

(Yes I am an engineer) cheers

Member Joined: Jun 05, 2004

4 years

Lets see now ...............average .................183 days working
times 4 = 732 divided 365 comes to actual days worked experience 2 years Shocked

I see where you are coming from Rovnump Cool

Good background knowledge of life and operations offshore makes for a better engineer onshore espeicially the downfalls of logistics / breakdowns and knowing how the Scorpions (Clients) operate on a contractual basis Very Happy

.................................. But that would be too intelligent Laughing

Member Joined: Oct 08, 2005 Location: Inversnecky

So 4+ years ROV experience AND a degree in engineering.

Think I've met 1 person offshore with that kind of CV in 15 years.

Member Joined: Sep 21, 2009

Let me think, offshore since 1984, regularly on ROV operations but not constant - that wouldn't count for those who equate hours o/s with experience or ability. hmmm. I have read more than enough CVs of "pilots" who have the hours logged but somehow haven't got the skills.

As I said before, for good ops, especially the intervention stuff, you need both good engineer and good pilots.

(This thread is a bit silly?)

Member Joined: Oct 08, 2005 Location: Inversnecky

DonF

You seem to be taking this thread as a dig at you personally.

The put I was trying to make was that the "ROV engineer" (or rov specialist,co-ordinator,whatever other term the company can come up with) position used to be the preserve of of experienced long term rov bods looking to move onshore.

Whether they had a degree or not.

The current trend seems to be to take on a graduate with a couple of years "experience" in anything and put them in the rov engineer position.

That's what I'm complaining about. But I'm sure its far cheaper and easier for the project managers than employ some ex offshore bod.

Member Joined: Nov 09, 2005

A certain company in Aberdeen have been advertising for a ROV coordinators position for almost 3 months, they would prefer offshore ROV experience but there have been no applicants. The next preference is degree (engineer) qualified.
In an ideal world all the ROV onshore support would be degree qualified with 10 years plus offshore experience but sadly, that would mean putting quality above cost.......

Member Joined: Jun 05, 2004

Aaagh , But you forgot the all important facto Very Happy

...................
Pay grade and Perks.
Oh and I almost forgot ............. maybe the said company has a bad reputation for not treating Bod's well Cool

Member Joined: Nov 09, 2005

It's one of the biggest soon to be biggest......
Pay grade and perks..... you mean less money, on call, more politics from penny pinching accountants and grief from offshore???
Yep that's why there is little interest from offshore chaps to move onshore and the only interested parties are those who have seen the Transocean accident and thought "ROV's? How hard can it be?"

Member Joined: Jun 05, 2004

Easy Peezy .............. and it's quite safe Smile

"Safety target Zero !"
"Anybody can stop the job if it is considered unsafe !"
Anyway , what you are saying is ......... Only the niave would accept the onshore job ! Cool

Member Joined: Nov 09, 2005

Niave... not quite. But it is essential to appreciate that decisions are generally not made with by engineering logic but by managers who have no experience of offshore operations. There have been a number who have made the transtition to onshore with the hope of changing things for the better but the reality of ideology versus acceptable business practice to senior management is soon established.
Erhm don't be put off if you fancy a challenge - the more the merrier.

Member Joined: Aug 21, 2008 Location: NZ

Not just ROV where this happens unfortunately.
I recently have had a "new" graduate "Electronics Engineer" (recently employed by my employer) helping me on a big sonar installation to get "real world experience".
Well he took over cause as he said "I'm the engineer you're just the technician" End result was chaos as he has less than no idea. End result guess who had to pick up all the pieces and guess who got the credit for the successful installation.
Best engineers in my humble opinion are those who have been there done that, they may not be the best theoretically, but they usually are brilliant practically

ROVworld Webteam Joined: Dec 26, 2003 Location: Scotland

That's the problem with someone straight out of University with a Degree.

They can tell you the square root of an orange but they cannot peel it!

Member Joined: Aug 21, 2008 Location: NZ

rayshields wrote:

That's the problem with someone straight out of University with a Degree.

They can tell you the square root of an orange but they cannot peel it!

No in my experience they can tell you what a resistor does but not the value of the one you have just given them. I just get hacked off when they earn more than me straight out of school

Member Joined: Nov 09, 2005

Graduate engineers are on about 30 to 35k, supervisors are on a touch more, especially if the 183 days rule comes into play. Senior management will not break the pay structure so we are stuck with this situation.