Lead Marine Assurance Engineer

ERSG is currently looking for a Lead Marine Assurance Engineer for a large offshore wind developer in Boston, MA.

Things to keep in mind:

• Employment Type: Contract (at least 2 years with the opportunity of contract extensions or to become a direct employee).
• Benefits: We offer health, dental, vision insurance and help contribute to 75% of that monthly cost and offer 401K with a 4% match after 12 months of employment.
• Geographic Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA (unfortunately no relocation package is available) or on a remote basis with travel.
• Title of Line Manager: Senior Marine Manager
• Number of Direct Reports: 0
• Number of Indirect Reports: 0

Company Background:

Our client is a leading developer, owner, and operator of renewable energy facilities in the United States with an eight-gigawatt portfolio of onshore wind and solar projects across 22 states. Their offshore wind business is pioneering this new industry with a development pipeline of five gigawatts off the East Coast. Our offshore portfolio consists of the first-in-the-nation joint venture project Vineyard Wind, which will deliver 800 MW of clean energy into Massachusetts starting in 2023; Park City Wind, an 804 MW project to serve the state of Connecticut; and Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind that has the potential to deliver 2,500 MW of clean energy into Virginia and North Carolina. We aspire to be the employer of choice by providing purposeful and challenging work revolutionizing the renewable energy industry in the United States. This role will be part of a team developing, designing, constructing, and operating large scale offshore wind projects which will provide affordable, clean energy and will have a transformational impact on local communities.

Our client employs approximately 7,000 people and has been recognized by Forbes and Just Capital as one of the 2021 JUST 100 companies – a list of America’s best corporate citizens – and was ranked number one within the utility sector for its commitment to the environment and the communities it serves. The company supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2021 for the third consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute.

Position Overview:

The Lead Marine Assurance is a key role within the Offshore Renewables Business, focusing on the delivery of large-scale offshore wind projects and providing support to the Development, Construction and Operations teams during the projects life cycle while acting as the point person for the project for managing the Marine risks and assurances.

The Lead Marine Assurance is responsible for implementing robust technical, cost-effective strategies and plans, tendering, negotiating, and managing offshore supply, installation, and maintenance contracts, planning, and implementing delivery and logistics, complying with company and business standards and technical acceptance criteria, and ensuring quality, best practices and H&SE performance are applied. The candidate will be managing marine assurance activities and decisions. They will also frequently support of the Marine Operations team with technical and operational expertise.

The Marine Assurance Manager will support relationships with all major marine stakeholders including Regulators, Shipping Authorities, Governments, Consultees, Communities, sub consultants and suppliers on an international basis.

The position may require frequent travel to various US locations with occasional international travel.

Responsibilities:

• Lead Marine Assurance is a cross-package role within one of the offshore projects worldwide, providing key specialist technical advice, assessment, and recommendations to ensure delivery of a multi-contract package within time, to budget and quality following industry best practice and observing the maximum respect for Health, Safety, and the Environment to ensure regulatory and legal compliance.
• Provide professional advice regarding marine assurance / technical strategies / risk levels and commercial agreements to the packages, to ensure that cost effective technical solutions are identified, fully evaluated and the associated marine risk profile is fully understood by the project. Domain awareness includes but is not limited to all matters relating environmental consent compliance, marine navigation, radar, communications systems, shipping, and ports.
• Manage and document appropriately the marine aspects of the Development, Construction and Operations activities in the delivery of large-scale offshore wind projects for all projects in the offshore portfolio. This includes all matters relating to marine navigation, radar, shipping, and ports.
• Ensure that all assessments, advice, and recommendations are fully documented in accordance with all internal procedures and industry best practice, and that enough technical and commercial due diligence (whether internal or external) exists to support those business decisions. Manage tender process and tender assessment for specialist marine services and take forward recommendations for business approval (ISM audits, AVI inspections, charter party agreements).
• To manage and co-ordinate marine technical and operational support to the marine and site operation department and respective projects to enable consent, build and operation of offshore assets.
• Responsible for ensuring marine assurance process, as appropriate is completed, and documented for marine spread, entering, operating, and exiting operations on SPR sites. Ensure compliance throughout the life cycle of the project from Development, Consent, Construction and Decommissioning.
• Manage external service consultants to ensure Navigational Risk Assessments, ERCoP etc are prepared in compliance with relevant state requirements.
• Manage and develop internal knowledge and understanding of marine activities for offshore wind developments.
• Production of work scopes and specifications for delivery of specialist marine services and studies.
• Deliver consistent, high-quality, cost-effective specialist technical advice to the key packages and projects.
• Ensure that health and safety and environmental requirements are fully considered and adhered to in design to ensure compliance with legislation and industry best practice.
• Maintain full awareness of the latest technical and commercial developments and identify suitable new software, technology and analytical techniques that has the potential to reduce cost and risk or improve safety.
• Implement offshore standards, procedures, tools, best practices, and quality requirements for key work packages to ensure that packages are delivered according to specification, budget, and program without compromising safety.
• Coordinate responses to public consultations on behalf of Offshore Development team in liaison with Markets and Regulations teams.
• Manage and develop internal knowledge and understanding of marine activities for offshore wind developments.
• Support the development of procedures in compliance with G+ Small Vessel Operating Guidelines such as Marine Coordination and Master’s Handbook.
• Manage marine interfaces between projects; provide feedback to industry standards and commercial best practices.
• Manage co-ordination of marine interests of development-construction-operations, particularly monitoring/feedback.
• Marine liaison during execution to ensure marine inspection/audit non-conformities are closed and vessels are presented ready in all regards, with auditable records to commence operations.
• Ensure that appropriate lessons learned regarding offshore wind farm development and construction are captured and shared across the different Offshore Project work packages. Collaborate with the Lead/Principal Specialist to ensure that the specialist team implements them to enhance business value.
• Represent company on industry forums, leading industry national and international standards regarding offshore processes.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience:

• Minimum 6 years’ experience in offshore and/or maritime works.
• Sea-going experience as Master or Chief Officer, with direct, relevant operational experience to be a marine operations team member in the construction and maintenance of offshore wind farms.
• Marine related Bachelor’s Degree, such as naval architecture or Certified Master or Chief Mate (Unlimited STCW 11/2) with shore-based experience.
• Experience with OVID or IMCA Inspection documents (CMID & MISW)
• Experience with Safety Management System application or management.
• Substantial experience designing and working in the offshore industry, preferably offshore wind.
• Substantial experience in health and safety and environmental regulations and policy application associated with construction, marine and/or offshore projects.
• Sound relationship management skills and confidence working with Senior Management. Proven communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to influence and develop key specialist decisions.
• Excellent report writing, presentation skills and ability to summarize key parameters and drivers impacting the package.
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Innovative and creative thinking.
• Problem solving – dealing with diverse and at time conflicting requirements.
• Tenacity, persistence, and determination to succeed in overcoming obstacles.
• High capacity for change and experience of leading others through change.
• Proven ability in giving accurate, concise, and timely advice to development teams.
• Project Management knowledge desired.