Dive Coordinator

Texas-State-Aquarium; Corpus Christi (TX); Sur place; USD 80 000 - 110 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Disability insurance

Life insurance

403(b) retirement plan

Résumé du poste

The Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, TX, seeks an experienced Dive Coordinator to lead the Dive Department and oversee our dive program. This working leadership role combines active diving with safety, training, and staff development in a vibrant aquarium setting.

The Dive Coordinator serves as Dive Safety Officer, coordinating training, equipment, emergency planning, and compliance with OSHA and accreditation standards. Strong leadership and collaboration across departments are essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of professional diving experience, with significant experience in aquarium, zoo, scientific, or comparable institutional diving operations.
• Minimum two years of experience supervising divers, managing dive operations, or providing leadership within a professional dive program.
• Demonstrated experience evaluating diver knowledge and in-water skills and providing training, coaching, or remediation.
• Experience with dive equipment, maintenance programs, emergency preparedness, and dive safety.
• Current scuba certification with training and professional diving experience appropriate to the scope of the Aquarium's dive program.
• Current First Aid, CPR, AED, and emergency oxygen administration certification.
• Ability to pass and maintain required professional diving medical clearance.
• Valid driver's license with an insurable driving record.

Responsabilités

• Lead and coordinate the Aquarium's dive program and Dive Department.
• Serve as the Aquarium's appointed Dive Safety Officer.
• Participate regularly as a working diver in aquarium dive operations.
• Supervise, train, develop, schedule, and evaluate Dive Department staff and volunteers.
• Evaluate diver knowledge and in-water competency and provide or coordinate training and remediation.
• Plan and supervise dive operations and exercise authority to modify or suspend operations when safety concerns arise.
• Develop and maintain dive policies, procedures, training programs, and emergency response protocols.
• Oversee dive equipment, breathing-air systems, inspections, maintenance, testing, inventory, and associated records.
• Conduct and evaluate dive emergency drills and response training.
• Ensure compliance with applicable OSHA requirements, accreditation standards, and institutional policies.
• Collaborate with Animal Care and other departments to support animal care, exhibit maintenance, underwater inspections, repairs, and projects.
• Manage departmental personnel, goals, budget, equipment needs, purchasing, and other resources.
• Support occasional open-water or field diving operations as needed.

Description du poste

Position Summary

The Texas State Aquarium is seeking an experienced and collaborative Dive Coordinator to lead our Dive Department and oversee the Aquarium's dive program. This is a working dive leadership position that combines active participation in aquarium diving with responsibility for dive operations, safety, training, staff and volunteer development, equipment, and emergency preparedness. The Dive Coordinator leads Dive Department staff and volunteers while working closely with Animal Care and other departments to support animal care, exhibit maintenance, underwater inspections, and other operational needs. The Dive Coordinator also serves as the Aquarium's appointed Dive Safety Officer, with the responsibility and authority to assess diver competency, oversee dive safety, and ensure operations are conducted in accordance with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and institutional requirements. The ideal candidate is an experienced professional diver who enjoys remaining active in the water while leading and developing others, managing a comprehensive institutional dive program, and promoting a strong and collaborative safety culture.

Dive Program & Operations

The Texas State Aquarium maintains an active institutional dive program supporting daily operations across its aquatic habitats. Divers work in a variety of aquarium environments using scuba and surface-supplied diving systems, full-face masks, and underwater communications.

The Dive Coordinator oversees diver training and qualification, dive equipment and breathing-air systems, emergency preparedness, and the staff and volunteer dive programs. The position also works collaboratively with Animal Care, Animal Health, Life Support, Facilities, and other departments to support safe and effective underwater operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the Aquarium's dive program and Dive Department
• Serve as the Aquarium's appointed Dive Safety Officer
• Participate regularly as a working diver in aquarium dive operations
• Supervise, train, develop, schedule, and evaluate Dive Department staff and volunteers
• Evaluate diver knowledge and in-water competency and provide or coordinate training and remediation
• Plan and supervise dive operations and exercise authority to modify or suspend operations when safety concerns arise
• Develop and maintain dive policies, procedures, training programs, and emergency response protocols
• Oversee dive equipment, breathing-air systems, inspections, maintenance, testing, inventory, and associated records
• Conduct and evaluate dive emergency drills and response training
• Ensure compliance with applicable OSHA requirements, accreditation standards, and institutional policies
• Collaborate with Animal Care and other departments to support animal care, exhibit maintenance, underwater inspections, repairs, and projects
• Manage departmental personnel, goals, budget, equipment needs, purchasing, and other resources
• Support occasional open-water or field diving operations as needed

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum five years of professional diving experience, with significant experience in aquarium, zoo, scientific, commercial, or comparable institutional diving operations
• Minimum two years of experience supervising divers, managing dive operations, or providing leadership within a professional dive program
• Demonstrated experience evaluating diver knowledge and in-water skills and providing training, coaching, or remediation
• Experience with dive equipment, maintenance programs, emergency preparedness, and dive safety
• Current scuba certification with training and professional diving experience appropriate to the scope of the Aquarium's dive program
• Current First Aid, CPR, AED, and emergency oxygen administration certification
• Ability to pass and maintain required professional diving medical clearance
• Valid driver's license with an insurable driving record

Preferred

• Scuba Instructor certification from a nationally recognized training agency
• Experience within an accredited aquarium or zoo
• Experience with aquarium diving, surface-supplied diving, full-face masks, and underwater communications
• Experience with breathing-air compressors, cylinder filling systems, and dive equipment maintenance
• Experience developing dive procedures, training programs, and emergency response protocols

SCUBA Instructor certification is preferred but is not required. Candidates who are not certified instructors must possess equivalent diving credentials, training, knowledge, and experience sufficient to fulfill the responsibilities of the Aquarium's appointed Dive Safety Officer, including the ability to evaluate and remediate diver skills in an in-water setting.

Professional Development

The Texas State Aquarium supports continued professional growth through continuing education, professional training, conferences, specialized dive and safety training, and other development opportunities relevant to the position.

Living & Working in Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi is a mid-sized South Texas city located directly on the Gulf of Mexico. The Coastal Bend is particularly well suited for those who enjoy a coastal lifestyle, warm climate, and easy access to beaches, bays, fishing, boating, birding, and other outdoor activities.

Benefits

This position offers an attractive benefits/vacation package including health, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, and 403(b) retirement plan with a 100% match of the first 5% contributed.