Dive Coordinator

Texas State Aquarium; Corpus Christi (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Life insurance

403(b) retirement plan with match

Job summary

The Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, Texas is seeking an experienced Dive Coordinator to lead the Dive Department and oversee the aquarium's dive program. This is a working leadership role combining active diving with safety, training, and operational duties.

The ideal candidate is an experienced professional diver who can supervise staff, ensure dive safety, and collaborate with multiple departments to support animal care, exhibits, and underwater inspections.

Qualifications

• Five years of professional diving experience in institutional settings.
• Two years of supervision or leadership in a dive program.
• Experience evaluating diver knowledge and providing training/remediation.
• Experience with dive equipment maintenance, emergency preparedness, and safety.
• Current scuba certification with appropriate scope; First Aid/CPR/AED certified.
• Valid driver's license with insurable driving record.
• Ability to pass medical clearance for professional diving.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the Aquarium's dive program and Dive Department.
• Serve as Dive Safety Officer and oversee dive safety compliance.
• Participate as a working diver in aquarium operations.
• Supervise, train, schedule, and evaluate Dive Department staff and volunteers.
• Assess diver knowledge and provide training/remediation as needed.
• Plan and supervise dive operations; modify or suspend for safety.
• Develop dive policies, procedures, training, and emergency protocols.
• Oversee equipment, breathing-air systems, inspections, and records.
• Conduct and evaluate dive emergency drills and response training.
• Ensure OSHA and accreditation standards are met; collaborate with departments.
• Support animal care, exhibit maintenance, underwater inspections, and repairs.
• Manage budget, resources, and open-water or field diving as needed.

Skills

Diving leadership

Training & coaching

Dive safety

Emergency response

Regulatory compliance

Education

SCUBA certification

First Aid / CPR / AED

Tools

Dive equipment maintenance

Breathing-air compressors

Full-face masks

Underwater communications

Job description

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.