Synopsis · tap to expand
The market is workable: a strong local seam sits inside the search radius and comparable-cost markets widen it further, relocation is back on the table, and the longlist holds up to independent scrutiny against the client's own benchmark hire.
This pack covers the second, currently-open Project Manager vacancy at Aqueos in Ventura, California, reporting to the VP Operations for the West Coast. It sets out the local and national talent market, the competitive landscape, and where the search stands today, now with a scored, net-new shortlist of 57 candidates ranked against the profile of the client's own successful sister-role hire.
The evidence points to a workable market. A strong local seam sits inside the 100km radius around Naval Base Ventura County and NAVFAC EXWC, the same source that produced the sister-role hire, and comparable-cost markets beyond it widen the field. The non-progressions to date split into two separable patterns, relocation and a lack of direct subsea exposure, two different problems with two different fixes rather than one general sourcing shortfall.
The longlist holds up. All 102 originally sourced candidates were re-verified from public record, 42 are confirmed core fits, and the three best-aligned active candidates are the ones already being progressed, so the screening judgement is sound. Relocation reopened with a package attached in mid-June 2026, and the sister-role hire, combining federal marine engineering credentials with a genuine diving background, defines the filter this search now screens against directly.
01 · Executive SummaryThe market is workable, a strong local seam, and comparable-cost markets beyond it.
This pack covers the currently-open second Project Manager vacancy at Aqueos, Ventura, CA, reporting to Jason Smith (VP Operations – West Coast). It sets out the local and national talent market, the competitive landscape, and where the search stands today, now including a scored, net-new shortlist of 57 candidates ranked against the profile of the client's own successful sister-role hire.
SD Pipeline by Stage, the 102-candidate component
The original pipeline funnel; the 57 net-new scored candidates are ranked in Section 04Two distinct, separable patterns behind the non-progressions
13 candidates cited relocation as the reason they did not proceed; 18 were screened out for lacking direct diving/ROV/subsea exposure. These are two different problems with two different fixes, not one general sourcing shortfall.
Our longlist holds up to independent scrutiny
All 102 sourced candidates were re-verified from public record. 42 are confirmed core fits, and the three best-aligned active candidates are exactly the ones being progressed, the screening judgement on this search is sound (Section 08).
Relocation is back on the table
As of mid-June 2026, the role reopened to relocation candidates with a package attached, reversing a several-month local-only period.
The client has already shown what "good" looks like
The sister PM role was filled with a candidate combining federal/defense marine engineering credentials with a genuine diving background. That hire defines the filter this search now screens against directly.
Talent genuinely exists in the Ventura area
Naval Base Ventura County and NAVFAC EXWC sit inside the search radius and produced the exact profile the hiring manager responded to on the sister role, and the scored sourcing exercise bears it out: nine of the 57 ranked candidates sit inside the Southern California basin, several within commuting distance and none facing more than an in-state, cost-comparable move, including the only true Oxnard-local on the list.
But the remaining local pool is small, and now mostly identified by name
Between the pipeline's local-first phase and the scored national sweep, the credible local market has been comprehensively mapped. Cumulatively, 24 local names are identified but not yet engaged, the nine net-new scored candidates awaiting a first approach, plus 15 original-pipeline contacts with no live conversation to date, with five more keep-warm and NBVC's military-transition cycle refreshing the pool a few candidates at a time. The local channel's remaining value is converting known people rather than finding new ones, which is exactly why the national channel matters.
And comparable-cost hotspots exist beyond it
The strongest non-local candidates cluster in San Diego, Puget Sound, Honolulu, Boston and the Baltimore–DC corridor, markets where the cost of living is at or near Ventura's, so a move is a lateral cost story rather than the sticker shock that affected earlier relocations. With the relocation package now confirmed, these markets are genuinely reachable (Sections 03–04).
Reading this pack
Section 08 pairs the search timeline and live pipeline with an independent re-check of all 102 sourced candidates, and confirms the three active priorities are the right ones.
Sections 03–06 cover the local Ventura radius and the wider US pool, including the full 57-name scored shortlist and its methodology, plus the competitor set for the same talent and the industry demand backdrop.
Section 07 sets out the two-channel sourcing strategy and the sharpened screening filter driving the next phase of outreach.
02 · Role & Ideal CandidateThe client has already told us what "good" looks like.
The sister PM role, filled outside this search, gives a working definition of the hiring manager's real filter, more precise than the written job description alone.
Role as scoped
Must-have vs. nice-to-have
The profile that already cleared the bar
Sister PM role, filled directly by the client, March 202625+ years across DoD, civil engineering, and specialised facilities management. MEng Civil/Ocean Engineering (Oregon State University); BS Systems Engineering (US Naval Academy). Registered PE (Oregon), PMP, Certified Energy Manager, DAWIA Level 3. Career arc entirely inside federal/defense marine and civil infrastructure, Stantec, AECOM (NAVFAC Marianas typhoon recovery), Serco, Oasis Systems embedded at NAVFAC EXWC Ocean Engineering Division in Port Hueneme, NAVAIR, an $800M undersea acoustic tracking range programme, NAVFAC Northwest, and the Navy Experimental Diving Unit.
Why this profile landed
Per the hiring manager's own stated reasoning: a strong diving background, the Ocean Engineering master's, and deep federal/government contracting expertise, summarised directly as "a passion for diving and diving operations." Jason Smith himself came up through the trade as a commercial diver before moving into operations leadership, which is why hands-on diving credibility outweighs generic PM polish in his evaluations.
This was confirmed directly as not a Solutions Driven placement. That's a useful, non-defensive data point: the value here isn't claiming credit for the hire, it's having reverse-engineered the hiring manager's real filter from it, and applying that filter systematically to the pipeline this search runs (verified in Section 08).
Compensation benchmarking
Public salary-benchmarking sources and job postings · directional, not financial adviceThe client's $123K–170K band is competitive, not exceptional, for a general California construction PM, comfortably above state averages, particularly at the top end.
Against Oceaneering's own subsea PM band ($107K–166K total pay), the client's range is essentially at parity, marginally ahead at the top.
None of the general construction-PM benchmarks price in the specific diving/subsea/ROV credential the role actually screens for, that specialist premium is where a strong candidate has other well-paid options.
03 · Ventura Market AnalysisA narrow but genuinely concentrated local talent seam.
The radius around Ventura is deceptively rich for this specific skill set, not because the area is generally talent-dense, but because it contains one of the densest concentrations of Navy ocean-engineering and marine-construction talent in the country. The scored sourcing exercise below bears that out: nine of the 57 decision-tier candidates nationally sit inside the Southern California basin, including five of the eight top-band names. It is, though, a finite seam, between the pipeline's local-first phase and this sweep, the credible local pool is now largely identified by name, so the local play from here is conversion rather than further discovery.
Naval Base Ventura County / NAVFAC EXWC, the anchor asset
NBVC (the merger of NAS Point Mugu and CBC Port Hueneme) is the largest employer in Ventura County, 19,000+ military and civilian personnel, plus an estimated 8,200 further jobs supported indirectly across the county. Port Hueneme is home to the US Navy Seabees and the only deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco. NAVFAC EXWC, headquartered there, runs roughly 1,000 employees including 450+ scientists and engineers working ocean/seafloor engineering and expeditionary construction, functionally the same discipline as this role, minus the commercial P&L exposure. This is the exact ecosystem the sister-role hire came from.
How these candidates were scored
Every name below comes from the scored sourcing exercise run over and above the original longlist, net-new candidates, benchmarked against the profile of the client's own sister-role hire (Gregory Garnett) on four weighted dimensions: Location / cost-of-living fit (30), federal / defense-contract rigor (25), diving-ops fluency (25) and marine-construction PM delivery (20). Location carries the heaviest weight by design, a SoCal-local candidate removes relocation risk and comp friction entirely. The full rubric, scoring provenance, and the complete 57-name national ranking sit in Section 04.
SoCal-local scored candidates
Ranked against the Garnett benchmark · national rank shown · click any row for the full confirmed profileAll nine are net-new to this engagement, none were in the original sourcing pipeline. Every profile has been individually enriched and confirmed against public record; sub-scores are Location·Federal·Diving·PM, and each row expands to the full write-up and flags.
28727·22·22·16Daniel StoverSan Diego CAtransition-plausible (26yr)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 22/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: ~26yr · Availability: transition-plausible (26yr)
~26yr Navy diver (2000+), Senior Diving Program Manager since 2015; PLUS MS Strategic Leadership + BS Organizational Leadership (Univ Charleston) + AA Operations Mgmt (Coastline, Fountain Valley CA); credentialed operator-shape close to Garnett
Flags / to resolve: ~26yr = plausible transition point; San Diego favourable-CoL · LinkedIn
38627·22·22·15Sam SangreySan Diego CAemployed (age-horizon)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 22/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 15/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: employed (age-horizon)
Former Navy MASTER CHIEF MASTER DIVER (Harbor Clearance Unit One, salvage/battle-damage-repair pedigree) → Phoenix Project Manager, SAN DIEGO; federal-Master-Diver-to-commercial-PM = benchmark shape
Flags / to resolve: San Diego favourable CoL/location; CAVEAT: HCU-1/Vietnam-era references suggest possibly quite senior in age (longevity/availability-horizon note) · LinkedIn
58427·20·22·15Michael HartSan Diego CAlikely-available (retired from diving 2019)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 15/20 · Tenure: 38yr (32 diving) · Availability: likely-available (retired from diving 2019)
32yr Navy Deep Sea Diver 1987-2019 (already retired from active diving), Diving Ops Manager 2020+; PLUS MS Homeland Security & Emergency Mgmt (National U) + BBA Business/Ops Mgmt (Trident); mature credentialed retired-diver profile
Flags / to resolve: Small public footprint but identity+history confirmed; retired-from-diving = likely available; San Diego favourable-CoL · LinkedIn
78230·20·22·10Donald GrubbsOxnard CAverify - low footprint
Sub-scores Location 30/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 10/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: verify - low footprint
LinkedIn confirms title and location only (Master Chief Master Diver, US Navy, Oxnard CA) but profile is sparse (11 connections, no dated career history); no press/public footprint found; a different Donald Grubbs (FL, non-military) pollutes name searches
Flags / to resolve: Location+qualification confirmed; tenure/availability NOT confirmable from desk · LinkedIn
88127·20·22·12Paul ChiassonSan Diego County CAactive-duty (34yr - transition plausible)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~34yr · Availability: active-duty (34yr - transition plausible)
Force Master Diver at Naval Surface Force Pacific (Coronado) since 2017, ~34yr career; peak enlisted diving authority
Flags / to resolve: ACTIVE-DUTY at 34yr (transition plausible but UNconfirmed - call item); San Diego favourable-CoL · LinkedIn
107727·20·18·12Cody BrownSan Diego CAemployed (short PM tenure)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 18/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: employed (short PM tenure)
Phoenix PM SAN DIEGO since 2024; deep-submergence/submarine-rescue background - Lead Tech & Asst Maintenance Mgr US Navy Submarine Rescue Program (20+ personnel, scheduling/resource/cert), qualified PRM (manned rescue ROV) pilot + ADS HARDSUIT supervisor/pilot; 2019 Phoenix Employee of the Year
Flags / to resolve: Hands-on core = ADS/submarine-rescue-systems (not commercial surface/mixed-gas diving-ops); short PM tenure; San Diego favourable-CoL · LinkedIn
127427·5·24·18Jarrad SchmerlLong Beach CAemployed
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: 26+yr · Availability: employed
26+yr Sr Project Manager at Subsea Global Solutions (Long Beach); AWS Distinguished Welder of the Year 2018 (national recognition); Subsea Global = directly-relevant inshore/coastal underwater ship-repair/marine-construction/propeller-thruster-cofferdam contractor (Aqueos-overlapping work)
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; SoCal-LOCAL (Long Beach, ~1hr Ventura, CoL-viable) · LinkedIn
157127·5·24·15Ruben MinjarezLong Beach CAemployed
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 15/20 · Tenure: ~16yr · Availability: employed
~16yr SoCal marine construction/commercial diving; American Marine Corp dive supervisor→Commercial Diving Superintendent (2019+), based Port of LA; marine construction/salvage/transport; Marine Technology Training Center
Flags / to resolve: All confirmed; SoCal-local (Long Beach), CoL-viable, ~1hr from Ventura · LinkedIn
236827·5·20·16Michael RawlingsOrange County CAemployed (side-business)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: ~6yr PM · Availability: employed (side-business)
Sr Project Manager at Global Diving & Salvage 2020+ (~6yr, largest West Coast contractor); AAS Commercial Diving (College of Oceaneering); USCG 100-Ton Masters; ALSO concurrent GM of small boat dealership "Bluewater Marine" (side business - light clarify)
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; SoCal-LOCAL (Orange County/Long Beach, CoL-viable, near Ventura); side-business note · LinkedIn
The only true Oxnard-local scores 82
Donald Grubbs, a US Navy Master Chief Master Diver based in Oxnard itself, is the single candidate carrying the full 30/30 location score. His qualification and location are confirmed; his tenure and availability are not desk-confirmable from a sparse public footprint, which makes him a priority verification call rather than a priority submission.
Long Beach / Orange County is the commercial-diving seam
Schmerl (Subsea Global Solutions, 26 years), Minjarez (American Marine Corp) and Rawlings (Global Diving & Salvage) are working commercial-diving PMs and superintendents at directly Aqueos-overlapping contractors, roughly an hour from Ventura, right domain, within commuting or trivial-move distance. Their scores are capped only by the absence of a federal-contract thread.
SoCal-local names to keep warm
Scored mid-tier, marine-adjacent without a confirmed diving-ops core, but in the target basin, so worth a verifying call before discardingOceaneering Operations Manager, San Diego, ex-Navy submarine QA background.
Oceaneering Assistant Chief Engineer, Coronado, works the Navy SRDRS submarine-rescue diving system.
Oceaneering Operations Manager, LA metro, thin public profile; diving-ops substance to verify by call.
Manson Construction PM, Huntington Beach, dredging and marine-civil delivery.
McDermott International PM, LA metro, offshore EPCI background.
Original-pipeline locals open to re-approach
15 contacted in the pipeline's local-first phase, no live conversation to date, together with the nine scored names above, 24 identified local candidates not yet engaged| Candidate | Current Role | Location | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Lehne | Operations & Project Leader, Subsea Construction, US Navy | Oxnard | Marine / federal, priority re-approach |
| Chris Ijames | Submersible Operations Manager | Ventura | Marine signal |
| Matt Moulton | Project Manager, Ocean Infinity | Ventura | Marine signal |
| Terry Marshall | Dive Supervisor / Project Manager, Subsea Global Solutions | San Pedro | Marine signal |
| Joshua Ford | ROV Supervisor, Oceaneering | Costa Mesa | Marine signal |
| Corey Umstead | Area Manager, Continental Maritime of San Diego | San Diego | Marine signal |
| Rick Hollar | Hydrographic Engineer, Nearshore and Wetland Surveys | LA County | Marine-adjacent |
| John Kvandal, P.E. | Director of Public Works, Camp Lemonnier (US Navy) | Port Hueneme | Federal / Seabee world |
| Todd Carey | Project Manager / QC Manager, En Gedi Construction | Ventura | General construction |
| Chris Veach | Construction Project Manager, Ventura College | Ventura | General construction |
| Lorena Montoya Cáceres | Operations Manager, Steady | Thousand Oaks | General PM |
| Jehad Saleh | Construction Scheduler, Parsons Corporation | LA Metro | General construction |
| Jerry Mestas | Sr Project Manager, Da Val Construction | Laguna Beach | General construction |
| Ryan Walters | VP Operations, Pelican Estates | Long Beach | General PM |
| Wafik S. W. | Senior Project Manager, Capgemini Engineering | Irvine | General PM |
Eight of the 15 carry a genuine marine or federal signal and lead the re-approach under the sharpened screen; the seven general-construction PMs are lower priority but remain identified and contactable. Excluded from this count: Reed (In Discussion), four locals who declined, eight screened out at verification, and one client-side rejection, accounting for all 29 SoCal names in the original pipeline.
Broader radius supply signal
Operates a Port of Los Angeles yard with diving, marine construction, and vessel support capability inside the radius. Runs a DoD SkillBridge partnership actively recruiting transitioning service members, the same channel this search should be running in parallel.
Runs a Los Angeles/Long Beach location (30+ diver-technicians, 7 work boats) and recently stabilised offshore desalination infrastructure near Santa Barbara, directly relevant, directly local work.
General construction PM benchmarks are tightly banded across the whole radius (Ventura $127,128, Oxnard $127,128, Camarillo $126,939, Santa Barbara $128,101, Port Hueneme $126,844), simplifying offer benchmarking across every local candidate.
04 · Wider US Talent PoolA scored, ranked national shortlist, every name assessed, none unaccounted for.
The national sourcing exercise run over and above the original longlist enriched and assessed 179 candidates across the US marine, diving, salvage, federal and engineer-diver populations. The 57 who cleared the decision tier are ranked below against the client's own successful sister-role hire; the 122 who did not are documented out-of-fit with reasons, not left unexplained.
Where the scored candidates actually came from
Don't target "commercial diver" as the national job title
That pool is small, aging, and heavily Gulf-concentrated. The more productive national target, borne out by the ranking, is the "diving-ops leader with federal-contract fluency" population, plus the military-transition channel that produced the client's own successful hire.
Relocation resistance is a sector trend, not a targeting failure
Industry-wide relocation willingness has fallen from 89% (2022) to 75% (2026) per the Global Energy Talent Index. This is why location carries the heaviest weight in the scoring rubric, and why the nine SoCal-local names in Section 03 matter disproportionately.
Scoring logic & methodology
How every candidate was benchmarked against the client's own successful hireThe benchmark. The client filled the sister PM role directly with Gregory Garnett: 25+ years across DoD, civil and marine work; MEng Ocean Engineering and BS Systems Engineering (US Naval Academy); PE, PMP and DAWIA Level 3; a career through Stantec, AECOM, Serco, NAVAIR, NAVFAC and the Navy Experimental Diving Unit, including an $800M programme, with a genuine diving pedigree. The hiring manager, Jason Smith, is himself a former commercial diver and demonstrably prizes diving-ops fluency plus federal-contract rigor over a polished generic PM profile. That hire defines the filter, so it defines the scoring.
The rubric. Each candidate is scored out of 100 across four weighted dimensions, weights set in consultation priority order:
| Dimension | Weight | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Location / cost-of-living fit | 30 | Priority one. SoCal-local (Oxnard/LA/OC/Long Beach/San Diego/Santa Barbara) de-risks the placement, comparable comp, and at most an in-state move. Other high-CoL metros score next; Gulf and low-CoL bases are penalised for relocation friction and comp anchoring. |
| Federal / defense-contract rigor | 25 | Priority two. SUPSALV/NAVSEA/USACE/USCG programme-level experience and federal-contract and bidding fluency score highest; career federal divers next; ex-Navy enlisted or federal-adjacent contractor experience mid; commercial-only low. |
| Diving-ops fluency | 25 | Priority three. Hands-on diving-operations leadership (diving superintendent / diving-ops manager) scores highest; Master Divers, diving officers, saturation and engineer-divers next; ROV, saturation-systems, hyperbaric and ADS backgrounds are adjacent; a PM who is not a diver scores low. |
| Marine-construction / PM delivery | 20 | Supporting weight, it is a PM role. Proven marine-construction or salvage project delivery with P&L and bidding exposure scores highest; genuine PM/superintendent seats next; supervisor-tier or short tenure lower. |
Provenance. Candidates were identified through a structured database sweep of the US marine, diving, salvage, dredging, subsea-cabling, engineer-diver and federal-diving populations, enriched to full identity and career history, then individually confirmed against public record and LinkedIn. Scores were only assigned after that per-candidate confirmation pass; where a profile could not be desk-confirmed, the candidate carries an explicit verify flag rather than an inflated score.
What the scores deliberately exclude. Availability is annotated but not weighted, it changes with one phone call, so it informs outreach order rather than fit. Where two candidates tie, the diving-ops sub-score breaks the tie. One name was removed at the verification stage and does not appear.
The excluded 122. Names assessed below the decision tier were excluded for documented reasons, marine-adjacent without a diving-ops core, or the wrong domain entirely, and are retained on file, not discarded. Nothing in this ranking is unaccounted for.
How the list breaks
57 scored candidates by bandBand A is benchmark-comparable across all four dimensions. Band B is strong but typically missing one dimension (usually location or federal). Band C is a real fit with a material gap. Band D holds genuine operators held back by two gaps, most often a Gulf base plus a commercial-only background.
What the weighting surfaced
Federal Master Divers and diving-programme managers who happen to sit in San Diego, Oxnard or Puget Sound rise to the top, Stover, Sangrey, Hart, Grubbs, Chiasson, Bekeny, because they pair the two things the hiring manager prizes (diving-ops and federal rigor) with a location that removes relocation risk. Gregg Baumann tops the list outright on sheer federal-diving-programme weight: retired Navy Captain, SUPSALV Director of Ocean Engineering, and led the Baltimore Key Bridge ship refloat.
The purest benchmark echo, Thomas Ross (#4)
A 25-year Navy CWO4 Diving Officer who became a commercial diving-ops manager and then a 14-year commercial-operations and bidding manager with NAVSEA-contract fluency. He is the one profile that hits diving-ops and federal rigor and PM/contract delivery together; only a neutral-CoL Norfolk location keeps him off the top spot.
The Gulf penalty is visible and deliberate
Magness (#28), Koch (#40), Andersen (#44) and Shupe (#46) carry 24–25/25 diving-ops sub-scores, as deep as anyone on the list, but sink on an 8/30 location. If the client will fund relocation or the comp story works, these are among the strongest operators in the set; the ranking simply reflects the instruction that Ventura-area fit is the first filter.
The "strong PM, not a diver" trade, surfaced, not hidden
Henriksen (#19), Yeoman (#25) and Webb (#45) ride location and federal credentials into mid-pack but are capped by an 8/25 diving-ops score. Worth putting to the hiring manager as an explicit trade, polished federal/marine-construction PM pedigree versus the diving fluency he has said he values, rather than ranking them as if the trade were already made.
Warm angle, Dana Gordon (#35) is ex-Aqueos
Gordon started his career at Aqueos (2006–11, based at the Broussard HQ) before roughly 15 years as a Ballard diving superintendent and PM. He ranks mid-list on the rubric, Tampa base, commercial-only, but he is the single best conversation-opener on the list: he knows the company, the Gulf operation, and likely the people.
Likely-available federal names
Michael Hart (#5) retired from active diving in 2019 and is San Diego-based. Michael Wilkinson's (#17) MARSOC Force Master Diver tour ended in October 2025, a genuine near-term transition signal. Both are credentialed and plausibly movable soon; both sit above the availability call that Bekeny (#11) has already answered.
The full ranked shortlist, 57 candidates
Single national ranking vs the Garnett benchmark · sub-scores Location·Federal·Diving·PM · grouped by band · click any row for the full confirmed profileBand A · 80+, benchmark-comparable across all four dimensions. 8 candidates. Rows marked SoCal are also detailed in Section 03.
19022·25·23·20Gregg BaumannBaltimore MDemployed / exec-tier
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 25/25 · Diving-ops 23/25 · PM delivery 20/20 · Tenure: ~35yr Navy + ~9yr commercial · Availability: employed / exec-tier
Retired Navy Capt; SUPSALV Director of Ocean Engineering/Supervisor of Salvage & Diving 2014-16 (led 500+ personnel, $120M budget, NEDU); post-Navy CACI Sr PgM (FMS) then Thales Director of Program Mgmt; Resolve Govt Program Mgr 2023+; led Baltimore Key Bridge ship refloat; BSc ChemEng Clarkson + MSc MechE Naval Postgraduate School
Flags / to resolve: All confirmed; clearly senior/expensive; DC-based · LinkedIn
28727·22·22·16Daniel Stover SoCalSan Diego CAtransition-plausible (26yr)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 22/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: ~26yr · Availability: transition-plausible (26yr)
~26yr Navy diver (2000+), Senior Diving Program Manager since 2015; PLUS MS Strategic Leadership + BS Organizational Leadership (Univ Charleston) + AA Operations Mgmt (Coastline, Fountain Valley CA); credentialed operator-shape close to Garnett
Flags / to resolve: ~26yr = plausible transition point; San Diego favourable-CoL · LinkedIn
38627·22·22·15Sam Sangrey SoCalSan Diego CAemployed (age-horizon)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 22/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 15/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: employed (age-horizon)
Former Navy MASTER CHIEF MASTER DIVER (Harbor Clearance Unit One, salvage/battle-damage-repair pedigree) → Phoenix Project Manager, SAN DIEGO; federal-Master-Diver-to-commercial-PM = benchmark shape
Flags / to resolve: San Diego favourable CoL/location; CAVEAT: HCU-1/Vietnam-era references suggest possibly quite senior in age (longevity/availability-horizon note) · LinkedIn
48415·25·24·20Thomas RossVirginia Beach VAemployed (40yr - seniority note)
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 25/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 20/20 · Tenure: 40+yr career · Availability: employed (40yr - seniority note)
One of stronger HIGH names: 25yr US Navy CWO4 Diving Officer (MDSU-2 detachment OIC, Little Creek) → Oceaneering Diving Operations Manager (managed 20 divers, cutting/welding/cofferdams/habitats, satellite offices Corpus Christi/San Diego/Pearl Harbor) → Phoenix Commercial Operations Manager 14+yr (RFQ/bid/estimating, NAVSEA process-control procedures, shipyard/commercial scheduling); FULL benchmark shape: career Navy diving officer→commercial diving-ops mgr→long-tenure commercial-ops/bidding mgr + estimating & NAVSEA-contract fluency
Flags / to resolve: Norfolk VA neutral-CoL; possible seniority given 40+yr career (call item) · LinkedIn
58427·20·22·15Michael Hart SoCalSan Diego CAlikely-available (retired from diving 2019)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 15/20 · Tenure: 38yr (32 diving) · Availability: likely-available (retired from diving 2019)
32yr Navy Deep Sea Diver 1987-2019 (already retired from active diving), Diving Ops Manager 2020+; PLUS MS Homeland Security & Emergency Mgmt (National U) + BBA Business/Ops Mgmt (Trident); mature credentialed retired-diver profile
Flags / to resolve: Small public footprint but identity+history confirmed; retired-from-diving = likely available; San Diego favourable-CoL · LinkedIn
68222·20·24·16Travis RichardsonEwa Beach HIemployed
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: 31yr (20 Navy + 11 Phoenix) · Availability: employed
20yr Navy diver 1994-2014 → Phoenix Program Manager/Diving Supervisor 2014+ (11yr), Ewa Beach/Pearl City HI; BBA Business (Univ of Phoenix 2017)
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; Honolulu high-CoL (favourable); federal-diving→commercial-PM transition = textbook benchmark shape · LinkedIn
78230·20·22·10Donald Grubbs SoCalOxnard CAverify - low footprint
Sub-scores Location 30/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 10/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: verify - low footprint
LinkedIn confirms title and location only (Master Chief Master Diver, US Navy, Oxnard CA) but profile is sparse (11 connections, no dated career history); no press/public footprint found; a different Donald Grubbs (FL, non-military) pollutes name searches
Flags / to resolve: Location+qualification confirmed; tenure/availability NOT confirmable from desk · LinkedIn
88127·20·22·12Paul Chiasson SoCalSan Diego County CAactive-duty (34yr - transition plausible)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~34yr · Availability: active-duty (34yr - transition plausible)
Force Master Diver at Naval Surface Force Pacific (Coronado) since 2017, ~34yr career; peak enlisted diving authority
Flags / to resolve: ACTIVE-DUTY at 34yr (transition plausible but UNconfirmed - call item); San Diego favourable-CoL · LinkedIn
Band B · 68–79, strong, typically one dimension short (usually location or federal). 17 candidates. Rows marked SoCal are also detailed in Section 03.
97922·22·20·15Gregory SeuferWashington DCemployed (federal)
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 22/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 15/20 · Tenure: ~18yr · Availability: employed (federal)
Career USCG diver - Regional Dive Locker West (San Diego, 2008) → USCG Dive Force Manager Alameda CA 2018-22 → Coast Guard Diving Program Manager (DC-Baltimore) 2022+; service-level diving program management + West Coast operational roots
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; DC-Baltimore high-CoL; USCG diving smaller-scale/port-security-oriented vs Navy salvage · LinkedIn
107727·20·18·12Cody Brown SoCalSan Diego CAemployed (short PM tenure)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 18/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: employed (short PM tenure)
Phoenix PM SAN DIEGO since 2024; deep-submergence/submarine-rescue background - Lead Tech & Asst Maintenance Mgr US Navy Submarine Rescue Program (20+ personnel, scheduling/resource/cert), qualified PRM (manned rescue ROV) pilot + ADS HARDSUIT supervisor/pilot; 2019 Phoenix Employee of the Year
Flags / to resolve: Hands-on core = ADS/submarine-rescue-systems (not commercial surface/mixed-gas diving-ops); short PM tenure; San Diego favourable-CoL · LinkedIn
117622·20·22·12Brian BekenyBremerton WAActively job-seeking
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~30yr (CWO5 since 2014) · Availability: Actively job-seeking
Real CWO5 Diving Officer (Keyport/Bremerton), verified in SUPSALV Faceplate 2013 as Fleet Liaison Editor (top-of-community); SECOND profile "Retired CWO5 Deepsea Diver - Recently retired. Looking to join a great team!" = ACTIVELY JOB-SEEKING NOW
Flags / to resolve: Availability CONFIRMED (self-declared, recently retired); Puget Sound WA high-CoL (favourable) · LinkedIn
127427·5·24·18Jarrad Schmerl SoCalLong Beach CAemployed
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: 26+yr · Availability: employed
26+yr Sr Project Manager at Subsea Global Solutions (Long Beach); AWS Distinguished Welder of the Year 2018 (national recognition); Subsea Global = directly-relevant inshore/coastal underwater ship-repair/marine-construction/propeller-thruster-cofferdam contractor (Aqueos-overlapping work)
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; SoCal-LOCAL (Long Beach, ~1hr Ventura, CoL-viable) · LinkedIn
137422·12·24·16Shadd GibbsRed Lion PAemployed
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 12/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: 24+yr · Availability: employed
24+yr commercial diving; ex-Navy Engineman 1993-2003; Specialty Underwater Services diver→Diving Superintendent 2008-23; now Diving Superintendent/Operations at McLean Contracting (Baltimore, 100yr marine-construction firm w/ full diving division - underwater structural repair/sawcutting/salvage/burning-welding); Divers Academy Intl
Flags / to resolve: Genuine diving-ops+superintendent authority at directly-relevant marine-construction contractor; Navy-rooted; Baltimore MD · LinkedIn
147222·20·16·14Joe HoytNorfolk VAemployed
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 16/25 · PM delivery 14/20 · Tenure: ~24yr · Availability: employed
Current NOAA Diving Program Manager 2022+ (agency-wide diver safety/ops) + National Maritime Heritage Coordinator; MA Maritime History/Nautical Archaeology (ECU); technical diver, deepwater-shipwreck archaeologist, Rolex Scholar
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed BUT orientation = scientific/archaeological diving-program mgmt + diver safety, NOT commercial marine-construction delivery/P&L; DC-Baltimore high-CoL · LinkedIn
157127·5·24·15Ruben Minjarez SoCalLong Beach CAemployed
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 15/20 · Tenure: ~16yr · Availability: employed
~16yr SoCal marine construction/commercial diving; American Marine Corp dive supervisor→Commercial Diving Superintendent (2019+), based Port of LA; marine construction/salvage/transport; Marine Technology Training Center
Flags / to resolve: All confirmed; SoCal-local (Long Beach), CoL-viable, ~1hr from Ventura · LinkedIn
167115·22·22·12Brian SummeyHolly Ridge NCactive-duty - transition unknown
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 22/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~23yr · Availability: active-duty - transition unknown
Master Chief Navy Diver (2017+) + MARSOC Force Master Diver (2016+), Camp Lejeune/Holly Ridge NC; compelling homeless-shelter-to-Force-Master-Diver backstory (resilience signal)
Flags / to resolve: ACTIVE-DUTY, transition-timing UNKNOWN (call item); coastal NC neutral-CoL · LinkedIn
177115·22·22·12Michael WilkinsonVirginia Beach VAtransition signal (MARSOC ended Oct25)
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 22/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~23yr · Availability: transition signal (MARSOC ended Oct25)
MARSOC Force Master Diver tour ENDED Oct 2025 (just rotated out = plausible near-term transition); EOD + MDSU-1 salvage (Hawaii) + dry-deck-shelter ops + EOD Training Unit lead instructor; exceptional multi-domain breadth
Flags / to resolve: Oct-2025 MARSOC end date = transition signal (call item); Virginia Beach neutral-CoL · LinkedIn
187012·22·22·14Robert KlingamanYulee FLactive-duty
Sub-scores Location 12/30 · Federal 22/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 14/20 · Tenure: ~15yr · Availability: active-duty
BRONZE STAR MEDAL recipient (2013, as ND2 at SERMC); career Navy diver → SOF/Diving Program Manager (submarine-rescue/SDV/fleet-maintenance ops), Yulee FL
Flags / to resolve: Decorated (Bronze Star = quality signal); still-serving so availability a call item; FL neutral-CoL · LinkedIn
197022·20·8·20John HenriksenSeattle WAemployed
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 8/25 · PM delivery 20/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: employed
Strong distinctive profile: PhD Ocean Engineering (Texas A&M) + PE; Project Manager at Manson Construction ($425M marine-construction/dredging); led Port of Alaska restructuring, PEARL HARBOR Naval Dry Dock dredging, Craney Island dike construction, harbour channel improvements = serious marine-construction project delivery + federal-contract context
Flags / to resolve: KEY DISCRIMINATOR: dredging/marine-CIVIL engineer, NOT a diver - no diving-ops background; strong on marine-construction+federal-PM+engineering, absent on diving-ops fluency; Seattle high-CoL · LinkedIn
206922·5·24·18Justin CostelloSeattle WAemployed
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: 18+yr (15+ diving) · Availability: employed
18+yr at Ballard, 15+yr commercial diver (Cal Dive mixed-gas: pipelay/platform/salvage/well-intervention) → ~10yr hyperbaric tunnel support, one of most-tenured globally; full-lifecycle PM (owner consult→equip design/fab→on-site exec); ADAS Pt4 Mixed Gas & Sat + DCBC Unrestricted Surface-Supplied Diving Supervisor
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; Washougal WA high-CoL (favourable); domain hyperbaric tunnelling · LinkedIn
216815·12·24·17Gary ParsonsSmithfield VAemployed
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 12/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 17/20 · Tenure: 27yr · Availability: employed
27yr Manager of Underwater Services Division + Superintendent at W.F. Magann Corp (heavy-marine/industrial general contractor: piers/bulkheads/cofferdams/dredging/underwater construction = directly Aqueos-overlapping); runs PM + dive-team supervision; certified underwater bridge inspector + certified commercial diving instructor
Flags / to resolve: CAVEAT: small firm (35 people, $13M) = smaller scale than benchmark federal programs; Smithfield/Portsmouth VA neutral-CoL · LinkedIn
226818·12·20·18Michael JarvisCape May NJemployed
Sub-scores Location 18/30 · Federal 12/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: 12+yr · Availability: employed
DUAL concurrent roles - Director of Marine Operations at Northstar Marine 2019+ (primary) AND Project Manager/Salvage Officer at Resolve Marine 2013+; director-level marine-ops leadership + 12yr salvage-officer/PM depth at top salvage house
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; clarify which role is primary/whether Resolve now nominal (call); NJ moderate-CoL, NY-adjacent · LinkedIn
236827·5·20·16Michael Rawlings SoCalOrange County CAemployed (side-business)
Sub-scores Location 27/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: ~6yr PM · Availability: employed (side-business)
Sr Project Manager at Global Diving & Salvage 2020+ (~6yr, largest West Coast contractor); AAS Commercial Diving (College of Oceaneering); USCG 100-Ton Masters; ALSO concurrent GM of small boat dealership "Bluewater Marine" (side business - light clarify)
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; SoCal-LOCAL (Orange County/Long Beach, CoL-viable, near Ventura); side-business note · LinkedIn
246812·22·18·16Kyle TannerNashville TNemployed
Sub-scores Location 12/30 · Federal 22/25 · Diving-ops 18/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: employed
USACE Underwater Diving Program Manager, Nashville District (in-house dive team across 15 navigation locks + 9 hydropower dams + construction projects); also runs safety/occ-health program for 720+ employee district; underwater inspection/maintenance/construction + EHS + cost management
Flags / to resolve: Leans management/EHS over hands-on diving; Nashville lower-mid CoL · LinkedIn
256822·20·8·18Jeremy YeomanBaltimore MDemployed
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 8/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: employed
Oceaneering Sr Project Manager (Hanover MD), PMP, TS/SCI clearance, Army officer veteran, $30M+ defense/subsea program portfolio; strong PM + clearance credentials
Flags / to resolve: KEY DISCRIMINATOR: Army logistics/engineering officer background, NOT a diver - minimal hands-on diving-ops fluency; MD high-CoL · LinkedIn
Band C · 58–67, a real fit with a material gap. 15 candidates. Rows marked SoCal are also detailed in Section 03.
266622·5·23·16Logan GaylordSeattle WAemployed
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 23/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: ~18yr · Availability: employed
Bisso Marine diver 2010-15 → T&T Subsea Dive Supt/Supervisor 2015-22 → Global Diving & Salvage Dive Ops Mgr 2022+ (largest West Coast diving contractor); DIT grad + instructor; SELF-FRAMES around profit-margin/commercial-ops management (unusual P&L mindset for a diver)
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; Seattle high-CoL (favourable) · LinkedIn
276622·12·14·18Dennis McVickerBowie MDemployed
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 12/25 · Diving-ops 14/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: ~19yr · Availability: employed
ER than flag implied: PMP-certified; Phoenix Deputy Program Manager Commercial Operations 2007-19 (all commercial contracts' ops/engineering/FINANCIAL/reporting, estimates/bids/contracts, worldwide logistics) → Project Manager 2019+; author/screenwriter/weight-loss-book = self-employed SIDE pursuit (Bowie MD), not competing FT commitment
Flags / to resolve: Genuine commercial-contract project/program mgmt + PMP + bidding/financial depth; side-book a light note only; Largo MD · LinkedIn
28658·12·25·20Troy MagnessHouston TXemployed
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 12/25 · Diving-ops 25/25 · PM delivery 20/20 · Tenure: 30+yr · Availability: employed
Cal Dive surface/sat diver 1995-2001 → ROV supervisor → PM 2007 → Global Industries ops/equip mgr → Technip Director Diving Ops → Ranger Offshore VP Operations → Legacy Offshore Dir Projects/Safety → Phoenix Diving Ops Mgr (LA) 2021 (ran Bayou Vista diving op, full P&L/personnel/project ownership, succeeded retiring founder); AS Marine Technology (College of Oceaneering); ex-Navy Radioman
Flags / to resolve: All confirmed; Gulf/Houston base = lower-CoL, no locality bonus · LinkedIn
296515·20·20·10Michael WelshVirginia Beach VAverify - low footprint
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 10/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: verify - low footprint
Identity confirmed (Master Chief Master Diver, US Navy, Virginia Beach) but very sparse profile (28 connections, no dated history)
Flags / to resolve: Peak enlisted qual + location confirmed; tenure/availability NOT desk-confirmable · LinkedIn
306515·12·20·18Tim McKinnisMeadville PAemployed
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 12/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: 21+yr · Availability: employed
21+yr Resolve Marine salvage/marine-construction PM; broad hands-on delivery - wreck removals (named PM South Padre TX in company press), BP spill, Katrina/Sandy, USCG+USACE dam-repair/wreck-removal, cable-burial barge captain, Panama Canal refloat; dive supervisor + PM; CDL-A, equipment operator
Flags / to resolve: Seasoned salvage/marine-construction delivery PM; Meadville PA lower-mid CoL · LinkedIn
316422·5·22·15Jadon AndersonSeattle WAemployed
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 15/20 · Tenure: 14yr diver + ~4yr PM · Availability: employed
14yr saturation diver (Kreuz Subsea/Sarku; Gulf, Asia, ME, Newfoundland platform work) → Ballard Hyperbaric Services PM 2022+; elite SAT pedigree now on tunnelling/TBM hyperbaric interventions (Suez, Annacis); DIT grad
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; Seattle/Washougal high-CoL (favourable); PM tenure only ~4yr, domain=hyperbaric tunnelling (adjacent not identical to inshore marine-construction diving) · LinkedIn
326410·20·22·12Joshua SissonNew Tazewell TNactive-duty
Sub-scores Location 10/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: unknown (thin) · Availability: active-duty
Identity confirmed (Navy Underwater Construction Supervisor, Manager-level, New Tazewell TN); own profile sparse but SUPSALV context confirms UCT/underwater-ship-husbandry = closest Navy analogue to COMMERCIAL MARINE CONSTRUCTION (in-water repair, cofferdams, propeller/hub replacement)
Flags / to resolve: Tenure detail thin (call item); TN lower-CoL · LinkedIn
336315·8·22·18Michael SpencerChicago ILemployed
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: 12+yr · Availability: employed
Engineer-Diver 2013 → PM 2017 → Inspection Group Manager → Program Manager Complex Inspections 2024; PE + SPRAT-III + ADCI SSA Diving Supervisor; leads Collins diver-engineer group (coordinated simultaneous above/below-water Eagle Creek Dam inspection)
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; Chicago neutral-CoL · LinkedIn
346115·8·23·15Craig FlowersSaint Joseph MIemployed - location verify
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 23/25 · PM delivery 15/20 · Tenure: ~28yr · Availability: employed - location verify
~25-28yr commercial diver - Oceaneering Diving Supervisor → Phoenix Diving Supervisor → Diving Operations Manager since 2018 (also touches Pacific-region GM/Pacific Diving Industries); genuine diving-ops depth
Flags / to resolve: Own profile sparse (2 connections); LOCATION AMBIGUOUS (primary source=St Joseph MI, secondary source=Hawaii - verify); either way no high-CoL penalty · LinkedIn
356115·5·23·18Dana GordonTampa FLemployed - warm angle
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 23/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: ~19yr · Availability: employed - warm angle
Aqueos Corporation commercial diver Oct2006-Jun2011 (based Broussard LA = Aqueos HQ) → Ballard Diving Superintendent/Project Manager 2011+ (~15yr); exact dual diving-ops+PM title the role wants
Flags / to resolve: Firsthand Aqueos experience (knows company/HQ-op/culture/likely staff) = genuine warm re-approach; Tampa FL neutral-CoL · LinkedIn
366115·18·18·10Christopher PeekColfax CAactive-duty / verify
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 18/25 · Diving-ops 18/25 · PM delivery 10/20 · Tenure: ~19yr · Availability: active-duty / verify
Identity confirmed (Navy Diver Chief/CPO, Norfolk VA, since 2006); own profile sparse (title/location only)
Flags / to resolve: Chief-level = notch below Master Chief/MDV/Warrant names; genuine but not peak-authority nor a PM role yet; needs call; VA neutral-CoL · LinkedIn
376115·20·16·10Andrew ImmPope Field NCverify - thin
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 20/25 · Diving-ops 16/25 · PM delivery 10/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: verify - thin
Identity confirmed (Master Diver/Maritime Director, US Air Force, Pope AFB NC); AF combat-dive/Special Warfare community; sparse profile (33 connections)
Flags / to resolve: Senior military diving role BUT AF combat diving = special-ops insertion/rescue orientation, more distant from marine-construction/salvage than Navy salvage/UCT; needs call · LinkedIn
386022·8·18·12Derek GallagherBoston MAemployed
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 18/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~5-7yr · Availability: employed
Collins engineer/ADCI diver (2021+) + PM (2022+) + Certified Weld Inspector (2024+), Portsmouth NH/Greater Boston; works Portsmouth Naval Shipyard submarine overhauls (USS New Mexico)
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed but junior end (engineer-diver clock ~2018-21, short PM tenure); naval-shipyard exposure a plus; Boston favourable-CoL · LinkedIn
395810·8·24·16Curtis AlexClarksville TNemployed
Sub-scores Location 10/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: 25+yr · Availability: employed
Continuous diving/marine-construction (Ocean Corp trained; GB Group Haiti diving supt on Panamax port build 100+ personnel + onsite medic; Atlantic Marine Construction & Diving VP; Atlantic Underwater VP Diving Ops→Offshore Diving Supt); SpinLaunch item does NOT appear on LinkedIn = likely data artefact/brief gig, diving spine unbroken; SMS/safety-mgmt skilled
Flags / to resolve: SpinLaunch flag REMOVED; note messy self-recorded overlapping title entries (light touch in call); TN base lower-CoL · LinkedIn
40588·8·24·18Mark KochMetairie LAemployed
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: ~28yr · Availability: employed
Torch Inc Diving Supt 1997-2001 → Oceaneering Diving Superintendent 2001+ then Offshore Manager; substantive subsea-construction mgmt (commissioned DP lay/jet barge Midnight Eagle, developed jet-sled diving procedures, ran full subsea saturation construction ops - spool tie-ins/pipelay/dredging/pressure-test/commission + personnel/payroll/HSE); Coastal School of Deep Sea Diving
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; Metairie LA/Gulf lower-CoL · LinkedIn
Band D · <58, genuine operators held back by two gaps, most often a Gulf base plus a commercial-only background. 17 candidates. Rows marked SoCal are also detailed in Section 03.
415715·8·20·14Jacob GreenChicago ILemployed
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 14/20 · Tenure: 11+yr diver + PM since 2022 · Availability: employed
Engineer-Diver since 2014 (11+yr) + Project Manager since 2022 at Collins; ADCI SSA Diving Supervisor + SPRAT-II; International Diving Institute commercial diving/underwater welding cert
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed dual engineer+diver credential; Chicago neutral-CoL · LinkedIn
425715·8·18·16Andy KubicAnchorage AKemployed
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 18/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: 15+yr · Availability: employed
PE + SE (structural engineer), SPRAT-III/IRATA-III, 15+yr; just promoted Regional Manager Idaho/PNW + Senior PM at Collins; leader in Collins engineer-diver/rope-access group (SPRAT supervisor alongside Spencer)
Flags / to resolve: CAVEAT: headline emphasises structural-PE + ROPE-ACCESS more than diving specifically (may be more climber/structural than diver-forward) though same underwater-structural-inspection world; Chicago/Idaho · LinkedIn
435722·5·18·12Daniel KarlSeattle WAemployed (junior)
Sub-scores Location 22/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 18/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~4-5yr · Availability: employed (junior)
"grew from Entry Level Diver (NYC) to Dive Superintendent/Supervisor" at Global since ~2022; Divers Academy International trained; rising superintendent NOT seasoned ops-manager
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed junior trajectory; Seattle high-CoL · LinkedIn
44568·8·24·16Scott AndersenBelle Rose LAseniority-horizon (38yr)
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 16/20 · Tenure: 38yr · Availability: seniority-horizon (38yr)
Oceaneering diver-welder 1988-97 → Phoenix Welder/Diver→Diving Superintendent/Project Manager 1997+ (~28yr); PLUS construction management studies (North Dakota State); deep diver-welder + diving-supt/PM + formal construction-mgmt education
Flags / to resolve: FLAG: 38yr career = senior, mild longevity/availability-horizon note (less acute than Shupe's 47); Belle Rose LA/Gulf lower-CoL · LinkedIn
45568·22·8·18Rutledge WebbBaltimore MDemployed
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 22/25 · Diving-ops 8/25 · PM delivery 18/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: employed
Former US NAVY SUBMARINE OFFICER / Chief Engineer (special programs, multi-$M program budgets, sea-test certification) → Oceaneering Program Manager & Business Development; senior program/BD leader w/ strong federal-program credentials
Flags / to resolve: KEY DISCRIMINATOR: submarine engineering/PROGRAM officer, NOT a diver - diving-ops fluency likely limited despite subsea employer; Houston Gulf lower-CoL · LinkedIn
46558·8·24·15Lance ShupeNew Orleans LAretirement-horizon (47yr)
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 24/25 · PM delivery 15/20 · Tenure: 47yr · Availability: retirement-horizon (47yr)
Taylor Diving&Salvage diver-welder 1978-87; Oceaneering diver-welder supervisor 1987-97; Phoenix 1997+ now Diving Services Program Manager; THE named owner of Phoenix's ABS Class A wet-welding certs + 53+ welding procedures (quoted in company press)
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; FLAG: 47yr career = very senior, near/past typical retirement (longevity/availability risk for multi-yr hire); New Orleans/Gulf lower-CoL · LinkedIn
475515·12·14·14Jack SietaPatterson LAemployed (age note)
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 12/25 · Diving-ops 14/25 · PM delivery 14/20 · Tenure: ~38yr · Availability: employed (age note)
14+yr Project Superintendent at Phoenix (2011+), prior ROV Superintendent, back to Sat Tech/ROV Pilot at Taylor Diving 1987; long subsea/ROV/sat-ops career → genuine project-superintendent seat (not retitled)
Flags / to resolve: ROV/sat-systems oriented rather than diving-construction-PM; long tenure (age note); MD · LinkedIn
48548·12·20·14Justin HallAnnapolis MDemployed
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 12/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 14/20 · Tenure: ~19yr · Availability: employed
Phoenix Program Manager; commercial-diving supervisor background (Standard Diving 2006-11 supervisor, AUTEC-CSC supervisor diver; Charleston SC/Gulf); genuine commercial-diving PM at strongest federal-adjacent contractor
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed but dated-tenure detail lighter than Richardson; base unclear (Gulf/SE likely) · LinkedIn
495315·8·18·12David MonahanDenver COemployed
Sub-scores Location 15/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 18/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~7yr · Availability: employed
Team Leader Diver 2018-23 → Project Manager at Collins (Denver) 2023+; EIT (not full PE); engineer-diver on bridge/waterfront/underwater inspection (led ~5000-pile waterfront + underwater bridge inspections)
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed but junior-to-mid (EIT not PE, ~3yr PM tenure); Denver neutral-CoL · LinkedIn
50528·8·22·14Chris RyderMansfield TXemployed
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 14/20 · Tenure: 14+yr · Availability: employed
14+yr Diving Superintendent at US Underwater Services (Mansfield TX); well-credentialed (ADCI Surface Supplied Air Diving Supervisor, DCBC Unrestricted, MPI-2/Eddy Current-2 NDT); College of Oceaneering (Port of LA); inland/tank/infrastructure IRM + marine construction
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed; SMALL FIRM (13 people) = modest scale/budget vs benchmark; TX lower-CoL · LinkedIn
51528·12·20·12Tyler MakepeaceHonolulu HIemployed (new PM)
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 12/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~15mo PM · Availability: employed (new PM)
Phoenix PM Commercial Diving Operations only since Jul2024 (~15mo), promoted from Welder Diver; genuine diving background moving into commercial-diving-ops PM but very new + thin tenure detail
Flags / to resolve: Title ahead of PM tenure (Bennish/Karl pattern); Largo/Gulf · LinkedIn
52498·5·22·14Ryan MarinoFort Walton Beach FLfranchise flag (iFoam)
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 22/25 · PM delivery 14/20 · Tenure: 23+yr · Availability: franchise flag (iFoam)
23+yr Diving Superintendent at Bisso Marine (offshore salvage/marine-construction/pipelay), genuine long commercial-diving-ops depth; BUT LinkedIn headline LEADS with "Owner of iFoam of FWB" (insulation franchise, Fort Walton Beach) above the Bisso role
Flags / to resolve: FRANCHISE FLAG CONFIRMED & PROMINENT = active business ownership, divided focus / possible transition-away signal (real commitment question for FT PM seat); FL Panhandle lower-CoL · LinkedIn
53488·8·20·12Cody BennishGalveston TXemployed (short mgr tenure)
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~7yr (mgr ~15mo) · Availability: employed (short mgr tenure)
Diving career from ~2018 (Team Trident→T&T); Diving Supervisor Dec2020; Dive Operations Manager only since Jan2025 (~15mo); genuine salvage/UWILD/thruster-exchange/tail-shaft ops at T&T Salvage
Flags / to resolve: Confirmed short mgr tenure; Galveston/Gulf lower-CoL · LinkedIn
54488·8·20·12Daniel FennesseyMagnolia TXverify - stale employer
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: n/a · Availability: verify - stale employer
Identity confirmed only (Diving Superintendent, "Global Industries", Magnolia TX); own profile extremely thin (1 connection, no history); NOTE Global Industries absorbed into Technip years ago = likely STALE employer label; possible same person as "Buddy Fennessey" Subsea Installation Mgr GATE (unconfirmed)
Flags / to resolve: Verify employer + identity by call; TX Gulf lower-CoL · LinkedIn
55468·8·20·10Jesse WillseyMarrero LAemployed
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 8/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 10/20 · Tenure: 17+yr · Availability: employed
17+yr hands-on salvage diver/diving supervisor/salvage officer (Resolve 2018+, Dead Calm Seas, Defiant, Marlin, J&J); U/W burning & rigging specialist; Santa Barbara City College marine-tech/commercial-diving
Flags / to resolve: Reinforces earlier read: SUPERVISOR/salvage-officer-tier, NO PM/ops-manager/P&L role in history; Marrero LA Gulf lower-CoL · LinkedIn
56458·5·20·12Trevor HeintzPinehurst TXside-business / new supt
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 20/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~8yr · Availability: side-business / new supt
Diving Superintendent at Orion Marine Group ($388M heavy-marine/dredging/pipeline construction) but PROMOTED TO SUPT ONLY MAR 2025 (~8mo) after ~7yr as Diving Supervisor; Pressure Junkiez = CONFIRMED active venture (commercial-diving wetsuit brand he founded/runs/designs for - "founder and owner")
Flags / to resolve: Good domain fit (marine-construction contractor) BUT recently-into-supt-seat + active product-company side business = confirmed commitment/divided-focus flag; Houston Gulf lower-CoL · LinkedIn
57398·5·14·12Kimberly DarbonneLafayette LAverify - diving depth
Sub-scores Location 8/30 · Federal 5/25 · Diving-ops 14/25 · PM delivery 12/20 · Tenure: ~10yr · Availability: verify - diving depth
Crowley/Marine Management Services Marine/Diving Ops Mgr 2020+; prior Team Trident Operations Manager 2016-20 (BUT Team Trident = offshore STAFFING/recruitment co, not diving contractor)
Flags / to resolve: ~10yr total; diving-ops depth UNCERTAIN - may be marine-personnel/logistics coordination more than hands-on diving delivery; Lafayette Gulf lower-CoL · LinkedIn
Watch / verify before outreach
05 · Competitor LandscapeDirect competitors for the same talent, and what each one actually means for sourcing.
Firms doing comparable West Coast marine construction, commercial diving, ROV, or subsea work, all of which already appear as current employers inside this search's own pipeline.
Employee Sentiment Benchmark
Aggregate employer-review ratings, out of 5Oceaneering, a prestige-poach play, not a distress play
3.9/5 overall, with PM-specific reviews rating 4.5/5 and 95% recommending to a friend. Oceaneering PMs are, on average, happy, approach on career-progression and ownership grounds rather than dissatisfaction.
Ballard Marine Construction & Global Diving & Salvage, the two clearest dissatisfaction pools
Ballard sits at 2.6–2.7/5 with work-life balance as low as 2.2/5. Global Diving & Salvage rates similarly low at 2.5/5 (21 reviews), 27% recommending, also on a 2.2/5 work-life balance, despite describing itself as the largest diving contractor on the West Coast and running a dedicated Southern California office in Signal Hill covering the Ports of LA, Long Beach, and San Diego. Both are genuine, named dissatisfaction pools inside the competitive radius.
American Marine Corp & Subsea Global Solutions, genuine local footholds
Both operate inside the 100km Ventura radius and are worth direct, named-candidate research given the geographic overlap.
Competitor Master Table
| Company | Location | Sentiment | Signal | Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oceaneering International | Global / San Diego | 3.9/5 (4.5/5 PM-specific) | Global subsea/ROV leader; strongest comp benchmark | Career-progression angle |
| Ballard Marine Construction | Washougal, WA | 2.6–2.7/5 | Weak work-life-balance sentiment; multiple pipeline candidates already here | Dissatisfaction lever |
| Global Diving & Salvage | Seattle, WA + Signal Hill, CA | 2.5/5 (21 reviews) | Dedicated Southern California office covering LA/Long Beach/San Diego; recent CA seawater-intake project work | Dissatisfaction lever + local overlap |
| American Marine Corporation | Port of LA + San Diego | No aggregate data | DoD SkillBridge partner; genuine local footprint inside the 100km radius | Local overlap |
| Subsea Global Solutions | Los Angeles / Long Beach | No aggregate data | 30+ diver-technicians; recent Santa Barbara desalination work | Local overlap |
| DOF Subsea | North America (no confirmed West Coast site) | 4.0/5 (102 reviews) | Active 2025–26 North America project awards (Mexico, US East Coast) | National comparable, monitor |
DOF Subsea, a healthier-sentiment national comparable, no confirmed West Coast presence
4.0/5 overall (102 reviews), 69% recommending. Its North America unit has been actively winning work through 2025–2026 (subsea cable repair and installation in Mexico; Walk-to-Work services off the US East Coast), but no West Coast footprint has been identified, a national comparable to track rather than a direct local competitor for now.
Michels and Aqueos' own sentiment, for context
Michels (parent) sits at 3.4/5 overall – comp and benefits rated well (4.0/5), work-life balance lower (2.8–2.9/5), consistent with the sector pattern. Aqueos itself currently sits at 3.3/5 overall on Glassdoor (12 reviews, 32% recommending, 60% CEO approval), strongest on diversity & inclusion (3.7), weakest on career opportunities (2.7) and compensation (2.8). The sample is still small, but this is current data, not solely the older pre-2024 commentary.
06 · Industry & Demand BackdropThe demand story is real and current, and it isn't the one used in 2023.
Two things worth landing clearly: the underlying demand for this work has genuine multi-year runway, and the relocation friction this search has encountered is a documented, sector-wide pattern rather than a local anomaly.
Relocation Willingness, Oil & Gas Sector
Global Energy Talent Index, Airswift/Energy JoblineDecommissioning, not offshore wind, is the current growth story
BSEE's own framing: the question in California is not whether offshore platforms will be decommissioned, but when and how. This is a cleaner, more current pitch than the offshore-wind narrative used as recently as 2023.
The offshore-wind narrative has since reversed
Since April 2026, Golden State Wind and Invenergy have both relinquished major California offshore wind leases under federal buyouts; only the Humboldt lease areas remain live in any meaningful sense. This narrative should no longer be used in candidate conversations.
The relocation resistance this search has met is external, not a targeting failure
The same GETI research shows professionals aged 45+ now make up 48% of the traditional energy workforce, against just 19% aged 25–34, a generational pattern well beyond any single search's control.
Why this role is hard everywhere, not just in Ventura
70% of oil & gas executives report shortages specifically in technical and safety-critical roles (Deloitte, 2026); engineering/technical roles are the hardest category to fill for roughly half of hiring managers.
Nearly half of offshore professionals are over 45, and an estimated 125,000 workers will be needed by 2033 to meet planned offshore development. 43% of current energy workers say they plan to leave the sector within five years.
US energy services employment (~625K–627K) is roughly 49% concentrated in Texas, a reminder that relocation, done well, remains central to reaching the national pool for this role.
07 · Sourcing StrategyTwo channels, run in parallel, screened on the signal that actually predicts a fit.
The relocation policy on this requisition has evolved since scoping, most recently reopening to relocation candidates in mid-June 2026 with a package attached. The approach below is built for that current brief.
Channel A, True local
Ventura / Oxnard / Port Hueneme, ~100km radiusChannel B, Relocation-open, credential-first
NationalSharpening the screening filter
Operational diving, ROV, or subsea exposure moves into the first-pass screen as a hard signal rather than a nice-to-have. The written JD lists it as flexible, but the hiring manager's actual behaviour, both in the sister-role outcome and in the specific screening-stage rejection reasons logged on this pipeline, shows it functions as a de facto filter. A candidate with strong general construction-PM credentials but no diving/subsea exposure is a low-probability submission regardless of how strong they otherwise look. This sharpened signal is exactly what the scored shortlist in Sections 03–04 is built on.
Immediate priorities
One open item to close with the client
The relocation package terms, lump sum vs. managed relocation, temporary housing, cost-of-living adjustment, are referenced as available but not yet detailed. Getting these concrete before further relocation-based outreach avoids repeating the cost-of-living "sticker shock" pattern that affected earlier relocated hires.
Speed and precision on the strongest leads
A prompt, visible update on Reed and Lehne, built directly on the ideal-candidate analysis in Section 02, paired with first calls into the top band of the scored shortlist, does more for confidence in this search than volume alone.
08 · Search Progress & Longlist VerificationWhere the search stands, and how our longlist holds up to independent scrutiny.
The timeline and live pipeline, then an independent re-check of all 102 sourced candidates against the Garnett benchmark, and the full ranked list. This section covers the original 102-candidate SD pipeline only; the separate net-new sourcing sweep, 179 assessed, 57 scored and ranked against the same benchmark, sits in Section 04, and the two populations do not overlap.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 10 Feb 2026 | Scoping call. Two roles opened – Project Manager and Project Engineer, both Ventura CA, both reporting to Jason Smith. PM band confirmed at $123K–170K. |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Client requests a pause on new candidate submissions pending internal offer decisions. |
| 23 Mar 2026 | Client confirms one PM offer made (the sister role), the Project Engineer requisition closed, and the second PM role remains open. Hiring-manager feedback and the successful candidate's CV are shared. Client states a preference for Ventura-local candidates only, citing prior relocation-related attrition. |
| Mid-June 2026 | Client reopens the role to relocation candidates, with a relocation package confirmed as available for strong-fit candidates. |
| 30 Jun 2026 | Full scoping summary and JD circulated internally, noting the policy update. |
| 2 Jul 2026 | This pack prepared. |
Pipeline by Stage, 102 Candidates Tracked
Current export, this requisition onlyWhat the numbers show
Immediate next steps
Re-engage Reed and Lehne; resolve the Barreras data point; re-approach the 59 previously-contacted names under the current relocation-open brief; apply the sharpened screening filter to all new outreach.
A reasonably thorough base to build from, not a failed effort
102 names is a substantive starting point. It ran against a moving client brief and an initially broader screening filter, both now corrected for in the sourcing approach (Section 07) and validated in the fit verification alongside this tab.
The headline: independent verification lands on the same priorities the desk is already working
Of the six candidates who most closely mirror Gregory Garnett's profile, the three still active in the pipeline, Benjamin Reed, Daniel Lehne, and John Kvandal, are exactly the names being progressed. The screening instinct on this search has been sound; the verification confirms it rather than contradicting it.
Role-Fit & Garnett-Alignment Distribution
All 102 verified candidatesTwo clusters the hiring manager's filter screens out
The "no evident fit" and weaker "adjacent" candidates fall into two consistent groups: general construction/utility PMs with no marine exposure, and offshore oil & gas engineering/topsides professionals whose subsea exposure is design/EPC rather than hands-on diving or ROV operations. Both are low-probability against this specific role.
Relocation is the single biggest drag on the best-aligned people
Several of the strongest-aligned candidates, including the closest overall mirror of Garnett's CV, did not progress specifically over relocating to Ventura. The Navy/federal-diving talent this role wants skews toward the Gulf and East Coasts, which ties directly into the relocation-package discussion in Section 08.
The six closest matches to the Garnett benchmark
High alignment on federal-marine background, credentials, and diving/subsea signal| Name | Profile in brief | Location | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Reed | US Navy Underwater Construction Team Learning Program Manager, Port Hueneme; ex Operations Chief leading diving/demolition teams | Oxnard | Active · In Discussion |
| Daniel Lehne | US Navy Underwater Construction Team technician, Ventura County | Oxnard | Active · Contacted |
| John Kvandal, PE | Navy PE; prior tour with Underwater Construction Team TWO, Port Hueneme | Port Hueneme | Active · Contacted |
| Jacob Wolff, PE | Former Navy Diving Officer; BS Ocean Engineering (US Naval Academy); underwater construction & government acquisition, the closest single mirror of Garnett’s CV | US | Declined · relocation |
| Adam Winters | 26 years Naval service; marine/underwater construction PM, hydrographic surveys; PMP | Oak View | Not progressed · worth a second look |
| Amy Bukka | Division Director at NAVFAC, same organisation and city as Garnett; seniority may sit above this role’s scope | Ventura | Not progressed · seniority query |
Two local, high-aligned names worth a second look on re-engagement
Adam Winters (26 years’ Navy underwater construction, based effectively in Ventura) and Amy Bukka (NAVFAC, Ventura) both score High on alignment and did not carry forward. Winters in particular fits the exact profile that landed the sister role and is local, a strong re-approach candidate. Bukka’s seniority may genuinely sit above a PM-level brief, which is worth confirming rather than assuming either way.
Tier 1, closest to what the hiring manager responds to
Tier 2, strong hands-on operators, good local or track-record fit
Full verified longlist, all 102, ranked by Garnett-alignment
High → Some → Low → None, then by role fit| Name | Current title / company | Location | Garnett | Role fit | Stage | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Reed | Underwater Construction Team Learning Program Manager, US Navy | Oxnard | High | Core | In Discussion | Navy dive-curriculum manager, Port Hueneme; prior Operations Chief leading diving/demolition teams |
| Daniel Lehne | Underwater Construction Technician, US Navy | Oxnard | High | Core | Contacted | Confirmed member of Navy Underwater Construction Team, based in Ventura County |
| John Kvandal, P.E. | Public Works Officer, Camp Lemonnier / prior Underwater Construction Team TWO | Port Hueneme | High | Core | Contacted | Navy PE; prior tour with Navy Underwater Construction Team TWO (Port Hueneme), same diving/construction discipline as Garnett |
| Adam Winters | Marine Construction PM, US Navy | Oak View | High | Core | Rej. (consultant) | 26 yrs Naval service; underwater construction, inspections, hydrographic surveys; PMP; based next to Ventura |
| Amy Bukka | Division Director, NAVFAC | Ventura | High | Core | Rej. (consultant) | Same organization (NAVFAC) and same city as Garnett; seniority (Division Director) may exceed the PM-level role's scope |
| Jacob Wolff, PE | PM (Advon; profile shows Naval-officer background), Culpepper Construction (listed) | United States | High | Core | Rej. (candidate) | "Former Navy Engineer, Diving Officer"; BS Ocean Engineering, US Naval Academy; underwater construction, government acquisition, closely mirrors Garnett's own profile |
| Caroline Marques | Customer Service Manager – Subsea ROV Operations, TechnipFMC | Houston | Some | Core | Contacted | Manages GEMINI Subsea ROV ops, Gulf of Mexico; prior Sr. PM, Subsea Drilling Systems |
| Dave Hankins | Sr. PM, Marine Project Management | Ojai | Some | Core | Contacted | 30 yrs offshore diving/marine construction; former commercial diver, dive supervisor, ROV operator, hydrographic surveyor |
| David C. Berry | Senior OCM/PM, Ocean Projects | Ladys Island | Some | Core | Contacted | 30+ yrs offshore/subsea construction using diving and ROV operations, North Sea |
| Dre Howes | Operations Manager, Phoenix International Holdings | Miami Beach | Some | Core | Contacted | 17+ yrs underwater welding/diving PM; ex Dive Supervisor at Subsea Global Solutions; Phoenix does Navy salvage work |
| Guilherme Oliveira, PMP | ROV Senior Supervisor, Oceaneering (ex Subsea 7) | Orlando | Some | Core | Contacted | 18+ yrs ROV/subsea; active PMP |
| Jack Levorse | Diving PM / Diving Supervisor, McLean Contracting | Chester, MD | Some | Core | Contacted | Explicit "Diving Supervisor" and "Diving PM" titles |
| Jai Slaton | Subsea PM/Consultant | Morgan City | Some | Core | Contacted | 33 yrs subsea PM at Oceaneering; ROV SME |
| Matthew Daniel | PM/Dive Supervisor, Texas Marine Group / Texas Commercial Diving | Boston | Some | Core | Contacted | ADC Certified Diving Supervisor, IMCA diver, 15+ yrs; UXO Tech 1 (military-adjacent) |
| Richard P. Lenzen | Offshore PM, Subsea Pipeline & Diving SME, TransCanada Mexico | Lacombe | Some | Core | Shortlist | Executive offshore subsea PM; explicit "Diving SME" title; major pipeline delivery under budget/ahead of schedule |
| Shawn Drobny, P.E. | Lead Engineer, Ballard Marine Construction | Loomis | Some | Core | Contacted | PE; company-wide engineering lead at a marine/underwater construction firm |
| Brook Foreman | PM, Oceaneering | Houston | Some | Core | Rej. (candidate) | $B-scale lump-sum subsea construction PM (umbilicals, jumpers, XT installation); former USMC infantry leader (combat, Iraq) |
| Michael Dunn | Diving Operations Manager, American Marine Corporation | Oxnard | Some | Core | Rej. (candidate) | 11 yrs diving operations management; based in Oxnard, same area as role |
| Randy Easterling | Retired (ex ROV Supervisor/Offshore Construction Manager) | San Antonio | Some | Core | Rej. (consultant) | Deep subsea construction career: Helix LCVs, subsea trees/manifolds/jumpers, ROV supervision; now retired |
| Brian Scott | "Open to Work" (ex-Navy submariner) | DC-Baltimore | Some | Adjacent | Contacted | Served aboard two nuclear submarines (Navy, 1987–98); no recent construction/PM role found |
| Paul van Es, PMP PE | Installation PM, NKT HVDC Cables | Brookshire | Some | Adjacent | Contacted | Profile not directly isolated; NKT does HVDC subsea cable installation; PE+PMP match benchmark credentials |
| Todd Carey | PM/QC Manager, En Gedi Construction | Ventura | Some | Adjacent | Contacted | Federal (USACE) flood-control rehab PM; firm does Navy contracts; EIT toward PE; offshore-projects background listed but no explicit diving; same city as role |
| Brian Gallagher | Technical PM, Boeing (Wave Glider) | Arlington | Some | Adjacent | Rej. (candidate) | Manages autonomous sea-surface/seabed vessel program at a major defense contractor; no diving/ROV |
| James Malachowski, MBA PMP | Senior PM, OneSubsea (listed as Hunton Trane) | Houston | Some | Adjacent | Rej. (client) | Current headline shows "Offshore & Subsea Systems / EPCI/EPC Delivery" at OneSubsea; PMP/MBA; no diving/ROV field ops |
| Nathan Dublin | Power/Marine Technology Manager, Hanwha Drilling | Katy | Some | Adjacent | Rej. (consultant) | Marine Engineering Technology degree, PMP, USCG Unlimited Chief Engineer; offshore drilling vessel systems, no diving/ROV |
| Corey Umstead | Area Manager, Continental Maritime of San Diego | San Diego | Some | No fit | Contacted | Certified Navy ship-repair contractor, but above-water hull/machinery repair, no diving |
| Darryl H. | Sr. PM/Program Manager, Jacobs | Bangkok | Some | No fit | Contacted | Jacobs is a benchmark-listed federal contractor, but listed projects are healthcare/commercial/critical facilities, not marine/defense |
| Jonathan Todd, P.E. | PM III, Evergreen Engineering | Snellville | Some | No fit | Contacted | Industrial engineering PM, PE; no subsea/diving signal |
| jehad saleh | Construction Scheduler, Parsons (China Lake Navy base) | LA Metro | Some | No fit | Contacted | Federal security clearance, Navy base scheduling for Parsons (benchmark-listed federal contractor); zero diving/subsea signal |
| Chase Bennett, PG | PM/Geologist III, AECOM | Oxnard | Some | No fit | Rej. (candidate) | Environmental remediation geologist; AECOM is a benchmark-listed federal contractor, but own work is oil & gas soil/groundwater remediation |
| Nathan Barreras | PM, Siemens Energy | Oxnard | Some | No fit | Rej. (candidate) | Transformer-repair PM; PMP; nuclear engineering background; no subsea/diving signal |
| Ross Mansfield, PE | Engineer, KSH Engineering | Houston | Some | Insufficient | Rej. (candidate) | Profile not isolated; PE credential inferred from name suffix |
| Alan F. | Diving Supervisor, Ballard Marine Construction | Covelo | Low | Core | Contacted | Exact profile not isolated; title/employer pattern (Ballard dive supervisor) well-established |
| Chris Allison | PM, C-Innovation | Houston | Low | Core | Contacted | Confirmed PM at C-Innovation (subsea IMR/RLWI specialist) |
| Chris Ijames | Submersible Operations Manager, "Sub-Contractor" | Ventura | Low | Core | Contacted | 2,400 dives as manned-submersible pilot over 30+ years; scientific/research subsea work |
| Dave Burt | Senior PM, DOF Subsea | Houston | Low | Core | Contacted | Confirmed Senior PM at DOF Subsea (offshore installation/IMR/ROV) |
| Jake Grant | Construction Manager, Jake Grant Construction | Greenville | Low | Core | Contacted | 13 yrs commercial diving/marine construction/salvage/pipeline history; now in residential construction |
| Jason Robinson | ROV Supervisor/Superintendent, Freelance | Houston | Low | Core | In Discussion | Confirmed ROV Superintendent/Supervisor, extensive freelance ROV career |
| John Bubenik | Diving Program Manager, PG&E | Granite Bay | Low | Core | Contacted | Title confirms PG&E's internal commercial-diving program (dam/hydro inspection) |
| Joshua Ford | ROV Supervisor, Oceaneering | Costa Mesa | Low | Core | Contacted | Exact profile not isolated but title/employer pattern (Oceaneering ROV Supervisor) is unambiguous |
| Joshua Konicki | ROV Project Manager, Ballard Marine Construction | Taylors | Low | Core | Contacted | ROV PM in Ballard's Robotics & Survey Division |
| Rene Alanis | Subsea Project HSE Manager, Technip | Humble | Low | Core | Contacted | Direct subsea-project HSE title at Technip |
| Robert Voss | Construction Lead – Subsea Support, Wood Group | Houston | Low | Core | Contacted | Confirmed subsea/ROV SME support on major projects (BP Mad Dog, Shell, Anadarko) |
| Ryan Spates | ROV Supervisor, Helix Robotics Solutions | Cathedral City | Low | Core | Contacted | Confirmed ROV Supervisor; Subsea Robotics program grad |
| Sweitzer Ehnen | ROV Offshore PM/Superintendent, ROVOP | Cypress | Low | Core | Contacted | Confirmed ROV PM/Superintendent, offshore ROV specialist ROVOP |
| Talia Wunder | PM, J.F. Brennan Company | Houston | Low | Core | Contacted | J.F. Brennan is a confirmed marine contractor offering commercial dive services; employment confirmed via company post |
| Terry Marshall | Dive Supervisor/PM, Subsea Global Solutions | San Pedro | Low | Core | Contacted | Confirmed dive supervisor/PM, ship-husbandry diving firm |
| Thomas Godwin | PM, Oceaneering | Conroe | Low | Core | Contacted | Confirmed PM at Oceaneering, Houston |
| Willium Reed | Technical Operations Manager, Subsea Global Solutions | Webster | Low | Core | Contacted | Confirmed at commercial diving/ship-husbandry firm |
| Connor Summerson | PM, Divecom Marine | Tampa | Low | Core | Rej. (candidate) | Confirmed at commercial diving/marine emergency-response firm |
| Eric Myers | CVR (Client Rep) | Lafayette | Low | Core | Rej. (client) | "Subsea Construction Vessel Manager"; ROV, tooling, pipeline/cable/umbilical installs, hurricane recovery |
| George Brady | Offshore PM, Xenos Marine | United States | Low | Core | Rej. (candidate) | 28 yrs ROV/offshore industry; heavy-lift, decommissioning, salvage, subsea construction |
| Joseph Daigle | Client Rep/Engineering Consultant, Apex Subsea | New Braunfels | Low | Core | Rej. (client) | Apex Subsea is a deepwater SPS/SURF installation consultancy |
| Mike Dant | West Coast Lead Estimator (listed as COO), Dead Calm Seas Marine Services | Ventura | Low | Core | Rej. (consultant) | Confirmed at a marine construction/diving contractor, based in Ventura |
| Mohamed Attia | Subsea Manager / ROV Pilot, Y&H Subsea / Deeptech | – | Low | Core | Rej. (client) | Air Diving Supervisor (CSWIP 3.1U) and subsea manager background, 19+ yrs; appears based internationally (Egypt) rather than "United States" listed |
| Alex Neff | Senior PM, OceanWell | Greater Boston | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Offshore subsea telecom/wind infrastructure delivery; no diving/ROV signal |
| Alexander Hague | Senior Subsea PM, EDG | Houston | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Profile not directly isolated; EDG does subsea tie-back surface engineering (not diving/ROV) |
| Andrew McDaniel | PM/Safety Professional, ONYX Services | Kansas City | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Pipeline construction safety role; duties explicitly cover ADCI and US GoM Diving Safety Workgroup compliance, but he is safety liaison, not a diving-ops PM |
| Anthony Harjo | Consultant, Subsea Construction Consulting Specialists | Houston | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Marine-construction consulting on offshore wind and O&G; no diving/ROV specifics |
| Brad Gouvea | Inspection PM, Axess Group | Cypress | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | CSWIP 3.4u inspection (O&G/wind/marine); no diving/ROV specifics |
| Brian D. Bowman | Master/OIM, Transocean | Fort Worth | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Confirmed deepwater drilling OIM/Master; no diving/ROV |
| Chris Veach | Construction PM, Ventura College / Fairmont | Ventura | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Bio states past "commercial diver" background but current work is general residential/commercial construction as a construction-management student |
| Joanna Urriza | Assistant PM, Dominion Energy | Houston | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Offshore wind turbine installation (Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind); no diving/ROV |
| Lee Goodell | Client Representative, ExxonMobil | Katy | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Vessel Manager/seismic vessel operations; no diving/ROV |
| Matt Moulton | PM, Ocean Infinity | Ventura | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Marine robotics/AUV survey company; not diving/ROV construction; same city as role |
| Rich Adams | PM, TechnipFMC | Magnolia | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Profile not directly isolated; TechnipFMC subsea equipment/EPC context |
| Rick Hollar | Hydrographic Engineer/Sole Proprietor, Nearshore and Wetland Surveys | LA County | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | 20-yr hydrographic/marine survey consultant; bio cites "remote and manned submersible operations"; oceanography/engineering degrees, not ocean engineering specifically |
| Stephen Smith | Master/OIM, Noble Drilling | Mt. Pleasant | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Offshore drilling rig operations; no diving/ROV signal |
| Tim Robert | Senior Project Engineer, Worley | New Orleans | Low | Adjacent | Contacted | Subsea tieback/topsides engineering (Shell); mechanical engineering degree |
| Bob Maddison | Maritime Consultant PM, Project Marine | LA Metro | Low | Adjacent | Rej. (client) | Cruise-ship structural/refurb and offshore O&G regulatory advisory; no diving/ROV |
| Daniel Patterson | PM, Trendsetter Engineering | Spring | Low | Adjacent | Rej. (candidate) | Subsea equipment manufacturer PM; no field diving/ROV ops |
| Ravi Maharaj | Principal Engineer, Kolibri Offshore | Bar Harbor | Low | Adjacent | Rej. (client) | Independent subsea (SURF) engineering consultancy; no diving/ROV field ops |
| Sunny M. | Project Coordinator, Fugro Offshore Geotechnics | Houston | Low | Adjacent | Rej. (consultant) | Offshore geotechnical survey; no diving/ROV specifics found |
| Hugh Gunn | Senior PM, Cooper Tacia General Contracting | Raleigh | Low | No fit | Contacted | General building contractor (govt/education/commercial); no subsea |
| Lorena Montoya Cáceres, MBA, SSM, PMP | Operations Manager, Steady | Thousand Oaks | Low | No fit | Contacted | General commercial construction (tenant improvements, parking); PMP held but no marine/subsea signal |
| Dusan Curic, PMP | Senior PM, Cashman Preload Cryogenics | Quincy | Low | No fit | Rej. (candidate) | Precast-concrete LNG tank construction; no subsea |
| Lance Geiman, PMP | Regional PM, Pevco | Houston | Low | No fit | Rej. (candidate) | Hospital pneumatic-tube-system company; no subsea signal |
| Bradley Ellis | PM, Lind Marine | SF Bay Area | None | Adjacent | Contacted | Dredging/barge/tug company; no diving/ROV |
| Craig Paup | "Subsea," Self-employed | Athens | None | Adjacent | Shortlist | Offshore PM/subsea consultant title; scant detail |
| Ernesto Cándido Nguema Onguene | Subsea Engineering Team Lead, Gepetrol | Houston | None | Adjacent | In Discussion | Profile not isolated; Gepetrol is a national O&G co.; subsea wellhead engineering pattern, no diving/ROV |
| Zohir Abed | PM & Key Account Manager, Petroleum Marine Services | Cairo, Egypt | None | Adjacent | Rej. (consultant) | Offshore O&G marine services co.; no diving/ROV confirmed; international candidate |
| Chris Bordelon, MBA | Sr. PM – Distribution, Entergy | Lafayette | None | No fit | In Discussion | Utility distribution PM; no subsea signal |
| Herminio Nunes | PM, Oschatz Energy and Environment | Katy | None | No fit | Contacted | Industrial waste-plant/boiler projects (Germany/Netherlands); no marine signal |
| Jerry Hartman | PM, Derecktor Shipyards | Ft. Lauderdale | None | No fit | Contacted | Yacht building/refit yard; no diving/subsea |
| Owen O'Donoghue | Sole Proprietor, Trinity Marine Services | Pompano Beach | None | No fit | Contacted | Yacht systems repair/refit business, not subsea construction |
| Don Kinkade | Construction Consultant, Kinkade Group | LA Metro | None | No fit | Rej. (consultant) | General/K-12 building construction; no subsea |
| Erik long | Program Manager, PG&E | Walnut Creek | None | No fit | Rej. (consultant) | General utility program manager; no diving-specific title found (unlike John Bubenik) |
| Farhad Zarrinmehr | Senior Project Engineer, Atmos International | Fullerton | None | No fit | Rej. (consultant) | Pipeline leak-detection software; no subsea |
| Louis Evans | Director of Facilities, NKGen Biotech | Santee | None | No fit | Rej. (consultant) | Biotech facilities; no subsea |
| Melissa Rinck, MBA | Project Controls Cost Manager, Cumming Group | Thousand Oaks | None | No fit | Rej. (consultant) | Biotech/pharma (Amgen) project controls; no subsea |
| Siliana Chacón | PM, Edwards Construction Group | Oxnard | None | No fit | Rej. (candidate) | General contractor (modular classrooms, civil/commercial); no subsea |
| Yuchen Kuo | Director, Eagle Creek Renewable Energy | LA Metro | None | No fit | Rej. (consultant) | Financial/commercial ops for hydro power; no subsea/PM field role |
| Zachary Davis | Operations Supervisor/PM, Envent Corporation | – | None | No fit | Rej. (consultant) | Mobile degassing/water treatment for refineries; no subsea |
| Zubair Ahmed Tariq | Manager Application Engineering, Ship & Shore Environmental | Menifee | None | No fit | Rej. (consultant) | Air-pollution abatement equipment (despite maritime-sounding name); no subsea |
| keenon holmes | Senior PM, SoCalGas | – | None | No fit | Rej. (consultant) | Utility gas distribution PM; no subsea |
| David Kyle | Energy Delivery Consultant, LOLYSA LLC | Katy | None | Insufficient | Contacted | Sparse profile, no verifiable subsea signal |
| Jerry Mestas | Sr PM, Da Val Construction | Laguna Beach | None | Insufficient | Contacted | Generic construction PM, no detail found |
| Robert Jackson | Construction Program Manager, Davenport Developments | Wichita | None | Insufficient | Contacted | Only education record found, no employer/subsea evidence |
| Ryan Walters | VP Operations, Pelican Estates | Long Beach | None | Insufficient | Contacted | Appears to be real estate; no subsea signal |
| Wafik S W. | Senior PM, Capgemini Engineering | Irvine | None | Insufficient | Contacted | IT/engineering consulting; no subsea signal found |
| Christopher Rucker | Maintenance Technician (roster) / possible match VP Field Ops | Ventura | None | Insufficient | Rej. (consultant) | No confirmed match to a Ventura-based "Maintenance Technician"; best candidate found is general commercial construction |
| John Mamalyga | Production Logistics Manager, Temecula Electrical Supply | Oceanside | None | Insufficient | Rej. (consultant) | No verifiable profile found matching this role |
09 · Methodology & SourcesHow this analysis was built and where the data comes from.
Research combined the client's own scoping and sourcing records with a broad base of public sources. No single provider is treated as the sole source of truth for any figure, where estimates vary meaningfully, that's presented as a range rather than resolved to a false precision.
Internal records reviewed
External research categories
Known gaps and caveats
Scope note
This pack covers the currently-open second Project Manager vacancy only. The Project Engineer requisition (closed by the client in March 2026) and the already-filled first PM role appear only where they provide direct context for the client's hiring behaviour and this role's ideal-candidate profile.