Passive Accoustic Monitoring Officer

Description

This role is critical to ensuring environmental protection during activities such as mass-flow excavation, diving operations, geophysical survey, cable cutting, jointing, and cable laying.

The Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) Operator supports environmental compliance during offshore operations by detecting marine mammals acoustically using towed hydrophone arrays and specialized monitoring software. The operator ensures that marine operations adhere to RTE Specification HSE 14 and advises the vessel when mitigation measures must be applied (delay of start-up or shutdown of activity).

• All recording and reporting templates (JNCC or regulator-compliant)
• Contribute to the final PAM report for inclusion in the HSE close-out report.
• Determine bearing and range to detected animals using software tools.
• Provide full acoustic recordings (unprocessed).
• Delay operation start if animals are detected within the exclusion zone (EZ).
• Ensure continuous monitoring during all relevant activities.
• Identify acoustic signatures and classify species where possible.
• Ensure PAM operations integrate smoothly with vessel schedules and constraints.
• Initiate marine mammal mitigation procedures:
• Ensure all environmental conditions in consents/licence documents are respected.
• Advise shutdown if abnormal behavior is observed.
• Conduct real-time acoustic detection of marine mammals throughout operations.
• Deploy, operate, and maintain the PAM system (towed array, cabling, acoustic station).
• Maintain clear communication with the MMO (when present) and vessel leadership.
• Conduct marine mammal awareness briefings for vessel crew.
• Attend pre-mobilization meetings to clarify workflow and responsibilities.
• Complete all required acoustic monitoring forms in raw data format (Excel).
• Maintain accurate logs of detections, conditions, and any mitigation actions taken.

Requirements

Passive Accoustic Monitoring (PAM) Operator - IFA1

Mandatory Certifications

• Preferably experience in regions similar to the project location.
• English fluency
• Clothing suitable for cold, wind, spray
• Recognized PAM Operator certification including field-based training
• Proficiency with PAM software (e.g., PAMGuard or equivalent).
• Competence in identifying marine mammal acoustic signals.
• For offshore substation piling (if applicable), the requirement increases to 20 weeks of field experience over the past 10 years.
• Towed array hydrophone
• UK passport or valid UK work visa
• Ability to interpret bearing and range information from hydrophone data.
• Required cabling
• Ability to assemble, test, and deploy a towed PAM array safely.
• Relevant software
• Newly qualified PAM Operators may be accepted only if paired with an experienced mentor.
• Basic offshore PPE (helmet, boots, gloves, hi-vis, etc.)
• Familiarity with marine mammal species and behavior relevant to the project area.
• At least 1 week of field experience acoustically monitoring marine mammals within the last 10 years.
• Valid offshore medical certificate

Benefits

Operations run 24/7, requiring continuous PAM coverage.

• Complete PAM system including:

Training + Development

Interview process

Visa Sponsorship

Security clearance