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Witt O'Brien's

Global crisis and emergency management consultancy

Associate – Marine Technical

Part-TimeUpdated on 10/22/2026
No salary listed
Expert
Bachelor's, Certification
Corpus Christi, TX, USA+1 moreMore locations: Lake Charles, LA, USA
RemoteRemote; between Corpus Christi and Lake Charles preferred. Travel: 25% domestic or foreign.
ConsultingRisk, Regulatory & Legal Advisory

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in a relevant field from an accredited college or university, or two years of experience working in the assigned technical discipline substituted for one year of education; eight years of relevant work experience is equivalent to a bachelor's degree.
  • At least six years of professional experience in project management or maritime consulting.
  • Demonstrated experience working with the International Gas Code.
  • Demonstrated experience working with regulatory agencies or shipping companies on U.S. compliance issues.
  • Must be self-directed, manage time effectively, and work hours as necessary to meet business development and project implementation goals.
  • Must be able to travel as necessary and work after hours and on weekends as necessary.
  • Ability to plan effectively and efficiently to meet position objectives.
  • Ability to maintain account and company information in an organized manner.
  • Ability to work under pressure and maintain strong attention to detail.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.
  • Performance- and results-driven approach.
  • Excellent decision-making and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to work individually and as part of a team.
  • Ability to handle multiple projects and details simultaneously.
  • Ability to use Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  • Valid Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to enter port facilities.
  • Preferred: five years of experience as a Master, Chief Officer, or Chief Engineer, or experience as a U.S. Coast Guard Marine Inspector.
  • Preferred: vocational certificate or engineering qualification, or equivalent to a minimum of five years of industry experience.
  • Preferred: U.S. Coast Guard Port State Control Officer qualifications.
  • Preferred: drydock or plan review experience.
  • Preferred: maritime casualty and pollution investigation experience.
  • Preferred: experience with U.S. regulations and International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea standards.
  • Preferred: experience with International Safety Management audits or International Safety Management Certified Examiner qualification.
  • Preferred: experience with gas carriers.
  • Preferred: knowledge of Safety Management Systems and Health, Safety, Security, Environment, and Quality maritime practices.
  • Preferred: knowledge of 33 and 46 Code of Federal Regulations requirements for commercial vessels, as well as Safety of Life at Sea, MARPOL, and International Ship and Port Facility Security requirements.
  • Preferred: more than five years of emergency-response experience, such as oil spills or hazardous-material releases, maritime emergency response, civil unrest, man-made disasters, natural disasters, or equivalent experience.
  • Preferred: experience responding to oil spills, maritime incidents, or other complex emergencies involving natural disasters, fires, civil disturbances, and pollution; experience working with government and industrial response teams at local, state, federal, and international levels.
  • Preferred: knowledge of various oil-spill response methodologies.
  • Preferred: ICS 100, 200, 700, and 800 qualifications.
  • Preferred: experience holding a Command or General Staff position during an actual incident or numerous exercises.
Responsibilities
  • Conduct and coordinate safety and security audits aboard customer vessels, and provide training to merchant mariners to build awareness and understanding of relevant U.S. laws and regulations and support compliant, safe, and productive operations.
  • Conduct safety and security inspections for U.S. and foreign vessel clients; sail with vessels on short coastwise voyages when required.
  • Provide third-party and/or court-appointed auditor services in support of Environmental Compliance Programs.
  • Guide vessel captains before, during, and after U.S. Coast Guard Port State Control vessel examinations and inspections.
  • Apply and demonstrate knowledge of vessel safety and security, safety management systems, crew training, firefighting, pollution prevention, navigation, hull construction, machinery, cargo segregation and transfer systems, crew manning, and vessel operators and owners.
  • Conduct environmental, safety, and security audits and train merchant mariners to improve their awareness and understanding and support safe and effective productivity.
  • Conduct International Safety Management and navigation audits as needed.
  • Support client preparedness activities, including exercises and training.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
  • Respond to urgent correspondence, calls, and arrangements outside normal U.S. business hours when needed for the worldwide customer base.
  • Complete vessel attendance activities on some weekends and outside normal business hours, including extended consecutive work hours when required by vessel schedules.
  • Deploy for vessel attendance on less than 72 hours’ notice when required.

About the company

Witt O’Brien’s provides crisis and emergency management services for governments and private sector clients, helping them prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate disruptions across the full disaster lifecycle. Clients engage the firm to assess risks, develop preparedness plans, train staff, conduct exercises, manage grants (such as FEMA Public Assistance), ensure regulatory compliance, and coordinate crisis communications, with specialized maritime support available. The company combines veteran public-sector disaster management expertise with private-sector incident response, augmented by acquisitions in crisis communications and reputation management to offer end-to-end services. Its goal is to boost resilience for operations, people, assets, and reputations in the face of natural and man-made risks.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

null

Founded

2001

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • FEMA reopened BRIC in April 2026, directly expanding demand for Witt O'Brien's services.
  • Witt O'Brien's joined April 2026 conferences on continuity and AI, signaling active client demand.
  • Ambipar still backs a global response platform, preserving international reach after the 2022 acquisition.

What critics are saying

  • Ambipar filed judicial recovery in October 2025, exposing Witt O'Brien's to parent distress.
  • Ambipar creditors challenged delayed statements in August 2026, prolonging restructuring uncertainty.
  • A failed Ambipar plan can trigger liquidation, disrupting Witt O'Brien's funding and contracts.

What makes Witt O'Brien's unique

  • Witt O'Brien's combines FEMA grants expertise with oil-spill and maritime response know-how.
  • Its April 2026 BRIC webinar shows deep positioning in hazard mitigation and grant management.
  • The firm markets practical AI for crisis management, not just strategy decks.

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Benefits

  • Hybrid Work Options