OceanGate slammed for posting macabre job ad while doomed sub was still missing

OceanGate has been panned for posting a job ad for a new submarine driver while the search for survivors of their vanished Titan submersible was still underway.

Hours before The US Coast Guard announced that all five people on board had been presumed dead Thursday (June 22) after finding debris near the wreck of the Titanic, the company’s job ad for a new pilot began making the rounds.

OceanGate said it was looking for a ‘Submersible Pilot/Marine Technician’ who could ‘help manage and operate our fleet of manned submersibles and support vessels.’

Yikes, times a thousand.

Community Note on Twitter said that the job posting was from 2020; however, the company was still taking applications up until last week.

“We are looking for a committed and competent individual with combination of strong mechanical and interpersonal skills who can work on sensitive marine equipment, perform regular maintenance and operate complex systems to support dive operations,” the ad read.

“This is an excellent opportunity for a high-energy professional who is interested in a long-term position with a growing company.”

The requirements for the position include ‘willingness and ability to work offshore for weeks at a time as required’ and ‘experience operating small boats and working on large commercial vessels.’

“This is an excellent opportunity for a high-energy professional who is interested in a long-term position with a growing company,” it added.

The ad continued: “The successful candidate will be self-driven, flexible, positive, and willing to work in a small, close-knit team environment; must have the drive to follow through on tasks and be goal-oriented.”

Of course, social media was sent into a frenzy, as one user wrote: “Gotta at least be 250k every dive.”

Another said: “It really don’t matter if you’re an office worker for the damn billionaire CEO. These jobs will replace you in a heartbeat.”

A third commented: “There’s a job opening on their website, they seem very optimistic about the situation.”

While another shared: “Remember when everyone was saying ‘Don’t kill yourself for a job that would replace you within two weeks?’”

After the job listing had made the rounds on Twitter, The company pulled the ad from its site; however, it’s still visible via the WayBack Machine archive.

OceanGate’s office in Everett, Washington, has been closed indefinitely following the death of CEO Stockton Rush.

The other members on board included Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, British adventurer Hamish Harding, and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet.