Send a brief. Founder-direct. Built for offshore mobilisation timelines. No CC chains. No volume desks. No CV-spam; just contractors we know, have verified, and would put our name to.
On cable and offshore projects the constraint is rarely whether the right people exist. It is whether the ones who exist can lawfully work the scope, in that jurisdiction, on those dates.
Manufacturer jointing certification is issued against the employing company rather than the individual, so it does not travel when someone changes employer. High voltage commissioning authorisations do not transfer between jurisdictions. Offshore medicals, wind tickets and right to work all expire independently of each other.
The result is that the pool which can lawfully perform a given scope is a fraction of the pool that appears to exist on paper. It surfaces late, and when it does it shows up as schedule rather than as an open vacancy.
We work that problem. Every person we hold carries verified certification with expiry dates, a confirmed medical, and right to work stated per jurisdiction rather than assumed. Where something needs converting or sponsoring, we say so before it becomes a programme risk.
Most offshore work is contract, and we carry those people ourselves; employment, insurance, payroll funding, visas and mobilisation all sit with us. The client sees one agreed day rate and one invoice line, with no headcount and no employment exposure.
But at senior and certified level the market does not always work that way. Extra high voltage jointers, offshore installation managers and commissioning engineers are largely in permanent positions, and the certification that makes them valuable is tied to their employer. Reaching them means offering a long term contract or a permanent role, not a short freelance stint.
We do both, through the appropriate entity, and we will tell you which one a given requirement actually needs.
OPERATIONAL THEATRE
Cable lay vessel · survey vessel · subsea infrastructure
Fibre optic jointers, optical testers, cable engineers and EICs, Makai operators, plough and cable equipment crews, lay supervision.
Jointers and terminators to 400kV and above, jointing supervisors, commissioning engineers and authorised persons, client representatives.
Party chiefs and senior surveyors, geophysicists, online and offline processors, client representatives and owner’s engineers.
Pilots, supervisors and superintendents, inspection personnel, IRM and IMR back-deck crews.
Marine representatives, OIMs, bridge teams, DP and class-vessel personnel, mobilisation coordinators.
Every engagement runs the same way: tight loop, founder-direct, no theatre. The aim is to get the right person on the right vessel or site with the right paperwork; without eating your week with recruiter back-and-forth.
You send the role; scope, vessel, mob window, day rate range. We confirm receipt and come back with any clarifying questions; founder-direct, not relayed through a team. No CC chains, no “let me check with the team.”
FOUNDER REPLYWe work the existing network first; people we’ve placed before, certs verified, references already in. We don’t post your brief on a jobs board. We don’t scrape LinkedIn. Senior network first, every time.
NETWORK FIRSTA short, real shortlist; typically 2–4 candidates, each one personally known to us, with verified availability. No CV-spam, no “let’s see what sticks.” If we don’t have someone right, we tell you that directly.
REAL SHORTLISTOnce you’ve selected, we manage every compliance step; certifications, medicals, visas, contracting structure, contract paperwork. Tracked, verified, current. Mobilisations don’t fail at the gangway on our watch.
PROJECT-DEPENDENTContractor on the vessel or on site. Founder reachable for the duration. Timesheet and payment cycle running on schedule. Repeat engagement set up for the next rotation; because the relationship doesn’t end at mob.
ONGOINGYou don’t need a formal job spec. A founder-to-founder email covering these six points lets us screen the network and come back to you with a real shortlist. The clearer the brief, the faster we move.
Role title and discipline (e.g. “Senior Hydrographic Surveyor, party chief experience preferred”). One line.
Scope, region, vessel or asset, project type (IRM, survey, install, etc.). Just enough for us to know what offshore environment we’re screening for.
Target mob date, rotation pattern (e.g. 4–on / 4–off), expected duration of engagement.
Indicative range you’re working to. We’ll be honest about what’s realistic at that rate before screening; saves both sides time.
Specific certifications, medicals, country-of-origin restrictions, GWO and WINDA requirements, BOSIET / OPITO, OEUK medicals, vessel-specific tickets.
Confidentiality, prior agencies on the role, urgency, preferences on nationality / language / region. One paragraph is fine.
These are the standards Novara is built to be measured against. If we ever miss one of these, tell us; founder-direct.
Every brief gets a real response from the founder, read personally rather than screened by a team. No automated “we’ll be in touch” emails. No junior screening you before the founder sees the brief.
Shortlists are short on purpose. Two to four candidates, each one personally known, available verified, references current. If we don’t have someone right, we tell you; we don’t pad the shortlist to look busy.
Certifications, medicals, visas, contracting structure, contract paperwork; tracked and current before we put anyone in front of you. Mobilisations don’t fail at the gangway because of admin oversights.
The aim is a long-term relationship with your project pipeline; not a one-off placement. Contractors who’ve worked for you come back through us. Briefs you send next quarter screen faster because we know your operation.