What are the responsibilities and job description for the Chief Engineer – Gas, Fluid, and Auxiliary Systems position at DEEP?
Who we are:
DEEP is an international design and engineering company on a mission to make humans aquatic. We’re doing this by advancing ocean exploration through the development of new technologies that will enable humans to live and work in underwater environments for longer periods of time.
Role Description:
DEEP is seeking a world-class Chief Engineer – Gas, Fluid, and Auxiliary Systems to serve as the senior technical leader responsible for the design, development, integration, testing, delivery, and lifecycle support of all gas, fluid, and auxiliary systems within our next generation of underwater habitats.
This role holds organizational scope and authority equivalent to other Chief Engineer roles at DEEP and is accountable for technical leadership across breathing gas systems, life-support fluids, environmental control systems, and supporting auxiliary infrastructure required for safe, sustained human habitation in shallow and deep-water environments.
The Chief Engineer – Gas, Fluid, and Auxiliary Systems provides senior technical leadership to internal engineering teams and select external engineering and manufacturing partners, ensuring these systems meet the highest standards of safety, reliability, and operational robustness.
Essential Responsibilities:
Technical Leadership
- Define and maintain the overall architecture for gas, fluid, and auxiliary systems across DEEP habitat platforms.
- Establish engineering standards, design principles, and interface definitions for pressurized gas systems, fluid handling systems, and supporting auxiliary subsystems.
- Lead cross-functional integration with mechanical, electrical, controls, and operations engineering teams.
- Provide senior technical judgment on system-level trade studies involving safety, reliability, maintainability, and operational performance.
Design, Development & Integration
• Lead lifecycle engineering of gas, fluid, and auxiliary systems, including:
- Breathing gas storage, distribution, and conditioning systems for shallow and deep-water habitats
- Gas mixing, monitoring, and delivery subsystems supporting human life-support operations
- Environmental control systems, including atmosphere circulation, humidity control, and thermal interfaces
- Fluid systems supporting potable water, non-potable water, cooling, and auxiliary services
- Waste handling and processing systems appropriate for confined and subsea environments
- Guide internal teams and external partners through system design, development, reviews, and integration activities.
- Ensure systems are modular, maintainable, and suitable for long-duration subsea operation.
Testing & Verification
- Define and oversee test and verification activities for gas, fluid, and auxiliary systems across development and deployment phases.
- Support system testing in laboratory, environmental, and operational settings.
- Ensure systems are technically ready for integration, deployment, and sustained operation.
Project Delivery & Operational Support
- Support engineering execution to meet program cost, schedule, and performance objectives.
- Provide senior technical support during system integration, deployment, and commissioning activities.
- Participate in readiness reviews and post-deployment technical assessments to support continuous improvement.
Safety, Compliance & Documentation
- Promote a strong safety culture across all gas, fluid, and auxiliary system engineering activities.
- Ensure systems comply with applicable standards, codes, and best practices for pressurized systems, life-support infrastructure, and confined-space environments.
- Maintain high-quality technical documentation throughout the system lifecycle.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
- Experience with breathing gas systems, life-support infrastructure, or pressurized fluid systems.
- Familiarity with environmental control systems for human-occupied or confined environments.
- Exposure to subsea, offshore, or extreme-environment operations.
- Ability to communicate effectively with executives, engineers, operators, and partner organizations.
- Passion for exploration and engineering in extreme environments.
- Systems thinker with strong architectural instincts
- Collaborative leader across disciplines and organizations
- Decisive technical authority in complex environments
- Mentor and builder of high-performing engineering teams
Minimum Qualifications:
- BS/BE in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Ocean Engineering, or related field.
- 12 years of experience in gas, fluid, or auxiliary systems engineering for high-reliability platforms (subsea, marine, aerospace, defense, industrial, or similar).
- Demonstrated experience leading complex engineering efforts involving both internal teams and external partners.
- Strong systems-level engineering judgment and problem-solving capability.
Why join our team:
- Employer paid Health insurance for employee
- Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
- 401K Contributions
- Supportive and inclusive team culture
- Competitive Compensation Package
DEEP is redefining the frontier of human-rated underwater habitats. This role offers the opportunity to lead the development of mission-critical gas, fluid, and auxiliary systems that enable safe, sustained human presence beneath the ocean surface in support of exploration, research, and industrial operations.