Hull Commander

Role Summary

The Hull Commander commands a League vessel and its crew across sustained deployments — the rank above the Interdiction Pilot, and the officer who owns the FPV Sea Wolf or RV Tidewright as a fighting and conservation platform from the moment lines are slipped to the moment they are made fast again. Where the pilot flies the approach, the Commander runs the campaign: holding multiple watches, the Interdiction Pilots and ROV / Drone Technicians under command, and the operational tempo against tasking relayed by the Dispatch Coordinator and NEREID. The role is accountable for the lives of every soul aboard, for the material readiness of the hull declared to Fleet Operations, and for holding the logged escalation tier when an Admiralty sanction is hours away and the adversary is alongside now. A Hull Commander is the last clear head between a crew, an objective, and the line the League will not cross.

Key Responsibilities

1. Command an assigned hull and its embarked crew across sustained Observe, Document, Disrupt, and Admiralty-sanctioned Direct-Action deployments, owning the operational plan end-to-end.
2. Direct subordinate Interdiction Pilots, ROV / Drone Technicians, and Field Recovery Specialists under command, assigning watches and holding the standing-orders discipline.
3. Declare the hull mission-capable to Fleet Operations before sortie, reconciling propulsion, ballast, and life-support readiness with the Engineering watch.
4. Hold the logged escalation tier absolutely under pressure, exercising on-scene command authority to pause or abort when sanction, safety, or deniability demands it.
5. Maintain the command picture in coordination with the Dispatch Coordinator and NEREID, relaying intent down the chain and reporting situation up it.
6. Author the Field Operation Report and lead the after-action review, accounting for every manoeuvre logged to NEREID and every round of escalation.
7. Steward crew welfare, watch rotation, and fitness-for-duty across long deployments, and lead man-overboard, fire, and flooding response as commanding officer.

Required Qualifications

• 2,500+ hours sea-going time with documented command or executive-officer responsibility.
• Prior service as Interdiction Pilot or equivalent crewed small-craft / submersible command.
• Demonstrated mastery of the Intervention Doctrine tier ladder under operational pressure.
• Proven leadership of a multi-discipline crew through sustained, high-stress deployments.
• Sound judgment and the temperament to hold an abort under provocation and ambiguity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior naval, coast-guard, or commercial command at the master or watch-officer level.
• Submersible command rating and multi-asset coordination experience.
• Heavy-weather command seamanship across more than one ocean basin.
• Fluency with the NEREID tasking console and AquaLink command picture.

Certifications

Curricula are delivered through the Training Academy; currency is tracked on the HR training matrix.

Physical & Hazard Requirements

• Sustain command-watch endurance in heavy seas and cold-water exposure.
• Pass annual sea-going command medical and immersion-survival qualification.
• Command under electronic silence, sustained sleep disruption, and incomplete information.
• Lead and account for man-overboard, fire, flooding, and abandon-ship response as commanding officer.

Compensation Band

Career Path

The Hull Commander (O-4) advances to Fleet Operations Lead (O-5) and a seat in the Admiralty's deployment planning. The role grows directly from the Interdiction Pilot (O-3) and Field Recovery Specialist (O-3) tracks, and partners daily with the Dispatch Coordinator and NEREID Liaison who task it from shore.