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Dredges, tugs, cranes and barges, and the project teams behind them: who operates in this sector, the jobs they offer, and how to reach their official hiring systems.
By Captain Mike · 50 years at sea · former MITAGS faculty Employer contacts and careers pages checked October 6, 2026
This is not a live job board. Current openings stay on each employer’s own website. The page serves both newer mariners and experienced officers looking for their next move.
Dredging is more than operating a dredge
This sector includes traditional marine jobs and broader project and technical careers. The work can include:
Hopper dredges
Cutter-suction dredges
Dredge tenders
Tugboats
Hopper barges
Deck barges
Floating cranes
Heavy-lift equipment
Survey crews
Marine engineers
Equipment operators
Project staff
Safety personnel
Marine superintendents
Major Dredging Contractors
4 employers
Companies that run dredging fleets: hopper and cutter-suction dredges, dredge tenders, tugs and hopper barges.
Building and repairing piers, wharves, breakwaters and offshore structures, plus heavy lift and salvage. These employers also appear elsewhere, so they are cross-listed here.
Not every job here needs a Coast Guard credential. Vessel positions commonly do; shore-based project, engineering, survey and management roles follow other qualification paths.
Accuracy note: Employer requirements, contact information and job openings can change. Mariners Online provides general career guidance and links to official employer resources. Always confirm current qualifications and application instructions with the employer. Mariners Online is not affiliated with any employer listed.
Buttons marked ↗ take you to the employer’s own website in a new tab, so you will be leaving Mariners Online. Legitimate employers do not ask applicants to pay to be hired.
MAJOR DREDGING CONTRACTORS
Major Dredging Contractors
Companies that run dredging fleets: hopper and cutter-suction dredges, dredge tenders, tugs and hopper barges.
Requirements vary by vessel, project and position. Always check the current employer posting.
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (GLDD)
DREDGINGMARINE OPERATIONSCAREER DEVELOPMENT
What they do
Great Lakes Dredge & Dock is a major U.S. dredging contractor operating hopper, hydraulic and mechanical dredges, support vessels and marine construction equipment. It operates a large U.S. dredging fleet and a significant support-vessel fleet.
GLDD maintains separate career pathways for hourly, salaried and hourly union openings, each with its own job search.
GLDD describes training in safety and health, technical proficiency, leadership development and communication skills.
Entry requirements vary by position. Check the current employer posting.
GLDD warns that fraudulent firms falsely claim GLDD affiliation and ask applicants for money. GLDD says legitimate GLDD recruitment never asks applicants for payment.
Credentials commonly seen
Common credentials associated with vessel positions may include: MMC, TWIC, Medical Certificate, AB / Able Seafarer, STCW where applicable, Mate or Master credentials, engineering credentials, and towing endorsements where applicable. Shore-based project, engineering and management positions do not generally require maritime credentials.
Main office
9811 Katy Freeway, Suite 1200 Houston, TX 77024 346-359-1010
Employment contact
Applications: Online, through the hourly, salaried and hourly union job searches on GLDD’s Careers page.
Weeks Marine works across dredging, marine construction, heavy marine work, marine services, tunneling, and tug and barge operations. Its fleet includes dredges, tugs, cranes, barges and support equipment.
Weeks career openings are handled through the Kiewit/Weeks career system.
Entry requirements vary by position. Check the current employer posting.
Regional operations: Healy Tibbitts Builders (Hawaii and the Pacific). Healy Tibbitts, a Weeks Marine subsidiary since 1989, is based in Aiea, Hawaii. It builds piers, wharves and offshore structures, installs submarine pipelines and cables, and handles dredging, transportation and marine heavy lifts in Hawaii and the Pacific region. Check Weeks’ career system for its openings.
Credentials commonly seen
Common credentials associated with vessel positions may include: MMC, TWIC, Medical Certificate, AB / Able Seafarer, STCW where applicable, Mate or Master credentials, engineering credentials, and towing endorsements where applicable. Shore-based project, engineering and management positions do not generally require maritime credentials.
Main office
Corporate headquarters 4 Commerce Drive Cranford, NJ 07016 Fax 908-272-4740 Main phone (general office, not a recruiting line): 908-272-4010
Employment contact
Online applications only: Through the Kiewit/Weeks career system.
DREDGINGMARINE CONSTRUCTIONWEST COASTCAREER DEVELOPMENT
What they do
Manson Construction works on marine infrastructure, dredging, offshore energy and heavy-lift projects. It is headquartered in Seattle, with locations across North America.
Jobs you may find
Deck Captain · Watch Engineer · Dredging and vessel personnel · Field Engineer · Superintendent · Construction Project Manager · Safety Specialist
Getting started
Entry requirements vary by position. Check the current employer posting.
Manson’s careers page highlights continuous learning and career development.
As checked October 6, 2026, Manson’s careers page reports a job-listing outage and directs applicants to LinkedIn.
Credentials commonly seen
Common credentials associated with vessel positions may include: MMC, TWIC, Medical Certificate, AB / Able Seafarer, STCW where applicable, Mate or Master credentials, engineering credentials, and towing endorsements where applicable. Shore-based project, engineering and management positions do not generally require maritime credentials.
Main office
Headquarters 5209 E. Marginal Way South Seattle, WA 98134 Mailing: P.O. Box 24067, Seattle, WA 98124 Other locations include Anchorage, Long Beach, Houma and Jacksonville. Main phone (general, not a recruiting line): 206-762-0850
Employment contact
Applications: Through Manson’s Careers page (or its official LinkedIn jobs page while the listings are down).
DREDGINGMARINE CONSTRUCTIONPACIFIC OPERATIONSCAREER DEVELOPMENT
What they do
The Dutra Group works in dredging, heavy civil marine construction, ecological restoration and barged materials (aggregates), with Pacific and national marine work.
Dredging and heavy civil marine construction careers. Check the careers listings for current vessel, field, engineering, and project opportunities.
Dutra offers paid internships with assigned mentors; dredging cadets may be placed aboard vessels. It also runs a leadership development program called CLIMB.
Entry requirements vary by position. Check the current employer posting.
Credentials commonly seen
Common credentials associated with vessel positions may include: MMC, TWIC, Medical Certificate, AB / Able Seafarer, STCW where applicable, Mate or Master credentials, engineering credentials, and towing endorsements where applicable. Shore-based project, engineering and management positions do not generally require maritime credentials.
Main office
2350 Kerner Boulevard, Suite 200 San Rafael, CA 94901 415-258-6876
Employment contact
Applications: Through the Opportunities section of Dutra’s Careers page.
Building and repairing piers, wharves, breakwaters and offshore structures, plus heavy lift and salvage. These employers also appear elsewhere, so they are cross-listed here.
Requirements vary by vessel, project and position. Always check the current employer posting.
Weeks Marine
MARINE CONSTRUCTIONHEAVY LIFT
Weeks Marine also does marine construction, heavy marine work and tunneling. Its full profile is under Major Dredging Contractors above.
Manson also builds marine infrastructure and handles offshore energy and heavy-lift projects. Its full profile is under Major Dredging Contractors above.
Donjon Marine works in heavy lift, salvage, dredging, marine construction, diving and ocean towing. Its full profile, with jobs, credentials and contacts, is in our Tugs & Barges directory.
Some large contractors work through regional subsidiaries. Rather than listing them as separate employers, we note them under the parent company.
Healy Tibbitts Builders (part of Weeks Marine)
PACIFIC OPERATIONSMARINE CONSTRUCTION
Hawaii and Pacific marine construction: piers, wharves, offshore structures, submarine pipelines and cables, dredging and heavy lift. It is listed under its parent company, Weeks Marine.
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