Job Title Senior Naval Architect – Structures

Location: Portsmouth (hybrid – 3 days on-site)

Reports to: Principal Naval Architect

Candidates must be eligible to live/work in the UK.

Overview of Role:

To support the structural design and analysis of complex marine projects. As a senior member of our engineering team, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the structural integrity, safety, and performance of ships and other marine structures. You will mentor junior team members, collaborate across disciplines, and contribute to strategic project decisions, ensuring that all designs meet the highest standards of quality and regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

Lead Structural Design & Analysis:

• Lead and oversee the local and global structural design and analysis of complex marine and offshore projects, ensuring compliance with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and best practices
• Undertake surveys on existing assets, including condition surveys and verification of existing drawings or proposed modifications. Attend, undertake and report on shipyard inspections for inbuild vessels and assets when required
• Manage and oversee advanced structural analysis, including finite element analysis (FEA), grillage models and hand calculations
• Develop and approve detailed design specifications, structural drawings, and technical reports for vessels, platforms, and marine structures

Mentorship and Leadership:

• Mentor and guide junior and mid-level naval architects and engineers in structural design, analysis techniques, and project delivery
• Review the work of team members, providing technical feedback and ensuring adherence to design standards and company procedures

Project Management & Coordination:

• Act as the primary point of contact for structural design aspects of projects, collaborating with clients, project managers, naval architects, and other engineering disciplines to deliver high-quality designs on time and within budget.
• Contribute to the development of project tenders, schedules, resource allocation, and risk management plans
• Coordinate structural engineering efforts during fabrication, installation, and commissioning phases, ensuring design integrity is maintained throughout the project lifecycle.

Regulatory Compliance & Safety:

• Ensure all structural designs comply with relevant classification society rules (e.g., DNV, LR, ABS), international maritime regulations (e.g., SOLAS, MARPOL), and safety standards
• Conduct safety reviews, risk assessments, and compliance verification to minimise operational risk and ensure compliance with environmental and safety standards

Innovation & Continuous Improvement:

• Promote the use of advanced design tools and optimisation techniques to improve design efficiency and reduce costs
• Stay up to date with emerging industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices in naval architecture and structural engineering

Client and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Interface with clients to understand their project requirements, providing expert advice and design recommendations on structural matters
• Prepare and present technical proposals, reports, and presentations to clients, stakeholders, and regulatory bodies

Knowledge and Qualifications:

Essential

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Naval Architecture, Structural Engineering, or a related discipline
• Extensive experience in naval architecture and structural engineering design for the marine or offshore sector, including analysis, and integrity assessment of ships, offshore platforms, and marine structures in steel and aluminium
• Experience of developing midship section, profile and decks and shell expansion scantlings and drawings for new designs
• Deep knowledge of marine and offshore structural codes and standards (e.g., DNV, LR, ABS and ISO)
• Experience in ship or marine asset surveys
• Proven experience managing multi-disciplinary projects, with a strong understanding of project lifecycle and delivery in the context of complex marine and offshore structures

Desirable

• Shipyard design experience
• Familiarity with structural weight optimisation techniques
• Experience with alternative materials (e.g., composites) and their integration into structural designs
• Ability to use 3D modelling software (Rhino, SOLIDWORKS etc.)
• Chartered Engineer status or equivalent professional certification (e.g., CEng, PE)

Desirable Software

• Classification society scantling assessment tools
• STAAD or similar beam analysis tools
• Familiar with FEA packages for load analysis and fatigue design