Chief Engineer - Coastal Towage

Svitzer; Tees; On-site; CAD 113,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension matched up to 10%

Life Cover (4x pensionable salary)

Private Medical Insurance

7 Days leave after 3 years' service

Uniforms and PPE provided

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Svitzer is seeking a hands-on Chief Engineer to maintain and operate high-power tug machinery in a live port environment. You will diagnose faults, own engine-room readiness, and support the Master and crew to keep the tug running at all times.

This role requires STCW III/3 Chief Engineer, ENG1 and UK work rights, and a flexible approach to work across UK ports on a 2-week rotation. A full UK driving licence and transport are required.

Qualifications

• STCW III/3 Chief Engineer certification.
• ENG1 and STCW certification (minimum 6 months validity).
• Strong fault-finding, maintenance, and problem-solving skills.
• Harbour towage or small-vessel experience preferred.
• The right to live and work in the UK.
• All crew must be flexible to work across all UK ports.
• A full UK driving licence and own transport are required.

Responsibilities

• Maintaining and operating high-power tug machinery in a live port environment.
• Hands-on fault diagnosis and repair under pressure.
• Owning the condition, safety and readiness of the engine room.
• Supporting the Master and crew to keep the tug operational at all times.
• Working as part of a small, professional crew where trust and competence matter.

Skills

Fault-finding

Maintenance

Problem-solving

Harbour towage experience

Small-vessel experience

Job description

Would you like to become part of an international market leader in the marine services industry? Svitzer has one of the largest global fleets operating within harbour towage and are now looking to expand this offering within the UK into near coastal towage to supplement their current operations.

If you have experience in sea or near coastal towage, then this could be the opportunity for you.

SVITZER is one of the largest global companies within towage and related services. We employ over 4000 employees and have a global fleet of over 500 tugs.

We offer a competitive work/life balance as well as the opportunity to manage all aspects of vessel operation and ownership.

We pride ourselves on providing best in industry tools to accomplish our goals safely and to a high standard.

The Chief Engineer will ensure that all machinery on board the vessels is maintained in good working order at all times and to operate the machinery during operations as and when required.

This is not a supervisory role from the side lines.

As Chief Engineer, you are hands-on, accountable, and ultimately responsible for keeping powerful tug vessels operational in a demanding, safety-critical environment where downtime is not an option.

If you want real ownership, technical challenge, and responsibility this is the role where it counts.

This Is What The Job Really Looks Like

• Maintaining and operating high-power tug machinery in a live port environment
• Hands on, diagnosing faults and fixing problems under pressure
• Owning the condition, safety, and readiness of your engine room
• Supporting the Master and crew to keep the tug operational at all times
• Working as part of a small, professional crew where trust and competence matter

If you're looking for a desk-based Chief Engineer role, this isn't it.

If you want to be trusted with real authority and responsibility, it probably is.

Why Svitzer?

• 2 week rotations (live on board) - work hard, then properly switch off
• Modern, well-maintained fleet - no corner-cutting, no neglected machinery
• A company that expects high standards - and backs you to meet them
• Local technical support - close, capable, responsive

We don't promise an easy job.

We promise one worthy of the title Chief Engineer.

What You Get

• Competitive Salary of £68,440.88 per annum
• Permanent, Time-for-Time contract
• Pension matched up to 10%
• Life Cover (4x pensionable salary) and Single Private Medical Insurance
• 7 Days leave after 3 years' service
• Uniforms and PPE provided
• Employee Assistance Programme

What You Bring

• Minimum STCW III/3 Chief Engineer
• Valid ENG1 and STCW certification (minimum 6 months validity)
• Strong fault-finding, maintenance, and problem-solving skills
• Harbour towage or small-vessel experience preferred
• A professional mindset and pride in safe, reliable engineering
• The right to live and work in the UK
• All crew must be flexible to work across all of our UK ports
• A full UK driving licence and own transport are required

Please note that although this position is predominantly based in the Tees, there is no fixed home port, so we welcome applications from suitably qualified candidates from all over the UK.

Building a Diverse Workplace

In Svitzer we value the diversity of our talent and will always strive to recruit the best person for the job - we value diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs. We are proud of our diversity and see it as a genuine source of strength for building high performing teams.

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that members from some under-represented groups are less likely to apply for jobs if they don't meet every single qualification. At Svitzer we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles, and we are excited about hearing from you!