Chief Engineer - Coastal Towage

Svitzer; Poole; On-site; GBP 62,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension matched up to 10%

Life Insurance (4x pensionable salary)

Private Medical Insurance

Uniform and PPE provided

Employee Assistance Programme

Job summary

Svitzer is seeking a Chief Engineer to join the Victory and lead high‑power tug propulsion across UK ports and coastal waters. You will be hands‑on, accountable, and responsible for keeping the vessel operational in a safety‑critical environment with two‑week onboard rotations.

We expect strong fault‑finding, maintenance and problem‑solving skills, harbour towage or small‑vessel engineering experience, and a professional mindset committed to safe, reliable engineering on modern vessels.

Qualifications

• STCW III/3 Chief Engineer qualification with <6000kW propulsion
• ENG1 medical and STCW certification required
• Strong fault-finding, maintenance and problem-solving skills
• Harbour towage or small-vessel engineering experience preferred
• Professional mindset with pride in safe, reliable engineering
• Legal right to live and work in the UK
• Full UK Driving Licence
• Willingness to live and work onboard during two-week rotation

Responsibilities

• Maintaining and operating high-power tug machinery in a live, demanding operational environment
• Diagnosing faults and fixing problems under pressure, keeping the vessel safe and operationally ready
• Owning the condition, safety and readiness of your engine room
• Supporting the Master and crew to keep the vessel operational at all times
• Working as part of a small, professional crew where trust, competence and teamwork matter
• Managing planned maintenance, spares, stores and engineering records to the required standard
• Working flexibly across vessel duties when required, while completing ongoing training and development
• Take pride in your vessel, its machinery and your work

Skills

Fault finding

Maintenance

Problem solving

Harbour towage experience

Teamwork

Onboard alive/live-aboard

Full UK driving licence

Education

STCW III/3 Chief Engineer & <6000kW

ENG1 medical and STCW certification

Job description

Not Everyone Is Cut Out to Be a Chief Engineer on Tugs - That’s Exactly the Point.

Svitzer is looking for a Chief Engineer to join the Victory, supporting towage operations across UK ports and coastal waters. This is a role that goes beyond routine harbour work—near coastal towage brings variety, challenge, and the expectation that you are switched on, confident and ready to take responsibility.

This is not a supervisory role from the sidelines. As Chief Engineer, you are hands‑on, accountable, and ultimately responsible for keeping a powerful tug operational in a demanding, safety‑critical environment where downtime is not an option.

If you want real ownership, technical challenge and responsibility in professional towage, this could be the right step for you.

This Is What the Job Really Looks Like

• Maintaining and operating high‑power tug machinery in a live, demanding operational environment
• Diagnosing faults and fixing problems under pressure, keeping the vessel safe and operationally ready
• Owning the condition, safety and readiness of your engine room
• Supporting the Master and crew to keep the Victory operational at all times
• Working as part of a small, professional crew where trust, competence and teamwork matter
• Managing planned maintenance, spares, stores and engineering records to the required standard
• Working flexibly across vessel duties when required, while completing ongoing training and development
• If you take pride in your vessel, your machinery and your work, you’ll fit in well here

Why Svitzer?

Because tug engineering should be done properly.

• 2 weeks on / 2 weeks off rotation – clear structure and real time off
• Living onboard during your working period – no daily commuting
• Modern, well‑maintained vessels – no corner‑cutting and no neglected machinery
• A company that expects high standards — and backs you to meet them
• Local technical support – close, capable and responsive
• Training, development and long‑term career opportunities

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
• Uniform and PPE provided
• Employee Assistance Programme

What You Bring

• Minimum STCW III/3 Chief Engineer <6000kW (III/2 Unlimited preferred)
• Valid ENG1 medical and STCW certification (minimum six months’ validity)
• Strong fault‑finding, maintenance and problem‑solving skills
• Harbour towage or small‑vessel engineering experience preferred
• A professional mindset and pride in safe, reliable engineering
• The legal right to live and work in the UK
• Full UK Driving Licence
• Willingness to live and work onboard during your two‑week rotation

Ready to Get Started?

If you want real responsibility, technical challenge and the chance to make a difference in professional towage, this could be the move that defines your next step.

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 likelyto 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!