Senior Marine Engineering Officer — Lead Vessel Systems

Serco; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme up to 6%

Internal courses & apprenticeships

Employee Assistance Programme

Retail discounts

Volunteer day

Inclusive networks

Job summary

Serco is seeking a Marine Engineering Officer (MEO) to join our maritime team on shipboard assignments. You will lead the Marine Engineering Department in the operation, maintenance and repair of propulsion and support systems, ensuring vessel availability and readiness for UK and overseas operations.

You will undertake planned maintenance, diagnose defects, and supervise hands-on repairs, while coordinating engineering activities, training, and safety initiatives in a dynamic maritime

Qualifications

• Experience working within a marine engineering environment.
• Understanding of vessel engineering operations and maintenance activities.
• Ability to lead, organise and support colleagues in a maritime setting.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to escalation operational issues appropriately.
• Commitment to safety, compliance and continuous professional development.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise the Marine Engineering Department in the operation, maintenance and repair of propulsion, auxiliary and support systems.
• Undertake planned maintenance, defect diagnosis and hands‑on repair of machinery and equipment to ensure vessel availability and operational readiness.
• Monitor the performance and condition of engineering systems, identifying and escalating defects that may affect the vessel's operational capability.
• Delegate tasks and assign duties to members of the Marine Engineering Department to ensure work is completed safely and effectively.
• Support the Chief Engineer in the management, organisation and administration of engineering department activities.
• Ensure statutory, classification society and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) engineering requirements are achieved within required timescales.
• Lead engineering training and development activities to maintain departmental competence and readiness.
• Promote a positive safety culture and support the welfare, performance and discipline of personnel within the Marine Engineering Department.
• Respond to machinery breakdowns and engineering emergencies, coordinating corrective action to minimise operational impact.

Skills

Leadership

Maintenance planning

Diagnostics

Team delegation

Engineering training

Safety culture

Emergency response

Job description

Serco is seeking a Marine Engineering Officer (MEO) to join our maritime team on shipboard assignments. You will lead the Marine Engineering Department in the operation, maintenance and repair of propulsion and support systems, ensuring vessel availability and readiness for UK and overseas operations.

You will undertake planned maintenance, diagnose defects, and supervise hands-on repairs, while coordinating engineering activities, training, and safety initiatives in a dynamic maritime