Naval Architect and CFD expert

Ulstein Group; Rotterdam; Hybrid; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Ulstein Group’s Rotterdam office seeks an analytical Naval Architect/CFD expert to contribute to the design and development of game changing ships for offshore energy. You will work at the intersection of theory, simulation, and practical ship design, taking ownership of technical topics and communicating results clearly.

The role expects Master’s in Naval Architecture or Marine Engineering, strong CFD experience, and the ability to collaborate across a design team while mentoring junior

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven CFD experience in maritime or offshore contexts.
• Experience in general naval architectural work, particularly in concept and basic design.

Responsibilities

• Be an integral part of the design team, contributing to main dimensions, layout, weight estimates, stability and performance evaluations.
• Develop the hull shapes for game changing ships in the offshore energy market.
• Use CFD analyses to develop and optimise hull shapes considering resistance, propulsion and seakeeping.
• Set up, run, and post-process CFD simulations using appropriate tools, grids, and physical models, ensuring quality and traceability.
• Coordinate model test programs with test institutes and clients to validate the design.
• Document methods and results in technical reports and presentations for internal review, client communication and class approval.
• Actively contribute to CFD method development, best practices, and workflows within Ulstein
• Depending on seniority, mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical guidance within the team.

Skills

CFD applications in maritime context

Naval architectural design

English communication

Independent yet team player

Education

Master's degree in Naval Architecture or Marine Engineering

Tools

Star-CCM+

OpenFOAM

ANSYS Fluent

Job description

Application deadline: Early as possible

Where strong engineering meets an open, human team culture.

At Ulstein Design & Solutions BV, we design offshore vessels that need to perform safely, efficiently and sustainably in the real world. From offshore wind installation ships to subsea construction vessels, our work has direct impact on offshore operations for decades. That awareness shapes how we think and design: practical, curious, collaborative and focused on the long term.

We are part of the Norwegian Ulstein Group, a family-owned maritime innovator with more than a century of shipbuilding history. Yet our Rotterdam office remains small on purpose. Around 25 colleagues who value trust, craftsmanship and teamwork over hierarchy. It is a place where people help each other naturally, where knowledge is shared openly and where humour and professionalism coexist without effort.

Let's get to know each other

If you would like to get a feeling for our team first, we are happy to arrange an informal chat or simply just join us for a coffee with one of our colleagues. No pressure, just a conversation.

As a Naval Architectand CFDexpert, you will play a key role in the design and development of game changing ships for the offshore energy market.

You will:

• Be an integral part of the design team, contributing to general naval architectural likemain dimensions,layout,weight estimates, stability and performance evaluations
• Develop the hull shapes for game changing ships in the offshore energy market
• Use CFD analysesto develop and optimise hull shapes consideringresistance, propulsionand seakeeping
• Set up, run, and post‑process CFD simulations using appropriate tools, grids, and physical models, ensuring technical quality and traceability
• Coordinate model test programs with test institutes and our clients tovalidate thedesign
• Document methods and results in technical reports and presentations, suitable for both internal review and client communication and class approval
• Actively contribute to the development and standardisation of CFD methods, best practices, and workflows within Ulstein
• Depending on seniority, mentor junior engineers and contribute to technical guidance within the team

Who are you?

You are an analytical and pragmatic engineer who enjoys working at the intersection of theory, simulation, and practical ship design. You are comfortable taking ownership of technical topics and communicating complex results clearly.

You bring:

• A Master’s degree in Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven experience with CFD applications in a maritime or offshore context
• Experience with general naval architectural work, particularly in concept and basic design
• Hands‑on experience with one or more CFD tools commonly used for ship hydrodynamics (e.g. Star‑CCM+, OpenFOAM, ANSYS Fluent, or similar)
• A solid understanding of ship hydrodynamics, including resistance, propulsion, waves, and flow physics
• Experience with meshing strategies, turbulence modelling, numerical stability, and result validation
• The ability to work structured, independently and accurately, while remaining a strong team player
• Clear communication skills in English (spoken and written); Dutch is an advantage but not required
• A proactive mindset, with curiosity for improving methods, assumptions, and design outcomes
• Affinity with innovative vessel concepts and complex offshore operations

Nice to have:

• Experience with concept design support and decision‑making under uncertainty
• Exposure to model testing, data correlation, or Full‑Scale CFD
• Familiarity with scripting or automation (e.g. Python) to support simulation workflows

Why Ulstein

• A friendly, international team culture without silos
• Space to grow, think, contribute and influence
• Work that contributes to sustainable offshore energy
• Designs that go from concept to construction

Ready to reach out?

We are ready if you are. Contact us for an informal chat or send us your CV if you are confident that this is where you would like to work.

Cornerstone Building (6th floor) Rotterdam Airportplein 323045 AP RotterdamThe Netherlands

About Ulstein Design & Solutions BV

Located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. We are a ship designer with proven track record in the offshore industry. We design game changing ships for the offshore energy market. Sometimes brilliantly simple, sometimes sufficiently complex.

About Ulstein

Ulstein Group is a family-owned company comprising several marine enterprises including ship design, shipbuilding and marine power & automation systems. Ulstein’s vision is to Create tomorrow’s solutions for sustainable marine operations. The company was founded in 1917, and is headquartered in Ulsteinvik, Norway.