Marine Engineers and Naval Architects

Key Responsibilities

• Schedule machine overhauls and the servicing of electrical, heating, ventilation, refrigeration, water, and sewage systems.
• Analyze data to determine feasibility of product proposals.
• Procure materials needed to repair marine equipment and machinery.
• Determine conditions under which tests are to be conducted, as well as sequences and phases of test operations.
• Evaluate operation of marine equipment during acceptance testing and shakedown cruises.
• Establish arrangement of boiler room equipment and propulsion machinery, heating and ventilating systems, refrigeration equipment, piping, and other functional equipment.
• Oversee construction and testing of prototype in model basin and develop sectional and waterline curves of hull to establish center of gravity, ideal hull form, and buoyancy and stability data.
• Conduct analyses of ships, such as stability, structural, weight, and vibration analyses.
• Check, test, and maintain automatic controls and alarm systems.
• Maintain records of engineering department activities, including expense records and details of equipment maintenance and repairs.
• Design and oversee testing, installation, and repair of marine apparatus and equipment.
• Confer with research personnel to clarify or resolve problems and to develop or modify designs.
• Prepare, or direct the preparation of, product or system layouts and detailed drawings and schematics.
• Perform monitoring activities to ensure that ships comply with international regulations and standards for life-saving equipment and pollution preventatives.
• Act as liaisons between ships' captains and shore personnel to ensure that schedules and budgets are maintained, and that ships are operated safely and efficiently.
• Inspect marine equipment and machinery to draw up work requests and job specifications.
• Maintain and coordinate repair of marine machinery and equipment for installation on vessels.
• Supervise other engineers and crew members and train them for routine and emergency duties.
• Conduct analytical, environmental, operational, or performance studies to develop designs for products, such as marine engines, equipment, and structures.
• Prepare plans, estimates, design and construction schedules, and contract specifications, including any special provisions.
• Prepare technical reports for use by engineering, management, or sales personnel.
• Coordinate activities with regulatory bodies to ensure repairs and alterations are at minimum cost and consistent with safety.
• Design complete hull and superstructure according to specifications and test data, in conformity with standards of safety, efficiency, and economy.
• Review work requests and compare them with previous work completed on ships to ensure that costs are economically sound.
• Study design proposals and specifications to establish basic characteristics of craft, such as size, weight, speed, propulsion, displacement, and draft.
• Maintain contact with, and formulate reports for, contractors and clients to ensure completion of work at minimum cost.
• Investigate and observe tests on machinery and equipment for compliance with standards.
• Design layout of craft interior, including cargo space, passenger compartments, ladder wells, and elevators.
• Conduct environmental, operational, or performance tests on marine machinery and equipment.
• Evaluate performance of craft during dock and sea trials to determine design changes and conformance with national and international standards.