Senior Electrical Engineer – Vessel Retrofit & Equipment Integration
- Role Summary
The successful candidate will have strong experience in marine electrical systems, vessel power distribution, automation interfaces, equipment integration, and retrofit design constraints. This role requires both technical leadership and hands-on design capability, with a strong focus on safe, reliable, and class-compliant vessel modifications.
- Key Responsibilities
Develop electrical design packages for vessel retrofit and upgrade projects, including power distribution, equipment supply, control interfaces, cable routing, protection, earthing, and integration with existing vessel systems.
Prepare and review electrical documentation such as:
- Single line diagrams
- Load calculations and power balance updates
- Cable schedules and cable routing drawings
- Electrical installation drawings
- Termination and interconnection diagrams
- Equipment interface drawings
- Lighting, power, and control system layouts
- Bill of materials and technical specifications
Perform electrical design checks to ensure compatibility with vessel power systems, switchboards, generators, transformers, UPS systems, batteries, automation systems, and control panels.
- Support onboard surveys to verify existing electrical installations, available capacity, cable routes, equipment locations, and integration constraints.
- Develop practical retrofit solutions that minimize vessel downtime and support efficient shipyard execution.
- Identify clashes, installation constraints, and technical risks related to integration of new equipment into existing vessel infrastructure.
- Prepare modification work packs and engineering deliverables suitable for shipyard installation and commissioning.
- Support vessel upgrade projects involving systems such as propulsion auxiliaries, navigation equipment, communication systems, automation systems, sensors, monitoring equipment, power conversion systems, battery systems, or other marine electrical equipment.
- Define electrical interfaces between new equipment and existing vessel systems.
- Review supplier documentation and ensure vendor equipment requirements are correctly incorporated into the vessel design.
- Coordinate power supply, control, alarm, monitoring, network, and communication interfaces for new equipment.
- Support factory acceptance tests, harbor acceptance tests, sea trials, and commissioning activities, where required.
- Resolve technical queries from shipyards, suppliers, and project teams during installation and commissioning.
- Ensure designs comply with applicable marine standards, class rules, flag requirements, and company engineering procedures.
- Support class approval processes by preparing and responding to comments on electrical documentation.
- Conduct design reviews, risk assessments, and technical verification of electrical modifications.
- Ensure electrical designs meet safety, maintainability, reliability, and operational requirements.
- Work closely with naval architects, mechanical engineers, automation engineers, project managers, procurement teams, shipyards, and vessel crews.
- Provide technical guidance to junior engineers and designers.
- Support project planning by estimating engineering hours, deliverable schedules, and technical risks.
- Participate in technical meetings with clients, suppliers, classification societies, and internal stakeholders.
- Required Qualifications
Significant experience in electrical engineering for marine, offshore, shipbuilding, or vessel retrofit projects.
Strong knowledge of marine electrical systems, including:
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- LV and MV power distribution
- Switchboards and motor control centers
- Generators and emergency power systems
- UPS and battery systems
- Cable sizing and protection coordination
- Earthing and bonding
- Control and monitoring interfaces
- Marine automation and alarm systems
Good understanding of classification society rules and marine regulatory requirements.
Ability to interpret existing vessel drawings and develop upgrade solutions for brownfield environments.
Experience working with shipyards, suppliers, and onboard installation teams.
- Preferred Experience
- Experience with vessel retrofit projects, equipment upgrades, conversion projects, or life-extension programs – 10+ years
- Knowledge of hybrid, battery, shore power, energy efficiency, or emissions-reduction upgrade projects.
- Experience with CAD or electrical design tools such as AutoCAD, EPLAN, Cadmaric, or similar.
- Experience supporting class approval documentation and technical responses.
- Previous offshore, merchant vessel, naval, passenger vessel, or specialized vessel project experience.
- Key Skills & Competencies
- Strong practical electrical design capability.
- Excellent problem-solving skills in retrofit and brownfield environments.
- Ability to balance engineering quality, project schedule, installation practicality, and vessel operational constraints.
- Strong communication skills with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Ability to work independently and lead technical design scopes.
- Attention to detail and commitment to safety and compliance.
- Good coordination skills across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
