Head of Engineering
Head of Engineering:
Role Overview:
The Head of Engineering is a senior leadership role with strategic, technical, and commercial accountability for the engineering function across all shipbuilding and repair programmes.
The role is responsible for defining and executing the engineering strategy, ensuring delivery excellence, technical integrity, and regulatory compliance, while enabling operational efficiency and sustainable business growth. Acting as the organisation’s senior engineering authority, the Head of Engineering provides direction, governance, and leadership across multidisciplinary teams, supporting complex projects from bid phase through to vessel delivery.
This position plays a critical role in aligning engineering capability with corporate objectives and long-term growth plans.
Key Accountabilities:
Engineering Strategy & Leadership:
- Define and deliver the engineering strategy in alignment with corporate and operational objectives.
- Provide strong, visible leadership to the engineering function, setting clear direction, standards, and performance expectations.
- Authorise and govern all engineering inputs to bid submissions in collaboration with Business Development and senior stakeholders.
- Contribute to group-wide engineering initiatives, best practice development, and continuous improvement across shipbuilding and repair operations.
Shipbuilding Programme Delivery
- Ensure each vessel programme is supported by a comprehensive engineering plan, with appropriate resourcing and technical governance.
- Lead engineering risk management, ensuring compliance with classification society rules, statutory regulations, and recognised naval architecture principles.
- Act as the senior technical interface with customers, ensuring contractual and technical requirements are met in full.
- Manage engineering budgets and labour hours, driving cost control and margin improvement through efficient design and build solutions.
Technical & Operational Excellence
- Ensure engineering teams are equipped with robust systems, tools, and infrastructure, including CAD/CAE platforms and production engineering software.
- Drive efficient ship design, steel nesting, and build sequencing to optimise material usage and production flow.
- Provide expert guidance to Production teams on construction methodologies, modular build strategies, outfitting, and dry dock operations.
- Lead improvement initiatives across digital shipbuilding, automation, robotics, and lean manufacturing.
- Ensure engineering compliance across method statements, docking arrangements, health and safety requirements, and regulatory approvals.
People Leadership & Capability Development
- Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing engineering leadership team and wider function.
- Establish clear succession planning and long-term capability development across all engineering disciplines.
- Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure effective cross-functional working across Engineering, Production, Project Management, and external stakeholders.
- Manage performance, behaviours, and wellbeing in line with employment legislation and company policy.
Knowledge, Skills & Leadership Capability
- Strategic and analytical leader with the ability to operate effectively in complex engineering environments.
- Strong planning, prioritisation, and resource management capability.
- Influential communicator able to engage credibly at executive, customer, and regulatory levels.
- Commercially astute, with a focus on value creation, efficiency, and delivery certainty.
- Committed to innovation, operational excellence, and modern engineering practice.
Experience & Qualifications
- Extensive senior engineering leadership experience within shipbuilding, ship repair, or heavy marine engineering environments.
- Strong technical grounding in naval architecture, marine systems, ship design, and classification requirements.
- Proven record of delivering large-scale marine projects on time, to quality, and within budget.
- Experience of shipyard operations, production engineering, and resource planning.
- Demonstrated experience supporting bids, managing engineering costs, and improving profitability.
- Degree-qualified in Engineering or equivalent professional experience.
Working Environment
- Belfast-based role within a standard office and shipyard environment
- Travel and occasional overnight stays may be required
- Working hours may extend beyond standard schedules to support business and project needs
Additional Information
This job description outlines the principal responsibilities of the role and may be reviewed periodically to ensure alignment with business requirements. The post holder may be required to undertake additional duties appropriate to the scope and grading of the position.
Qualifications
- Extensive engineering leadership experience within shipbuilding, ship repair, or heavy marine industries.
- Strong understanding of naval architecture, marine systems, ship design principles, and classification requirements.
- Proven track record of delivering large-scale shipbuilding or docking projects on time and within budget.
- Experience with shipyard operations, production engineering, and resource planning.
- Strong leadership skills with ability to inspire and manage multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Commercial acumen with experience in bid support, cost control, and profitability improvement
Typically requires undergraduate degree and significant staff and/or technical project/process management experience, or equivalent.
Additional Information
Role summary:
The successful candidate will supply specialist engineering support for all lifting and turning operations within the shipyard, delivering detailed calculations and technical analyses to ensure safe and efficient execution.
Develop comprehensive lifting plans, arrangements, and supporting documentation that define approved methodologies for complex heavy lifts and rotational movements.
Actively support operational teams by attending critical lifts to verify compliance with company procedures, statutory regulations, and third-party requirements.
Offer expert guidance to personnel on safe working practices and risk mitigation. Work closely with clients, classification societies, and third-party stakeholders to define technical requirements and ensure alignment of expectations.
Utilise advanced modelling and calculation software to produce accurate lifting data, simulate lift scenarios, and validate equipment suitability.
We are an Opening Doors employer, committed to equal opportunity and an inclusive workplace. Our approach, shaped by our values of service, trust, excellence, agility, dedication, and you, we focus on removing barriers and recognising potential. We are committed to fairness at every stage, including providing reasonable adjustments and actively working to eliminate discrimination.
We believe talent is everywhere, and by widening access to opportunity and welcoming diverse experiences, we aim to create a workplace where every person feels valued and has an equal chance.
If you experience difficulties or are unable to apply for a role on-line please contact us at people.skills@harland-wolff.com and one of the team will be in contact to help you.