Career Story: Commander in the British Royal Navy

My career so far

I’m a commander in the UK’s Royal Navy, where I’ve spent over 25 years building my career. After my engineering degree, I joined the Navy in 2001 as a marine engineer officer, and since then I’ve taken on a wide range of roles.

My job means I have been deployed on missions around the world, where I have held senior engineering leadership positions, often for frontline units. These experiences have given me the chance to work as part of a team in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.

Alongside my operational roles, I’ve also been involved in designing and developing naval capability. This has included helping with ships like the Type 23 frigate and working on mine-hunting technology. I’ve also worked for the United Nations as a military information officer, and with NATO, where I helped to prepare other navies and ensure high engineering standards across the allied forces.

I now work as a naval adviser, where I support the UK supporting the export of advanced warships to international partners. I find my engineering background is crucial on a day-to-day basis because it helps me explain difficult concepts clearly and gives confidence to our partners.

My average day

I’m based at the UK Ministry of Defence, where I work closely with international allies, partner nations and industry. Much of my time is spent in meetings, delivering capability briefings, and building professional networks to support defence collaboration.

My proudest moment

One of the proudest moments was being awarded a Three-Star Fleet Commander’s Commendation. This came during my time as Head of Department on a front-line warship, where I led a team of over 40 highly skilled marine engineers through an exceptionally demanding period. 

We had completed a nine-month deployment in the Gulf, immediately followed by a seven-month deployment to the same region, and a further six months of anti-submarine warfare operations in the North Atlantic. Sustaining operational effectiveness over such an extended period was a huge challenge, but our success was a testament to the professionalism of the entire team.

My biggest lesson

For me, it’s been learning to look after my team, especially when times are challenging. It is people around me who make the difference to getting the job and positively impact my day-to-day wellbeing. I try hard to be a good leader and team member.

My advice for someone looking to start out in their career

If you’re considering a career as a marine engineer in a navy it is exciting, challenging, and rewarding. There is never a dull day, and you will see parts of the world you never imagined. The pride you feel when wearing your uniform, displaying your medals and telling people what you do, is immense. You will make friends, and memories, for life.

What IMarEST professional registration means to me

Being a charted engineer and an IMarEST Fellow is the perfect way to assure and display my experience and ability. They signify I belong to group of very capable people.