Career Story: Environmental Superintendent Engineer

My career journey 

In my current role, I help people to operate safe and efficient ships that comply with environmental regulations. I am also working towards professional registration through the IMarEST, which I see this as an important step in recognising my both professional competence and commitment to continuous development. 

I began my career as a marine engineer at sea, gaining practical experience in ship machinery operations across different types of vessels. This experience gave me a strong technical foundation and helped me understand link between engineering performance, safety, and protecting the environment. 

Later, I moved to working ashore in technical and environmental management roles. This included vessel compliance, dry-docking, Port State Control preparedness, and assessing the performance of fleets of ships.  

Alongside my professional work, I have also pursued further studies in shipping and strategic management and contributed to university lifelong learning programs.  

My average day 

My day usually involves reviewing vessel environmental performance and compliance data and communicating with people working on ships. Some days include ship visits or inspections, while others are based in the office. 

My proudest moment 

The truth is that I have many moments of pride, but the most important one is when I find officers on ships whom I trained as cadets and who continue to develop. 

My biggest lesson 

The biggest lesson I have learned is that in shipping you can never stop learning. Regulations, technologies, and operational practices are constantly evolving, so I have to continuously develop to make sure I do a good job.  

My advice 

My advice is to build a strong technical foundation and stay curious throughout your career. Take every opportunity to learn, whether at sea, ashore, or through further education, and do not be afraid to ask questions or take on responsibility.