Career Story: Marine Operations Director
What does my day look like?
I lead offshore engineering projects where maintenance and reliability are at the core of everything we do.
My team and I are responsible for keeping large mechanical systems operating safely in some of the harshest environments at sea, from subsea drilling and offshore wind installation operations to complex lifting and tooling systems.
A typical day involves overseeing planned maintenance tasks, troubleshooting faults, and coordinating repairs to ensure downtime is kept to a minimum. I work closely with engineers, technicians, and vessel crews to make sure every piece of equipment performs as intended.
In short, my role is about making sure people and machinery work together seamlessly, maintaining high performance and safety standards that keep offshore operations running smoothly.
How it started
I took my first steps into the maritime world not down a gangway, but across a workshop floor.
At fifteen, I started an apprenticeship at MacTaggart Scott, a name known to many in the defence and naval engineering world. There, I cut my teeth building precision maritime components, capstans, weapon handling systems, deck machinery. Everything that had to perform flawlessly at sea, often in life critical situations. It wasn’t just metal and machines, it was a world of discipline, standards, and systems thinking that would shape the rest of my career.
That foundation led me to the Royal Navy, where I served aboard Vanguard class submarines as a Marine Engineer. Life underwater is a crucible for any technician. You learn fast that systems don't fail in isolation, and that reactive maintenance is never an option when you’re quite a few metres below. Every bolt, bearing, and bypass valve matters.
The Navy gave me not just technical skills, but resilience, leadership, and an eye for the bigger picture. I left with my EngTech registration already in motion, keen to stay connected to a community that valued high standards and professional growth.
A Career Without a Straight Line
One of the things I love most about the maritime sector is its versatility. My career has moved across shipyards, renewables, offshore drilling, geotechnical exploration, and most recently, strategic leadership in subsea engineering. What links them all is the maritime thread. Whether it’s working in tidal energy, seabed drilling for geological research, or designing mechanical anchoring systems for floating wind, it’s all part of one vast and dynamic ecosystem.
Too often, people think of maritime careers as narrowly defined, deckhands, engineers, naval officers. But the truth is, it’s a sector that spans fabrication, robotics, AI, construction, logistics, environmental science, and complex systems integration. And it needs people who can adapt, innovate, and push boundaries.
The Value of Professional Recognition
My EngTech registration with IMarEST has been more than just a few letters after my name. It’s been a platform to engage with a broader network of professionals, benchmark my work against industry standards, and continuously reflect on where I’m adding value. It’s helped open doors to international projects, reinforced my technical credibility, and reminded me that I’m still part of something bigger.
Building Terra
In 2023, I founded Terra Mechanica Maris Ltd., bringing together a team of experts in offshore operations, mechanical engineering, and bespoke drilling solutions. We support offshore wind projects, provide mechanical maintenance, design custom tools, and offer client representation with hands on experience behind every decision. It's the culmination of years of learning, hard knocks, late nights, and a belief that the maritime sector deserves agile, engineering-led support.
Looking back, the journey has never been straight, but it’s been deeply rewarding. For anyone considering this sector, the sea doesn’t just offer one career path but offers many. You might start with a spanner in your hand and end up at the helm of a project changing how we understand or harness the ocean.
And if you stay curious, committed, and connected, there’s no telling where it will take you.
