Merchant navy officer: Employers and vacancy sources

At sea, Merchant Navy officers are employed in an engineering or navigation capacity on the whole range of sea-going vessels. These include the following major types:

• oil, gas and chemical tankers, and other bulk cargo carriers;
• cargo container ships;
• ferries and cruise ships;
• offshore support vessels, designed for specialised roles.

Ashore, they may work in a management, administrative or operational role across a wide range of business and commerce. Employers include:

• shipping companies;
• marine insurance companies;
• maritime regulatory authorities;
• maritime training and recruitment companies;
• port operations, including pilotage.

Merchant Navy officers can also gain similar work with overseas-based shipping companies.

Sources of vacancies

• Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (ImarEST)  - join as a student or professional member to access the Young Members’ Network, giving access to jobs and recruitment information.
• CareersatSea.org  - the careers website of the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) - for a list of Merchant Navy training companies.

Contact shipping companies directly for details of their sponsorship schemes and vacancies. Most companies take on a specific number of cadets for specific roles every year. The companies vary widely in their size and nature, offering different types of working environments.

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