Merchant navy engineering officer

You would make sure the machinery and instruments on a commercial ship work properly so the crew and passengers are safe when the vessel goes to sea.

You would operate and repair the mechanical and electrical machines, instruments and support systems on the ship

These include:

• Engines

• Ventilation systems

• Navigation and communications equipment

• Deck fittings such as cranes, hoists and landing craft

There are different grades for this job depending on your experience and qualifications.

The Chief Engineer has overall authority for planning engineering tasks and allocating staff

The Second Engineer supervises the day-to-day duties of staff and engine crew.

The Third Engineer assists the second officer and looks after electrical systems and machinery.

The Junior/Fourth Engineer does general machinery maintenance. This is often the first posting for an officer trainee.

Whatever your engineering grade, you would:

• Check machinery and systems regularly

• Respond to alerts about equipment failures

• Repair faults

• Keep up fuel levels and store stocks of spare parts

• Update records for the machinery and systems

You would also mentor and support trainees.

In the Merchant Navy, you could work on:

• Passenger ferries

• Cruise liners

• Container ships

• Bulk carriers

• Tankers

• Salvage and supply vessels

If you work for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary – the civilian-crewed ships which support the Royal Navy - you could have responsibility for weapons maintenance.

• Careers at Sea - resources from the Merchant Navy Training Board, part of the UK Chamber of Shipping

• Tomorrow's Engineers - Careers resources for young people from Engineering UK and Royal Academy of Engineering

• WISE - inspires girls and women to study and build careers using science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)