Senior Technical Superintendent
Location: HMNB Portsmouth, PO1 3LT
Salary: Competitive salary plus excellent benefits
Schedule: 37.5 hours, Monday – Friday
Ready to impact a better future?
Join one of the most specialised technical superintendency roles in the maritime sector. As a Senior Technical Superintendent within our Defence Maritime Services team, you’ll play a key role in ensuring our offshore vessels are safe, compliant, and ready to operate. Your work will help protect colleagues, strengthen vessel reliability, and keep essential services running where they matter most.
As part of a small, highly motivated Offshore Operations team, you’ll lead the technical management of two globally deployed support vessels, bringing engineering authority to assets that truly matter. Ideal for a Chief Engineer (Unlimited) transitioning ashore or an experienced Technical Superintendent, this role offers a balanced and professional working environment, with travel available when operationally required.
You’ll provide line management to our afloat engineering teams, set clear technical expectations, and contribute to operational planning, ensuring the right resources, standards, and best practices are in place to maintain vessel readiness worldwide. Your leadership will support safe operations, enhance reliability, and influence how we deliver responsible, mission‑critical maritime services.
What you’ll do as a Senior Technical Superintendent
You’ll be entrusted to:
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Oversee the day‑to‑day technical performance of DMS NG offshore and company‑managed vessels, ensuring full compliance with Flag, Class, and company standards while meeting agreed availability requirements.
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Lead and champion engineering professionalism across vessel engine departments, supporting mentoring, development, and consistent engineering standards among afloat engineering teams.
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Provide effective performance management for the engineering team, including addressing HR matters, supporting development pathways, ensuring accountability, and fostering a professional, high‑performing engineering culture.
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Plan, coordinate, and supervise dry dockings and major maintenance, ensuring all work is delivered safely, to the required quality, on time, and within budget.
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Prepare, manage, and monitor vessel budgets, analysing variances and identifying cost‑saving opportunities without compromising safety, compliance, or engineering integrity.
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Drive continuous improvement in maintenance planning, technical processes, and vessel performance through effective use of SEAMS (Serco Engineering Asset Management System).
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Maintain oversight of defect management, ensuring timely rectification, monitoring emerging trends, and implementing corrective measures to improve vessel reliability and performance.
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Investigate unplanned technical events, identifying root causes, capturing lessons learned, and developing recommendations that support long‑term reliability, safety, and operational success.
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Submit survey requests and coordinate all Class, Flag, and Customer Authority certification surveys, ensuring vessels remain fully compliant and all activities are planned with minimal disruption to operations.
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Arrange and support external ISM, DSM, and ISPS audits, ensuring findings are addressed and all corrective actions are accurately recorded and tracked within Maximo.
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Inform Class & Flag of reportable incidents, ensuring all statutory and contractual notifications are made promptly and accurately.
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Ensure all surveys and audits are completed within prescribed windows, safeguarding regulatory compliance while protecting vessel availability and operational commitments.
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Log and manage deficiencies and non‑conformities arising from surveys and audits, ensuring timely close‑out and continual improvement of vessel compliance standards.
Does this sound like you?
You’ll be a great fit for this role if you have:
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A Chief Engineer (Unlimited) Certificate of Competency (CoC) and experience in a Superintendent or similar shore‑based technical leadership role.
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Strong experience and working knowledge of Class, Flag, IMO, SOLAS, MARPOL, the ISM Code, and ISO requirements.
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A proven track record in dry dockings, major repairs, and machinery overhauls within commercial or MoD maritime environments.
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Strong leadership skills, excellent communication abilities, and experience supporting and developing engineering teams.
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A proactive, analytical mindset with the confidence to make decisions, manage risk, and drive improvements in complex and fast‑paced settings.
Vetting and checks:
This role requires Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance, which includes verification of your identity, employment history, nationality, and criminal record in line with UK Government security standards.
In addition, you will be required to obtain formal Security Clearance (such as CTC or SC), involving more detailed background checks on your employment history, criminal record, and financial circumstances to confirm your suitability for work in secure environments. Please note that UK residency requirements apply.
You will also be asked to complete an Occupational Health Questionnaire to help us identify and provide any support you may need to perform the role effectively.
Discover all you need to keep growing
We’re one of the top 1% of international employers, so you can have confidence you’ll be part of a highly supportive culture with leaders you can count on to help you achieve your goals. From mentoring and training to our focus on internal progression, we’re proud to offer clear development opportunities – and the support and tools to help you seize them.
What we offer
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Holidays: 25 days plus bank holidays (and the option to buy up to five additional leave days each year)
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Pension: Up to 6% contributory pension scheme
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Training and development: Over 1,100 internal courses available, funding for qualifications and apprenticeships (including L3 Team Leader and L5 Operations Manager apprenticeships), mentoring opportunities, and a focus on internal progression
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Health and wellbeing: Employee Assistance Programme, Bupa Anytime HealthLine, wellbeing app, 30% off at Serco‑managed leisure centres, and 24/7 access to a virtual GP service
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Discounts: Discounts across around 1,000 retailers, from food and clothing to days out, entertainment and travel
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Charity: Paid volunteering day, tax‑free charitable giving through Payroll Giving Scheme, donate your pennies from your monthly pay to the Serco People Fund Charity
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Employee networks: Our networks support inclusion and connection by providing spaces for collaboration, learning, and belonging. They represent and empower all our colleagues including LGBTQIA+ employees, women, parents and carers, people with disabilities, veterans, and people from all cultural backgrounds.
Let’s impact a better future, together. Apply today.
To discover more about our careers in Defence, meet our team, and to find out more about what we offer, please follow this Link.
Please click on the apply button to complete your application. Occasionally we receive a large volume of applications for our roles and when that happens, we sometimes bring the closing date forward, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment.
At Serco, we see people first and foremost for their performance and potential. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. As such we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool. We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working. As a proud Disability Confident Leader and holder of the Gold Inclusive Employer Standard, disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.
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