JOB SUMMARY
The Riding Team Technical Director – Engines will lead and oversee specialized in-house teams responsible for executing major marine engine overhauls onboard our cruise vessels. This role combines deep technical expertise in large diesel and dual-fuel engine systems with strong leadership, planning, and coordination skills to ensure cost-efficient, safe, and high-quality engine overhaul delivery. The Manager will collaborate closely with Technical Superintendents, shipboard engineering staff, and classification societies, while reporting directly to the Sr. Director of Technical Services.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
- Collaborate with Technical Superintendents to confirm project scopes for major main engine overhauls, including planning, parts, and manpower requirements.
- Manage and schedule dedicated Engine Overhaul Riding Teams, ensuring optimal allocation of resources across the fleet.
- Ensure riding teams are properly trained, certified, and equipped for large engine overhaul tasks.
- Oversee the maintenance and management of specialized toolboxes and equipment required for engine overhaul operations.
- Monitor and supervise execution of riding team overhauls onboard to ensure adherence to scope, timelines, and technical quality.
- Maintain strong compliance with company safety policies, environmental protection standards, classification society rules, and flag state requirements.
- Provide technical expertise and troubleshooting support for complex engine issues, leveraging past experience with major engine manufacturers.
- Maintain an archive of all engine related bulletins from the manufacturers and disseminate that information throughout the fleet.
- Develop best practices and lessons learned documents to support fleetwide standardization and fleet transparency.
- Develop and submit progress and final project reports to the Director of Technical Services and ship-assigned Technical Superintendents.
- Promote a culture of safety, continuous improvement, and technical excellence within the riding teams.
- Support cost control and performance measurement initiatives by tracking riding team efficiency and project results.
QUALIFICATIONS
DEGREE TYPE: Bachelor's Degree
FIELD(S) OF STUDY: Marine or Mechanical Engineering, Chief Engineer, Engineer R&D
EXPERIENCE
- Minimum 15 years of direct experience overhauling large marine diesel or dual-fuel engines, preferably on cruise ships.
- Extensive hands-on experience with MAN and/or Wärtsilä engine systems (factory training and OEM work history strongly preferred).
- Experience supervising technical teams
COMPETENCIES & SKILLS
- Strong knowledge of engine R&D practices, technical bulletins, and OEM service standards.
- In-depth understanding of international maritime regulations, classification society requirements, and environmental standards related to engine operations.
- Proven track record managing technical teams in shipboard or drydock environments.
- Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, able to work effectively with both shoreside and shipboard teams.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Outlook, and capable of preparing clear technical reports and analyses.
- Familiarity with maintenance planning systems (e.g., AMOS, NS5, or equivalent).
- Experience leading multicultural teams in a global, fleet-based operation.
