Project Manager Engineering - Aquaculture & Fishing

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About Us

At Damen Aquaculture & Fishing, we are dedicated to designing and delivering innovative vessels for the aquaculture and fishing industries. As a specialised product group within Damen Shipyards, we operate from Stellendam, the Netherlands, serving customers around the world.

Our portfolio includes aquaculture support vessels and fishing vessels that are developed in close collaboration with our clients and built at Damen shipyards worldwide. Designed to perform reliably in demanding environments, our vessels are supported throughout their lifecycle with expert service and maintenance.

As part of the Damen Group, we contribute to sustainable, efficient, and future-ready maritime solutions. With a strong focus on customer needs, technical excellence, and teamwork, we offer an ocean of possibilities for ambitious maritime professionals.

The Role

As Project Manager Engineering, you take full ownership of the engineering process for international newbuild vessel projects within Damen’s Aquaculture & Fishing portfolio. You are the technical link between vessel requirements, naval architecture, supplier and vendor data, system integration, class requirements and production information, and you are responsible for validating and delivering the completed engineering packages.

You lead and coordinate both our in-house engineering teams and external engineering partners. Your role goes beyond managing schedules, hours and deliverables: you ensure that all technical inputs come together in one coherent, buildable and verifiable vessel design.

With a completed degree in Naval Architecture, you understand the design spiral. You can challenge technical choices, identify interface risks and drive decision-making across disciplines.

Key Accountabilities

You are accountable for the technical integrity of the engineering on each vessel project, ensuring that our standardised, repeatable vessel designs are delivered as safe, efficient and buildable vessels, supported by a complete, approved engineering package.

Your responsibilities include

• Take overall responsibility for the engineering scope, technical baseline and engineering deliverables, from contract handover through production support and commissioning to agreed close-out.
• Translate customer, contractual, operational, statutory and classification requirements into clear engineering work packages, acceptance criteria and traceable technical deliverables.
• Act as the central integration point for requirements, vessel design, vendor data, equipment interfaces and the engineering packages needed by procurement and the building yard.
• Lead the naval architecture and multidisciplinary design process across hull, structure, stability, mechanical systems, electrical and automation systems, outfitting and mission equipment.
• Plan and control design checks, basic engineering, detailed engineering and production support, including deliverable lists, budgets, hours, milestones and engineering schedules.
• Functionally lead in-house engineers, lead engineers and specialists, and manage the scope, schedule, quality and performance of external engineering partners.
• Define, manage and close interfaces between systems, spaces, structures, equipment and suppliers, ensuring that vendor data is complete, delivered on time, reviewed and correctly incorporated.
• Coordinate technical reviews with suppliers, engineering partners, classification societies, flag-state authorities, customer representatives, the Product Group, the Project Manager and the building yard.
• Review and approve engineering deliverables, ensuring that drawings, calculations, specifications, 3D models and production documentation are consistent, approved and fit for purpose.
• Manage engineering risks, requirements, assumptions, deviations and design changes, including assessment of their impact on weight, stability, performance, cost, schedule and production.
• Make timely technical decisions and escalate issues when interfaces, supplier information or design maturity threaten the project baseline.
• Capture lessons learned, improve standardisation, promote reusable engineering solutions and strengthen technical quality across the Aquaculture & Fishing portfolio.

Skills & Experience

As Project Manager Engineering, you combine technical depth with strong coordination skills and a practical, hands-on mindset. You are proactive, detail-oriented and quality-minded, and you balance technical excellence with commercial awareness.

In addition, you bring

• A completed bachelor’s or master’s degree in Naval Architecture, Shipbuilding Engineering or Maritime Technology, with a strong naval architecture focus. This degree is mandatory for the role.
• Proven experience coordinating basic and detailed engineering for complex vessels, preferably in shipbuilding, workboats, offshore, fishing or aquaculture projects.
• Thorough command of naval architecture fundamentals, including hull form, hydrostatics, stability, weight control, vessel performance, general arrangement and structural integration.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate supplier and vendor data into a multidisciplinary vessel design and to manage the technical interfaces between systems and equipment.
• Experience leading in-house engineers and steering external engineering partners, design offices or subcontractors on scope, schedule, budget and quality.
• Working knowledge of classification and statutory approval processes, and the ability to lead technical discussions with regulatory bodies and customer representatives.
• Strong project control skills, including engineering schedules, man-hour budgets, progress measurement, risk, requirements and change management, and reporting.
• A structured, analytical and decisive approach, with technical credibility and communication skills to align specialists and resolve cross-disciplinary issues.
• Professional proficiency in English; Dutch or Norwegian is an advantage.
• Willingness to travel internationally to engineering partners, suppliers, customers and building locations.

What We Offer

At Damen Aquaculture & Fishing, you will join an ambitious and growing team within a dynamic international environment. We offer excellent opportunities for professional development and a rewarding career in the maritime industry.

In addition, what can you expect

• A technology-driven workplace focused on innovation and maritime excellence.
• A competitive salary aligned with your experience and expertise.
• Profit-sharing and a pension contribution.
• A minimum of 25 vacation days and 13 additional ADV days.
• Extensive opportunities for professional and personal development through the Damen Academy.
• A travel allowance.
• The opportunity to contribute to innovative and sustainable vessel designs that make a difference worldwide.
• A collaborative and informal working culture in which your ideas and initiative are valued.

What success looks like

• Requirements remain traceable from contractual and operational needs through design, vendor information and verification to final engineering deliverables.
• Supplier data and technical interfaces are identified early, actively followed up and incorporated without causing delays in engineering or production.
• In-house and external engineering teams work from one controlled scope, schedule and technical baseline.
• The engineering package is complete, internally consistent, compliant with applicable class requirements and available in time to support procurement, construction, commissioning and delivery.
• Technical risks and design changes are addressed through timely, well-founded decisions supported by clear impact assessments covering weight, performance, cost and schedule.

Recruiter

Ine van der Meer - GrootenboerEmail

[email removed]

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