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Ship's Officer

Āpiha Kaipuke

Ship's officers navigate and control the safe operation of a ship and supervise and co-ordinate the activities of deck crew.

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Secondary education

No specific secondary education is required for this job, but English, maths and physics to at least NCEA level 2 are useful.

Study fields

Study levels

  • Certificate
  • Diploma
  • Up to NCEA Level 3

Useful experience

Useful experience for ship's officers includes:

  • Sea Cadet/Scout training
  • deck cadet training with a shipping company
  • work as a deckhand
  • service in the Navy.

What you will do

Ship's officers may do some or all of the following:

  • navigate and control ships
  • take charge of ships when on watch
  • arrange repairs, fuel and supplies
  • supervise the loading, unloading and storage of cargo
  • organise crew activities on deck
  • organise ship security.

Skills and knowledge

Ship's officers need to have knowledge of:

  • the requirements of running and supplying a ship
  • how to navigate and control a ship
  • how to read charts and identify hazards
  • the logistics of working with cargo, ballast and fuel
  • maritime laws and requirements
  • safety procedures and methods such as firefighting, rescue, and collision prevention.
Pay

Ship's officers usually earn

$60K-$130K

per year

Job opportunities
Good
Chances of getting a job as a ship's officer are good as there are not enough trained and experienced workers to meet demand.
Length of training
2
years of training usually required.

Industry

Transport and Logistics

Ship's officers navigate and control the safe operation of a ship and supervise and co-ordinate the activities of deck crew.

Similar jobs in this industry

Entry requirements

To become a ship's officer you need to have relevant Maritime New Zealand approved experience and qualifications.

In general, you must have served time at sea:

You also need to:

  • have approved qualifications in first aid, radar, firefighting and survival
  • pass seafarer medical tests
  • pass eyesight and colour vision tests
  • pass Maritime New Zealand qualifications, including both written and oral exams

Chances of getting a job

Shortage of qualified and experienced ship’s officers

Opportunities to gain the experience required to become a ship's officer are limited. This has resulted in low numbers of people working their way through the ranks to become ship's officers. 

Demand for ship’s officers with the relevant certificates and experience to command vessels is growing. This is due to:

  • an ageing workforce, which means more vacancies arising as ship’s officers retire
  • the increasing volume of exports by sea, which means more ship's officers are needed on ships sailing from New Zealand.

According to the Census, 114 ship's officers worked in New Zealand in 2019.

Most ship's officers employed by international companies

Most ship's officers work for international shipping companies, though some are employed by New Zealand companies.

Find out more about training

Maritime New Zealand
(04) 473 0111 - enquiries@maritimenz.govt.nz - www.maritimenz.govt.nz

Progression and specialisations

Ship's officers may progress in ranks to:

  • third mate
  • second mate
  • first mate, also known as chief officer, watchkeeper and officer in charge.

With further training ship's officers can also become a ship's master.

They may also progress to administrative, management or education roles in the maritime industry, such as a marine manager or lecturer.

Depending on their position or rank, ship's officers may specialise in roles such as:

  • supervising the discharge and loading of cargo
  • navigating, controlling and piloting ships.

Working conditions

Ship's officers:

  • usually work shifts and are on call 24 hours a day while at sea. When working for international shipping companies, ship's officers often work three months at sea followed by three months' leave, though this depends on the company and ship
  • work in all weather conditions
  • usually travel to ports around New Zealand or travel internationally to foreign ports.

Physical Requirements

Ship's officers need to have good eyesight (with or without corrective lenses) and normal colour vision.

Useful personal qualities

Ship's officers need to be:

  • disciplined and responsible
  • adaptable
  • able to work well independently and as part of a team
  • excellent communicators with leadership skills
  • well organised
  • good at maths.

Industry

Transport and Logistics

Ship's officers navigate and control the safe operation of a ship and supervise and co-ordinate the activities of deck crew.

Similar jobs in this industry

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