An Engineer Officer is one type of
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
in the
UK Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
. There are also
Warfare Officers and
Logistics Officer
A logistics officer is a member of an armed force or coast guard responsible for overseeing the support of an army, air force, marine corps, navy or coast guard fleet, both at home and abroad. Logistics officers can be stationary on military base ...
s (formerly called
Supply Officers) supported by additional branches such as Medical or Dental Officers, or the Chaplaincy Service.
Engineer Officers are responsible for the material condition of the various aspects of maritime platforms: Ships, Submarines and Naval Aircraft and as such lead teams of
naval ratings to conduct preventive and corrective maintenance. Engineer Officers are responsible to the
Captain for the operational capability of the platform and as such form part of the Command Team. Engineers are also widely employed in the
Defence Equipment and Support
Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) is a trading entity and joint-defence organisation within the UK Ministry of Defence. It began operating on 2 April 2007, following the merger of the MoD's Defence Procurement Agency and the Defence Logistics ...
and in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
Ministry of Defence, supporting the Fleet or other elements of the
British Armed Forces.
Specialisations
Four sub-branches of Engineer exist:
Marine Engineer
Marine Engineer Officers are responsible for the fabric of the ship or submarine, including its propulsion and steering systems, hotel and domestic services and damage control/ fire fighting equipment.
Weapon Engineer
Weapon Engineer Officers are responsible for the performance of onboard weapons, sensors, combat systems and communications systems.
you must have a technical mind and an interest in electronics for this position.
Air Engineer
Air Engineers are responsible for the performance of fixed and rotary wing aircraft afloat and ashore.
Training Management
Training Management Officers are responsible for the management of training activities across the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
. Formed from the Instructor Officer branch, the role is predominantly a Human Capital function. However the position within the Engineer Branch reflects the high volume of engineering training carried out by the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
, with many Training Management Officers employed at and .
Training
Engineer Officers entering the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
are required to be graduates with a suitably numerate degree, however some may have been sponsored with the
Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme at
University of Portsmouth,
Aston University
Aston University (abbreviated as ''Aston''. for post-nominals) is a public research university situated in the city centre of Birmingham, England. Aston began as the Birmingham Municipal Technical School in 1895, evolving into the UK's first ...
,
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...
,
Loughborough University,
Northumbria University,
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a UK public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick unive ...
or
University of Southampton
, mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour
, type = Public research university
, established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...
. Senior Ratings of the appropriate sub-specialisation may also be commissioned as Engineer Officers on the
Senior Upper Yardman Scheme.
New Entry training is undertaken at
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC), commonly known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...
where the courses vary slightly for new entry and SUY cadets. New Entry officers then undergo Common Fleet Time (4 months) where they learn the ropes in an operational warship using a syllabus common to all Officer specialisations; completing the
Fleet Board to be permitted to continue to further training of Specialist Fleet Time attached to the department appropriate to their sub-specialisation. SUY Officers proceed directly to their specialist training waiving Fleet Time on the basis of their proven experience.
Engineer Officers then undergo further training appropriate to their sub-specialisation. Weapon Engineers and Information Systems Engineers at , Marine Engineers and Aircraft Engineers at {{HMS, Sultan, shore establishment, 6 and Training Managers at
HMS ''Nelson''. Training is structured and accredited by a number of professional bodies leading to the potential award of
Chartered Engineer
Regulation and licensure in engineering is established by various jurisdictions of the world to encourage life, public welfare, safety, well-being, then environment and other interests of the general public and to define the licensure process thr ...
status.
External links
Royal Navy Career Guide
Engineering education in the United Kingdom
Royal Navy specialisms