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Job Description Location: Forth Ports Ltd, 100 Ocean Drive
Location: UK-wide (travel between vessels required for Floating Engineer)
Positions: Chief Engineer and Floating Engineer (Relief / Rotational)
Shifts: 2 weeks on / 2 weeks off rotation, allowing for a healthy work-life balance
Compensation: Our roles come with an attractive salary, favourable terms and conditions, and a competitive pension scheme with both company and employee contributions.
Targe Towing is seeking experienced and motivated engineers to join our fleet. We are recruiting for both a Chief Engineer and a Floating Engineer. These roles are responsible for ensuring vessel machinery, equipment and engineering systems operate safely and efficiently in support of the Master and operational requirements.
About The Role
The Chief Engineer is assigned to a primary vessel and has full responsibility for the Engineering Department onboard. The Floating Engineer will operate across the fleet, travelling between vessels to provide leave cover, additional engineering support and assistance during maintenance periods. While the core technical responsibilities are the same, the Floating Engineer role requires flexibility and the ability to integrate quickly with different vessels and crews.
Key Responsibilities
Manage and maintain vessel machinery, equipment and engineering systems in accordance with regulations and Company SMS
- Execute planned maintenance for machinery, equipment and engineering spaces, with particular attention to safety and anti-pollution equipment
- Diagnose faults and carry out corrective maintenance as required
- Advise the Master and Company on operational defects and recommend remedial action
- Maintain records of routine and unscheduled maintenance and repairs
- Monitor validity of class and statutory technical certification and assist with survey preparation
- Maintain engine logbook and oil record book to required standards
- Maintain technical manuals, drawings and engineering documentation
- Order stores and spare parts and maintain inventory control
- Conduct inspections and support vessel audits and investigations
- Support crew familiarisation and advise on engineering training requirements
- Work closely with deck department to ensure effective teamwork between departments
- Submit technical and incident reports as required
Additional For Chief Engineer
- Head of the Engineering Department onboard assigned vessel
- Supervise and manage engineering personnel
- Plan and coordinate maintenance periods and dry-dock work scopes
- Act as primary technical liaison with shore management
Additional For Floating Engineer
- Travel between vessels providing engineering relief cover
- Support Chief Engineers during busy operational or maintenance periods
- Take temporary responsibility for engineering operations when assigned
- Adapt quickly to different vessel layouts, machinery and crews
Requirements
- Engineer CoC appropriate to vessel operations (Chief Engineer CoC required for Chief Engineer applicants)
- Previous tug/workboat experience preferred
- Strong fault-finding and hands-on maintenance skills
- Good understanding of planned maintenance systems and SMS compliance
- Ability to work independently and as part of a small vessel team
- Flexibility to travel between vessels (Floating Engineer role)
- Travel to and from assigned home port is the responsibility of the successful candidate; company travel outside of home port is not provided
- Due to operational requirements, applicants should ideally be UK-based or able to travel to UK ports at their own arrangement
- Full right to work in the UK
- Full driving licence, valid in the UK
We are looking for individuals who are self-starters and can thrive in a professional and safety-focused environment. While prior tug experience is not required, a commitment to high standards, teamwork, and safe operations is essential. This is an excellent opportunity for seafarers looking to be based closer to home, without compromising on the challenges and rewards of a ship-based career.
At Targe Towing, we are proud of our excellent safety record and our reputation for operating to the highest industry standards. If you’re seeking a stable, fulfilling maritime role with a company that values professionalism, reliability, and personal development, we’d love to hear from you.
Targe Towing Limited has a highly refined and focussed safety culture and philosophy which lead to our being awarded BP Shipping’s Inaugural Safety Partner of the Year.
We offer a safe, clean and efficient working environment in which to work and this job would suit those who appreciate a dedication to safety, leadership and teamwork.
How To Apply
If you are looking for the next step in your career as part of a forward-thinking and supportive team, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your CV and a cover letter when submitting your application via the ‘Apply Now’ link.
Skills Needed
About The Company
Over our 50 years of experience we have witnessed our ports grow to become important assets to support and deliver growth both for the UK and local economies. The growth impact has been achieved due to the continued investments in our infrastructure, making sure that our ports are able to continually develop their services and support the growth of many industries. Our people have played a significant role. They have delivered the highest quality of service through their expertise, loyalty and flexibility and, without them, we could not have built the strong reputation and the long term agreements with many customers that we have today.
Company Culture
Welcome to Forth Ports Careers. As a leading port operator, we employ over 1,100 people across our ports in Scotland and the Port of Tilbury in London. A career in a port business is very rewarding. There is real variety within each role and significant opportunities for promotion and career development. Don’t just take our word for it; view the “Some of our People” section and the video below to gain insight into the kinds of jobs our employees do, how they’ve grown with us, and what motivates them each day. The port business can be seen as a barometer for the economy and this drives us to be adaptable and fast paced as we identify new business opportunities.
Required Criteria
- Engineer CoC appropriate to vessel operations (Chief Engineer CoC required for Chief Engineer applicants)
- Full right to work in the UK
- Full driving licence, valid in the UK
Desired Criteria
- Previous tug/workboat experience preferred
Closing DateFriday 15th May, 2026
Contract Typefulltime
SalaryBased on Experience