Port Engineer

About Us

Matson has been the leading ocean shipping and logistics provider throughout the Pacific since 1882. We are the supply chain lifeline for Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, and islands of the South Pacific. We also offer the top two ocean shipping services in the world’s largest trade lane - Asia to the U.S. West Coast. With our subsidiaries Matson Terminals and Matson Logistics, our business focus is exceeding customer expectations with quality, reliability, and integrity.

We strive to operate in an environmentally sustainable manner and promote land-based environmental programs in Hawaii, Guam, and Alaska. We help improve the communities in which we work and live through our community giving program that annually supports hundreds of local organizations. And we work to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in our company, communities and industry through an active social equity program.

Matson is a great place to work, and everyone who works with us becomes part of the Matson ohana or family. Join our team and help us move freight better than anyone.

Learn more at matson.com.

About the Role

The Port Engineer supports and monitors the day-to-day technical operation of the assigned Matson vessels.  Will be primarily responsible for vessel repair and maintenance. Overall person in charge of vessel activities during repair outages and in dry-dock. Monitors and advises vessel’s Senior Officers in order to maintain operational capabilities of the vessel. Communicates directly with various Matson leaders on vessel status, including crew and operational issues. Required Membership of Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA).

What you’ll do:

• Determine the extent of necessary repairs, recommend which work should be done by outside contractors, shore gangs or ship’s crew and be responsible for putting work in hand with vendors, contractors, and regulatory agencies.
• Prepare specifications for repairs, estimates costs by competitive bids, direct negotiation or other valid methods. Negotiate prices with vendors.
• Inspect and supervise vendor work including acceptance, witness, and testing.
• Advise the accounting on the status of costs, including updates to accruals and actuals of each vessel’s maintenance and repair work and maintains surveillance over budgets.
• Develop shipyard repair and drydocking specifications and advise on vessel modifications.
• Supervise drydocking operations while maintaining cost spreadsheets.
• Prepare drydock reports and prepare accurate detailed specifications and cost estimates for work or surveys to be performed.
• Arrange for and attend surveys with underwriters and surveyors of regulatory agencies for damage surveys, periodic surveys, modifications and inspections.
• Utilize the vessel management software application (Nautical Systems Enterprise - NSE) to maintain credibility of survey status; class shore-based spares inventory location and condition and administration of class planned preventative maintenance program.
• Responsible for the conduct and preparation of vessel condition surveys on all U.S. flag vessels operated by the company.
• Responsible for continuous maintenance of condition survey accuracy in order to develop effective specifications.
• Recommend appropriate time and action to resolve any deficiencies noted.
• Assist in the preparation of the annual M&R and Drydocking budget.
• Prepare disruption reports for any major abnormality or actual vessel safety delay in excess of two hours when requested.
• Utilizing software application (NSE), screens and authorizes spare parts and engineering consumable requisitions. Ensures requisitions are received in a timely manner.
• Maintain liaison with communication companies on service, repairs and certification of navigation and communication equipment on assigned vessels.
• Budget personal time consistent with vessel and department needs to ensure optimum application of such time within constraints of labor contract, holding compensatory time to an irreducible minimum.
• Coordinate planning of vessel in-port repair availabilities, including, bunkers, lube and diesel oil deliveries with the terminals and suppliers.
• Supervise repair contractors satisfactorily and economically.

Personnel Related Duties:

• Observe and evaluate the work of shipboard engineering personnel as it pertains to the safe and efficient operation of equipment, gear and engineering plant and makes recommendations as appropriate to the Senior Port Engineer and Fleet Maintenance Manager.
• Assist the Fleet Maintenance Manager in the performance appraisals of vessel senior engineering personnel.
• Provide direction and supervision to Assistant Port Engineers assigned to support their designated function.
• Keep the Fleet Maintenance Manager and the Senior Port Engineer fully informed of all work scheduled, in progress, or accomplished, as well as any condition that actually or potentially affects schedule reliability.

You have these skills:

• Advance knowledge of all rules and regulations and regulatory bodies as well as port state control entities, regarding construction, repair and operation of US Flag containerships.
• Informed and supportive of all environmental rules and regulations pertaining to vessel operations and repairs.

And these qualifications:

• USCG Unlimited Motor Chief Engineer license.
• Prior port engineer experience with commercial liner operation.
• Able to travel overseas for extended periods.
• Valid TWIC credential or qualified to obtain.
• Member of Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA) union.

At Matson, we're looking for people to build a unified team to maintain our values of trust, integrity, and reliability. We welcome diverse perspectives and people who think rigorously and thoughtfully challenge assumptions.

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