Naval Architect
What the work is
Designs and oversees the construction and repair of marine craft and floating structures.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Oversees the design, construction, repair, conversion or decommissioning of marine craft and floating structures
- Uses specialist CAD software to design marine craft and floating structures, taking into account factors such as stability, strength and performance
- Designs and coordinates the build of offshore floating structures such as offshore drilling platforms, floating units and subsea infrastructure installations
- Prepares detailed plans, specifications and cost estimates to establish basic characteristics of marine craft, such as size, weight and speed
- Ensures marine craft and floating structures comply with design specifications and safety and regulatory standards
- Collaborates with engineers and other Professionals to coordinate the design and layout of marine craft and floating structure systems, equipment, and machinery
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in the engineering workshop of a regional hospital, where the machines that help care for patients are tested and repaired. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A machine the ward thought was broken is back in service within the hour
- Staff tell you a new device is easier to use because of a change you suggested
- You design a small fix that makes a clumsy piece of equipment safer to handle
Hard days
- Two wards want the same machine and only one is available
- A device fails a safety check on the day you most need it in use
- You are called away from a long project to deal with a fault that cannot wait
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 243938, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.