Ready to Apply?
Join our team and advance your maritime career today!
Lead as Chief Engineer with OSM Thome in Nigeria. Bring your offshore expertise onboard and grow your career with us.
Chief Engineer | FPSO | Nigeria
The Chief Engineer is the senior engineering officer on board an FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel). They have overall responsibility for the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of all marine and utility systems that support the FPSO's production, storage, and offloading functions. The position is equivalent to the head of the engineering department and reports directly to the Offshore Installation Manager (OIM), Master, or FPSO Manager, depending on the organizational structure.
Key Responsibilities
Engineering and Technical Management
Ensure the continuous operation and maintenance of:
Power generation and distribution systems
Main engines and auxiliary machinery
Boilers, compressors, pumps, and HVAC systems
Ballast, cargo, and utility systems
Freshwater and sewage treatment plants
Emergency and safety-critical equipment.
Maintenance Management
Develop and oversee planned maintenance programs.
Manage maintenance budgets, spare parts inventories, and procurement.
Ensure maintenance activities are conducted in accordance with company procedures and class requirements.
Coordinate major repairs, dry-docking projects, and equipment upgrades.
Safety Leadership
Promote a strong safety culture throughout the engineering department.
Ensure compliance with Permit to Work (PTW) systems, isolation procedures, and risk assessments.
Lead emergency response activities related to machinery failures, fire, flooding, pollution incidents, and power outages.
Ensure compliance with international maritime and offshore safety standards.
Environmental Compliance
Ensure adherence to environmental regulations and company environmental policies.
Monitor fuel consumption, emissions, waste management, and pollution prevention systems.
Investigate and report environmental incidents.
Personnel Management
Lead and supervise:
Second Engineers
Electrical Engineers
Maintenance Engineers
Motormen and other engine-room personnel
Conduct training, competency assessments, and performance reviews.
Manage shift schedules and work allocation.
Production Support
The Chief Engineer works closely with production, marine, and maintenance teams to ensure all utility and support systems remain available for safe production operations.
Authority to:
Stop engineering activities that present a safety risk.
Allocate engineering resources and manpower.
Approve maintenance schedules.
Recommend shutdowns for critical equipment failures.
Manage the engineering department budget within approved limits.
Required Competencies
To be able to demonstrate:
Strong technical knowledge of marine and offshore systems.
Leadership and people-management skills.
Asset integrity and reliability management experience.
Knowledge of offshore regulations and classification requirements.
Emergency response and crisis-management capability.
Effective communication with multinational crews and shore-based management.
Typical Objective of the Role
To ensure the FPSO's marine, utility, and support systems operate safely, reliably, and efficiently, enabling uninterrupted offshore production while maintaining full compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
Requirements/Qualifications/Competence:
Minimum requirements Education / (COC) / STCW / Certificates
Several years as Second Engineer and/or Chief Engineer on large vessels.
Previous experience on:
FPSOs
FSOs
Tankers (Crude, VLCC, Shuttle Tankers)
Offshore production facilities
Strong knowledge of:
Power generation systems
Cargo pumps and utility systems
Turbines and large diesel engines
Dynamic Positioning support systems (where fitted)
Permit-to-work and safety management systems.
Mandatory Certificates:
Chief Engineer Officer Certificate of Competency (CoC) STCW Regulation III/2 (Management Level)
BOSIET/FOET
HUET
OGUK Medical