Director of Valve and Fluid Systems – Maritime Applications

Job Title: Director of Valve and Fluid Systems – Maritime Applications

Job Summary:

The Director of Valve and Fluid Systems leads the engineering, integration, and lifecycle management of critical valve and fluid handling systems across a fleet of maritime vessels or shipbuilding programs. This role provides expert oversight of systems such as ballast water, fuel, bilge, fire suppression, HVAC, seawater cooling, and high-pressure steam or hydraulic circuits. The director is responsible for technical governance, system reliability, compliance with marine regulatory standards, and strategic supplier engagement across global operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Oversight:

• Lead design, specification, and integration of valves, actuators, pumps, and fluid control systems for marine platforms

• Ensure conformance with IMO, SOLAS, MARPOL, ABS, DNV, and other classification standards

• Drive engineering best practices in fluid dynamics, valve sizing, flow modeling, and pressure system design

• Oversee development of system architecture for remote-operated valves, control logic, and diagnostics

Project & Operational Leadership:

• Support newbuild, retrofit, and maintenance projects from design through commissioning

• Review and approve engineering documents: P&IDs, valve data sheets, system schematics, and performance reports

• Manage root cause analysis of valve and fluid system failures and lead continuous improvement initiatives

• Collaborate with shipyards, OEMs, and internal technical teams on system upgrades and technology validation

Supplier & Lifecycle Management:

• Lead technical evaluations, FAT/SAT participation, and vendor qualification for valve and fluid equipment

• Develop and maintain long-term strategies for obsolescence management, spares planning, and component standardization

• Implement predictive and condition-based monitoring technologies for fluid systems

Team & Strategy Development:

• Build and lead a cross-functional engineering team focused on valve and piping systems

• Develop internal design standards, technical procedures, and training programs

• Provide expert input on risk management, budget forecasting, and compliance reporting to senior leadership

Key Focus Areas:

• Leadership of marine valve systems, fluid network design, and lifecycle optimization

• Compliance with marine classification and safety standards

• Integration of digital valve control and diagnostics (e.g., smart actuators, IoT)

• System reliability, maintainability, and supplier governance

Qualifications & Skills:

Education:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Marine, or Systems Engineering

• Professional Engineer (PE) or equivalent certification strongly preferred

Experience:

• 12–18 years of relevant engineering experience in the marine, offshore, or shipbuilding sectors

• 5+ years of leadership in valve system design, fluid control, or pressure system operations

• Demonstrated experience with automated valve systems, integrated ship control platforms, or fluid simulation tools (e.g., PipeFlow, AFT Fathom)

Technical Competency:

• Strong knowledge of piping systems, hydraulic/pneumatic control, pressure regulation, flow analysis, and corrosion-resistant materials

• Familiarity with valve automation (electrical/pneumatic/hydraulic actuators), and interface with control systems (PLC, SCADA)

• Skilled in system commissioning, FATs, SATs, leak testing, and lifecycle documentation

Soft Skills:

• Strong leadership, mentorship, and cross-functional collaboration

• Effective communicator, capable of interfacing with shipyards, OEMs, and regulatory bodies

• Strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to risk, compliance, and innovation