Naval Architecture Jobs

Naval architecture refers to the engineering and design of marine vessels. These vessels are comprised not only of submarines and navy ships of the government, but also leisure boats like yachts. Naval architecture is barely a novel discipline, as it precisely began during the prehistoric navigational times. The American steamboats and the Viking ships are the historical examples of naval architecture. In the present day, naval architecture has largely become an engineering science as the architects rely on mathematics for designing the latest naval vessels.

Naval architecture encompasses many disciplines like marine engineering, hydrodynamics, mechanical engineering, and structural engineering.

Building a ship, and most importantly a warship is an incredibly complex engineering deed to be taken on by any man. The man at the back of the machine that is the naval architect is a man who is in charge for the successful and final launch of a ship. For this reason, his physical stamina and mental abilities must be good enough to perform the task handed over to him.

• Good conceptualization and a creative mind
• Good diagnostic skills
• Good at structured thinking
• Must be capable of looking beyond the particulars at the entire picture
• Should be able to integrate various systems
• High order skills of project management
• Graduation in naval architecture, mechanical engineering, civil engineering or ocean engineering
• An apprenticeship of one year with any ship designing firm or a ship building firm
• Higher qualifications that depend on specialized skills

A naval architect can be employed in the following fields:

• In ship building firms or ship yards
• Naval dockyards
• Ship designing bureaus
• Navy of the respective countries
• Consultancy firms of naval architecture
• Oceanographic institutions
• Offshore structures

To work as a marine engineer, a naval architect has to enroll as a marine engineer trainee in any institution or a ship yard for a time period of 18 months. After the training, a person is able to accomplish his coursework as an engineering officer.

To be employed in the yards of ship repair in dry locking, fabrication, as well as outfitting centers, a person should have excellent skills of project management and should be able to control the workforce.

The salary of naval architects varies from just about US $5000 to one million dollars for the top ranking management executives. The majority of the data of the salary is not to be disclosed and the companies hardly ever delve this information to the common public.

Supervisory level: US $36,000 per year

Level of lower management: US $50,000 per year

Level of middle management: US $100,000 to US $500,000 per year

Level of top management: more than a million dollars in a year

Thus, the naval architecture is a profession for people who have an aptitude in mathematics and science. If these guidelines are followed correctly, one can go a long way in this field.