Weights & Lifting Structural Engineer

Company Description

Navantia UK is a UK incorporated company, subsidiary of Spanish Navantia, created to work with UK industrial partners in shipbuilding, defence and in offshore wind energy. With a history that goes back more than 300 hundred years, Navantia is a world reference in the design, building, integration and life cycle support of state-of-the-art war ships for the Spanish Navy and international customers and has extensive experience in ToT programmes.

Job Description

At Navantia UK, we are delivering some of the most ambitious shipbuilding and heavy-engineering projects in the country. We are looking for a talented Structural Weights & Lifting Engineer to join our Production Engineering team in Belfast and help ensure that every major lift, turn and movement of critical structures is executed safely, efficiently and with engineering excellence.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of large-scale marine and defence programmes—where your expertise will directly influence production performance, operational safety and project success.

About The Role

As a  Weights & Lifting Structural Engineer, you will be the technical authority for all lifting and turning operations across the shipyard. You’ll apply engineering analysis, modelling and strong problem-solving skills to develop safe, practical and cost-effective lifting plans and methodologies.

You will collaborate closely with production teams, clients and third-party specialists, ensuring that every operation meets rigorous industry standards and reflects best practice. You’ll also play a hands-on role by attending key lifts on-site to confirm compliance and continuously improve our engineering processes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Produce detailed calculations, analyses, drawings and documentation for safe heavy lifting and turning operations.
• Develop lifting plans and reports to support work packages and project design books.
• Assess lifting requirements against yard capabilities, lifting equipment inventory and industry good practice.
• Maintain forward planning for workload, deadlines and resource needs, in collaboration with the Production Engineering Manager.
• Deliver solutions that are safe, cost-effective and fit for purpose.
• Maintain an electronic database of lifting arrangements and documentation.
• Engage with clients, attend site visits and participate in reviews as required.
• Support operational teams during execution of lift activities and provide expert guidance on best lifting practices.
• Keep up to date with relevant standards, legislation and regulations (BS, API, DCR, HS&E, EU directives).
• Review the implementation of your lifting designs on-site and feed lessons learned back into future designs.

Qualifications

You are an analytical, detail-driven engineer who thrives on solving complex technical challenges. You enjoy working collaboratively with colleagues at all levels, and you bring a practical mindset to safety-critical operations.

Skills & Experience:

• Strong CAD/CAM and 3D modelling experience.
• Demonstrable experience producing calculations and engineering analyses for heavy lifting operations using recognised software tools.
• Confident communicator, able to work effectively with technical teams, clients and operational personnel.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear and concise engineering reports.
• Degree-qualified Structural Engineer or Naval Architect (or equivalent).
• Postgraduate experience or technical project/process management experience in relevant heavy engineering environments.

Working Environment

• Involvement in on-site lifts may include working at height or within confined spaces (with full safety measures provided).

Additional Information

Equal Opportunity: We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. To ensure equal opportunities for all candidates, we commit to a fair and unbiased recruitment process at every stage. This includes ensuring hiring managers are aware of legislation, providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities, and actively seeking to eliminate any form of discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, or any other protected characteristic. Our goal is to create a recruitment environment where every candidate feels valued and has an equal chance to succeed.

If you experience difficulties or are unable to apply for a role on-line please contact us at people.skills@harland-wolff.com and one of the team will be in contact to help you.

• Competitive salary
• Company pension
• Life Assurance
• L&D opportunities

If you experience difficulties or are unable to apply for a role on-line please contact us at people.skills@harland-wolff.com and one of the team will be in contact to help you.