Wightlink | Isle of Wight Ferries
Head of Engineering & Estates
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Company Description
Wightlink | Isle of Wight Ferries is an award-winning ferry operator, providing reliable services between the Isle of Wight and mainland UK and carrying around 4.2 million passengers each year. With three routes and eight modern ferries, the organization connects people, businesses, festivals, and essential services across the Solent. The ferries are equipped to high standards, offering comfortable outside decks, dedicated play areas, and cafés showcasing Isle of Wight food and drink. Wightlink places strong emphasis on customer experience and community support, sponsoring sports, charity, and arts initiatives through the Wightlink in the Community scheme.
Role Description
The Head of Engineering & Estates is a full-time, on-site role based in the Portsmouth. This role leads the engineering and estates function, overseeing the maintenance, reliability, and safety of vessels, terminals, and related infrastructure.
Day-to-Day Responsibilities
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- Managing engineering projects
- Planning preventative maintenance
- Optimising asset performance
- Ensuring compliance with relevant maritime, safety, and environmental regulations
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The role involves leading and developing multidisciplinary teams, managing third-party contractors, overseeing budgets and capital investments, and collaborating with operations, safety, and commercial teams to support service reliability and customer experience. The Head of Engineering & Estates also contributes to long-term asset strategy, sustainability initiatives, and continuous improvement in engineering and estates processes.
Qualifications
- Strong team leadership capabilities, including team management and the ability to motivate, develop, and support cross-functional engineering and estates teams.
- Proven experience in engineering management within transport, maritime, infrastructure, or a closely related sector, with a focus on asset reliability and safety.
- Demonstrated project management skills, including planning, budgeting, risk management, and delivery of capital and maintenance projects.
- Familiarity with software development or engineering-related digital tools and systems (e.g., CMMS, asset management platforms) to support data-driven decision-making.
- Relevant engineering degree or equivalent professional qualification (e.g., Mechanical, Electrical, Marine, or Civil Engineering), with chartered or professional registration essential.
- Strong understanding of health, safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements, ideally in maritime or transport operations.
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and negotiation skills, with experience working closely with operations, finance, and external partners.
- Ability to work on-site across multiple locations, manage competing priorities, and drive continuous improvement and innovation in engineering and estates management.
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