Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officer

OFFICER | Full Time

As a member of the military, Naval Combat Systems Engineers maintain combat systems in ships and submarines. They are responsible for the leadership and wellbeing of a large team of highly trained technical professionals who perform the systems analysis, fault-finding and maintenance of equipment to ensure peak performance.

The primary role of the Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officer is to provide technical expertise, advice and leadership for the operation and maintenance of the following naval combat systems:

• Above water and underwater warfare systems and its ammunition
• Above water and underwater sensor systems
• Navigation systems
• Communication systems
• Command and control systems
• Data processing systems
• Electronic warfare systems

Work Environment

Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officers are employed in the ships and submarines of the Forces Naval Fleet and at shore-based establishments. Marine Systems Engineers serve as the Head of the Combat Systems Engineering Department. They deal with the challenges associated with life at sea while leading a large number of personnel. In shore-based establishments, Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officers are employed throughout Canada, primarily in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Victoria, British Columbia; the National Capital Region; and abroad. The range of employment is wide and involves the challenges of understanding present and future technologies.

If you choose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part-time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.

The Royal Canadian Navy deploys regularly to reassure Canada’s allies in the global community as well as to deter those who might wish us harm. This is accomplished using state-of-the-art tracking and weapons systems. Maintenance of these systems is managed by Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officers, who ensure that the ship is always combat-ready.

They lead the Combat Systems Engineering Team, responsible for the operational readiness and maintenance of Naval Weapons, Navigation, Communications, Radar, Sonar, and Command and Control Systems.

Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officers are an integral part of the vessel’s Emergency Response Team, performing important damage control tasks while the ship is at emergency or action stations to ensure that it can still fight.

On completion of their military and occupation training, Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officers will be posted to a ship as a junior officer on the Combat Systems Engineering team and learn the ropes of becoming a Combat Systems Engineering Officer. On board, they are part of the crew, and with that comes additional responsibilities, such as ship evolutions, or being a part of the ship’s Boarding Party or Dive Team.

For their next posting, Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officers will return ashore to fulfill numerous challenging roles for the Navy. These could include working at a coastal Fleet Maintenance Facility, teaching new engineers at the Naval Fleet Schools, or providing their expert engineering assessments towards new ships and equipment purchases for the future fleet.

As their career progresses, Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officers can move into project management or research & development, involved in the design and application of new weapons technologies. There can also be opportunities for engineering specialization through fully funded post-graduate education in Canada or abroad.

If you already have a university degree, the CAF will decide if your academic program matches the criteria for this job and may place you directly into the required on-the-job training program following basic training. Basic training and military officer qualification training are required before being assigned.