Air Conditioning jobs in Derry

Senior Chilled Water Plant & Refrigeration Engineer – Marine Sector

Location: United Kingdom | Department: Marine Engineering / HVAC & Refrigeration | Position: Senior Technical / Engineering

Role Summary

The Senior Chilled Water Plant & Refrigeration Engineer will be a highly experienced, hands-on technical specialist capable of independently managing complex marine cooling and refrigeration engineering challenges.

The role requires a combination of advanced refrigeration expertise, chilled water plant knowledge, marine engineering awareness, electrical and control system diagnostic capability, and technical leadership.

The successful candidate will play a key role in maintaining vessel operational readiness, improving system reliability and delivering high-quality engineering solutions across marine maintenance, refit, commissioning and support activities.

This role is primarily a hands-on senior service engineer who will personally attend vessels and diagnose/repair plant, responsible for design, technical authority, projects and supervising other engineers

Job Purpose

We are seeking an experienced and technically competent Senior Chilled Water Plant & Refrigeration Engineer to provide specialist engineering expertise in the design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, fault diagnosis and optimisation of chilled water and refrigeration systems within the marine sector.

The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable and efficient operation of marine chilled water plants, refrigeration equipment and associated mechanical and control systems across a range of vessels and marine installations.

The role requires extensive practical engineering experience, strong diagnostic capabilities and the ability to lead complex technical activities independently, including fault investigation, system upgrades, equipment replacement and commissioning.

The position will involve working on vessels during construction, refit, maintenance and operational service periods, both in UK shipyards and potentially overseas.

Key Responsibilities - Chilled Water Plant Engineering

• Provide senior-level technical support for marine chilled water plants, including centralised cooling systems serving accommodation, operational spaces, machinery and specialist equipment.
• Undertake installation, commissioning, planned maintenance, servicing, overhaul and repair of marine chillers and associated equipment.
• Diagnose and rectify complex mechanical, electrical, refrigeration and control-related faults.
• Work with air-cooled and seawater-cooled chillers, including shell-and-tube and plate heat exchangers.
• Maintain and troubleshoot centrifugal, screw, scroll and reciprocating compressor systems.
• Assess chilled water circulation systems, including pumps, valves, strainers, expansion vessels and pressurisation equipment.
• Investigate issues relating to insufficient cooling capacity, poor system performance, flow restrictions, excessive energy consumption and equipment failures.
• Undertake system balancing, flow verification, temperature differential analysis and plant performance assessments.
• Support plant replacement, refurbishment, refrigerant conversion and efficiency improvement projects.
• Ensure correct operation of duty/standby arrangements, sequencing, redundancy and critical cooling provisions.

Marine Refrigeration Systems

• Undertake technical maintenance, fault diagnosis and repair of marine refrigeration systems, including cold rooms, freezer rooms, provision stores and specialist refrigeration applications.
• Work with direct expansion (DX), packaged and centralised refrigeration systems.
• Diagnose compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion device and refrigerant circuit faults.
• Carry out refrigerant recovery, evacuation, pressure testing, leak detection and charging in accordance with applicable legislation.
• Investigate refrigerant contamination, moisture ingress, oil return problems and compressor failures.
• Assess refrigeration system performance using operating pressures, temperatures, superheat, subcooling and manufacturer performance data.
• Support the safe replacement and retrofit of refrigeration equipment and components.
• Provide technical advice on refrigerant selection, equipment compatibility and regulatory compliance.

Controls, Electrical and Automation

• Diagnose and troubleshoot chilled water and refrigeration control systems, including PLC-based systems, electronic controllers and marine integrated monitoring systems.
• Interpret electrical drawings, wiring diagrams, control schematics and technical documentation.
• Investigate faults involving pressure and temperature sensors, flow switches, transducers, actuators, variable speed drives and safety interlocks.
• Support commissioning and optimisation of automatic plant sequencing and capacity control.
• Diagnose faults associated with compressor protection circuits, motor starters and electrical control panels.
• Liaise with electrical and automation engineers to resolve complex system integration issues.
• Verify alarm, shutdown, safety protection and emergency operating functions.

Marine Engineering and Vessel Integration

• Work on chilled water and refrigeration systems installed aboard commercial vessels, naval vessels, offshore support vessels and other specialist marine platforms, as applicable.
• Understand the operational challenges associated with marine cooling systems, including vibration, vessel movement, seawater corrosion, restricted access and continuous operational requirements.
• Diagnose seawater cooling circuit issues, including fouling, corrosion, restricted flow and heat exchanger deterioration.
• Ensure engineering activities account for vessel operational requirements, equipment redundancy and critical system availability.
• Coordinate engineering work with ship engineering officers, vessel technical teams, shipyards and subcontractors.
• Support equipment installation, system modifications and integration during new-build and refit projects.
• Participate in harbour acceptance tests (HAT), sea acceptance tests (SAT) and commissioning trials where required.
• Support vessel defect investigations and provide practical recommendations for corrective action.

Senior Technical and Leadership Responsibilities

• Act as a technical authority and escalation point for complex chilled water and refrigeration engineering issues within the scope of competence.
• Lead technical fault investigations, identify root causes and develop effective corrective actions.
• Supervise and mentor junior engineers, technicians and subcontractors.
• Plan and coordinate engineering activities to meet vessel availability and project deadlines.
• Review engineering methods, maintenance procedures and technical specifications.
• Provide technical guidance on equipment selection, replacement and system improvements.
• Liaise directly with customers, vessel representatives, project managers and equipment manufacturers.
• Produce detailed technical reports, fault investigation findings and engineering recommendations.
• Support tender preparation, technical quotations, material specifications and project cost estimates.
• Identify opportunities to improve plant reliability, maintainability, energy efficiency and lifecycle performance.

Health, Safety and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure all engineering work complies with applicable UK health and safety legislation and marine industry requirements.
• Maintain compliance with applicable UK fluorinated greenhouse gas legislation and refrigerant handling requirements.
• Ensure appropriate refrigerant handling qualifications and company certification requirements are maintained.
• Work in accordance with relevant provisions of the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR), where applicable.
• Apply safe isolation and lockout/tagout procedures for electrical, mechanical and pressurised systems.
• Undertake and review risk assessments, method statements and permit-to-work documentation.
• Follow appropriate procedures for confined space entry, working at height, lifting operations and hot work.
• Understand applicable marine classification society requirements, including those of Lloyd’s Register, DNV and ABS, as relevant to the vessel or project.
• Support compliance with applicable MCA, IMO, SOLAS and vessel-specific technical requirements.
• Maintain accurate refrigerant records, maintenance documentation, commissioning certificates and technical reports.
• Promote a strong safety culture and ensure all work is completed to a high professional standard.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

Qualifications

• Recognised engineering qualification in Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Mechanical Engineering, Marine Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Relevant apprenticeship, NVQ Level 3, City & Guilds, HNC, HND or degree-level qualification, or demonstrably equivalent industry experience.
• Current UK-recognised F-Gas qualification appropriate to the refrigerant handling activities undertaken, such as Category I certification under the applicable certification framework.
• Sound understanding of electrical safety, refrigeration principles and mechanical engineering practices.
• Full UK driving licence, where travel is an essential requirement of the role.

Experience

• Significant hands-on engineering experience in industrial, commercial or marine chilled water and refrigeration systems, ideally a minimum of 8–10 years.
• Proven experience diagnosing and repairing large-capacity chilled water plants and complex refrigeration equipment.
• Experience working with seawater-cooled chillers and associated cooling systems.
• Strong practical knowledge of refrigeration compressors, heat exchangers, expansion devices and associated components.
• Experience with chilled water pumps, hydraulic circuits, valves and flow control systems.
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, mechanical drawings, electrical schematics and manufacturers’ technical documentation.
• Experience with commissioning, system performance testing and technical fault investigation.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, make sound engineering decisions and manage technically demanding tasks.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Previous experience working in the marine, naval, offshore or shipbuilding sectors.
• Experience supporting Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary or commercial shipping projects.
• Experience with marine HVAC and refrigeration equipment from manufacturers such as Carrier, Trane, York, Bitzer, Danfoss, GEA, Sabroe and other specialist suppliers.
• Experience with PLC-based automation, BMS and integrated marine control systems.
• Knowledge of variable speed compressor technology and energy optimisation.
• Experience with low-GWP refrigerants and refrigeration system conversions.
• Experience working with ammonia, CO₂ or other specialist refrigerants, where relevant to the equipment.
• Knowledge of marine classification requirements and technical inspection processes.
• Experience supervising engineering teams and managing subcontractors.
• Relevant marine safety training, such as STCW certification, where required.
• Eligibility for UK security clearance, where defence-related projects require it.
• Professional registration such as EngTech, IEng or CEng, or working towards registration.

Personal Attributes

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• A practical, hands-on engineering approach.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to technical quality.
• Confidence in diagnosing complex faults under operational pressure.
• The ability to work autonomously and take ownership of technical issues.
• Effective communication with engineering teams, vessel personnel and customers.
• Strong organisational and planning capabilities.
• A proactive approach to equipment reliability and preventative maintenance.
• Willingness to share technical knowledge and support junior engineers.
• Flexibility to respond to urgent vessel operational requirements.

Working Conditions and Travel

• Primarily based in the UK, with regular attendance at shipyards, ports, dockyards and vessels.
• Travel to customer sites throughout the UK and potentially internationally.
• Work may take place aboard operational vessels, during dry docking, refit programmes and commissioning periods.
• Occasional overnight stays, weekend work and out-of-hours attendance may be required.
• The role may involve physically demanding activities, restricted access spaces and challenging marine environments.
• Appropriate medical fitness, site inductions and security clearances may be required depending on vessel type and customer.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be assessed against:

• Reliability and operational availability of chilled water and refrigeration systems.
• Effectiveness and timeliness of complex fault resolution.
• Reduction in repeat failures and unplanned equipment downtime.
• Quality of maintenance, commissioning and technical documentation.
• Compliance with safety, environmental and regulatory requirements.
• Successful completion of engineering tasks within agreed timescales and budgets.
• Customer satisfaction and technical service delivery.
• Contribution to engineering improvements, efficiency and team development.

Reporting Structure

Reports to: Marine Engineering Manager / Technical Services Manager / Engineering Director, depending on organisational structure.

Supervisory responsibilities: May include Refrigeration Engineers, Chilled Water Plant Engineers, Service Technicians, Apprentices and specialist subcontractors.

Key working relationships: Vessel Chief Engineers, shipyard engineering teams, project managers, marine electrical and automation engineers, OEM technical departments, classification society surveyors and customer representatives.

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Life insurance
• Work from home

Work Location: Hybrid remote in United Kingdom