Technical superintendents are individuals who work in the maritime industry overseeing vessels such as ships that carry cargo. Other potential vessels with which these professionals work include supply boats including barges and chemical tankers. A superintendent’s goal in this industry is to keep vessels in working order to avoid damaging them and their products as well as to prevent harm to the people on the vessels. Individuals who want to become technical superintendents typically must complete at least four years of college training in an area such as marine engineering.
A technical superintendent is responsible for keeping a water vessel functional. This includes ensuring that the vessel complies with established company and government regulations regarding safety and quality. Superintendents supervise actions related to preventive maintenance and monitor their vessels' performance on a regular basis. In addition, he or she must check the quality of life-saving equipment on-board to substantiate its being suitable for use in accordance with relevant safety codes. Keeping records of all of his or her findings is important as well.
Making sure that necessary repairs are completed correctly and on time also is a critical part of the role of a vessel’s technical leader. This type of leader needs to have solid interpersonal communication skills because he or she works with other professionals such as engineers to obtain materials necessary to make repairs. A technical superintendent often puts together information about vessel specifications to send out to repairers when seeking quotes as well. Written skills additionally are important in the technical superintendent position for submitting requests for repairs when required at a company. Superintendents must also have solid problem-solving and analytical skills for exploring solutions to machinery problems.
Strong budgeting skills additionally are critical in the role of someone who supervises vessels from a technical standpoint. This type of individual has to develop regular budgets for the vessel’s efficient operation and be able to predict anticipated expenditures annually. In addition, he or she needs to make sure that the company works within the confines of the budget when handling maintenance and repairs. For this reason, a technical superintendent should have strong math skills in order to ensure that a vessel is cost-effective to operate and maintain.
Solid leadership skills also are a valuable part of a vessel superintendent. Technical superintendents monitor the daily performance of their vessels’ staff members to make sure that duties are completed according to standards. A technical superintendent also trains new staff to acquaint them with a company’s operations and procedures aboard a vessel.