What you need to perform it
Primary qualification
- Electrical/electromechanical engineering or STCW III/6 (Electro-Technical Officer) where the safe-manning document requires it.
- High-voltage authorised person (management-level HV training + company appointment) for switching and isolations.
- Ex/ATEX-IECEx competence in inspecting and maintaining equipment in explosive atmospheres (CompEx scheme as reference — indicative).
Basic STCW
- A-VI/1
- OPITO BOSIET
Specific courses
- MV switching and protection: coordination, relays and testing
- Drilling drives and VFDs (installed OEM SCR/VFD)
- Periodic Ex inspections and classified-area register control
- Batteries, UPS and essential supplies; blackout and black start
Indicative experience
Indicative: 5+ years in industrial/marine electrical work with MV history, and at least one hitch as an offshore electrician before the senior post.
Observations
High voltage and Ex competence are non-negotiable here: Ex findings are among the most repeated in rig audits. Progression: electrician → Chief Electrician → ETO (III/6) / electrical superintendent.
What this role does
Owns the unit's electrical network: main and emergency generation, 6.6-11 kV switchboards, transformers, the drilling drives' VFDs and lighting/outlets in classified areas. Authorises and performs high-voltage switching, keeps the Ex-equipment register and leads the watch electricians. On a diesel-electric plant, isolation discipline is a life-critical barrier.
Typical watches
- Day work / on call for emergencies
Key responsibilities
- Supervision of high and low voltage electrical generation and distribution.
- Guarantee uninterrupted supply to critical systems (drilling, DP, life).
- Preventive and corrective electrical maintenance planning.
- Management of insulation tests, connection and maintenance of generators.
- Compliance with ATEX regulations in areas with risk of explosion.
Operational scope
- Electrical panel room
- Generation system
- The entire MODU electrical installation
Profile reviewed by HydroAbyss (2026). Cited rules and timeframes are indicative: the final requirement is set by the flag State, the Administration and each company.