Ship and Aircraft Controllers and Technicians

How to become a ship’s deck navigating officer

Official title: Ship’s deck navigating officer

Also called: Fourth foreign-going deck officer, Fourth ship's deck navigating officer, Second foreign-going deck officer, Second ship's deck navigating officer, Ship's navigating officer, Ship's navigator, Ship's second officer, Ship's third officer, Third foreign-going deck officer, Third ship's deck navigating officer, 2nd/3rd/4th Officer, Deck Officer (Special Limit)

Ship’s deck navigating officer plans, supervises and coordinates deck and bridge-watch activities on seagoing or inland waterways vessel. He/she assists the ship master in navigation of vessel in accordance with his/her instructions through determining position and course of vessel by use of charts, compasses, radar and other navigational aids.

Main tasks

Navigating ship or similar vessel at sea or on inland waterways
Controlling and participating in deck and bridge-watch activities
Navigating vessels into and out of ports and through channels, straits and other waters where special knowledge is required
Ensuring safe loading and unloading of cargo and observance of safety regulations and procedures by crew and passengers
Performing technical supervision of maintenance and repair of ship to ensure compliance with specifications and regulations
Applying knowledge of principles and practices relating to ship’s operation and navigation in order to identify and solve problems arising in the course of their work
Ordering ship’s stores and recruiting crew as required and maintaining record of operations
Transmitting and receiving routine and emergency information with shore stations and other ships

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Work-study diploma. Related ITE work-study diplomas: Work-Study Diploma in Marine & Offshore Engineering - Production (Repair & Maintenance). You are employed by a company and study at ITE at the same time. Peernovo matched these from course names.
Polytechnic or ITE: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec). Related ITE courses: Higher Nitec in Marine & Offshore Engineering. Peernovo matched these from course names; ITE does not publish which jobs each course leads to.; Polytechnic diploma. Related diplomas: Diploma in Environmental & Marine Science (Republic Polytechnic). Peernovo matched these from course names; polytechnics do not publish which jobs each course leads to.
Licence or registration: Deck and engineering officers on Singapore-registered ships need a Certificate of Competency for their rank. Singapore cadets earn one through a nautical or marine engineering diploma, sea service and exams; officers certified by a recognised foreign country also need an endorsement from the MPA. Law: Merchant Shipping Act 1995. Regulator: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) (https://www.mpa.gov.sg).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Questions people ask

How do I become a ship’s deck navigating officer?

Ways in include: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec); Polytechnic diploma; Work-study diploma.

Will AI change the work of a ship’s deck navigating officer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026