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Chief Officer (Chief Mate) Jobs

2 open vacancies · updated 15 Oct 2026

About the role

The Chief Officer (Chief Mate) is the second in command after the Master. The Chief Officer reports to the Master and leads the deck department. Deck officers and deck ratings report to the Chief Officer. The Chief Officer plans and supervises cargo operations, maintains ship stability, and oversees deck maintenance. On watch at sea, the Chief Officer acts as officer in charge of a navigational watch. The rank works on container ships, bulk carriers, tankers, Ro-Ro ships, general cargo ships, and other seagoing ships of 500 GT or more. The Chief Officer also supports the Master with safety, security, and port documentation.

Duties on board

  • Oversee deck officers and deck ratings in daily work and watch routines.
  • Plan and supervise cargo loading, stowage, securing, and discharge.
  • Calculate ship stability, draft, and stress before and during cargo operations.
  • Keep navigational watch as officer in charge when the ship is at sea.
  • Manage hull, hatch covers, mooring equipment, and deck machinery maintenance.
  • Enforce safe working practices and environmental rules on deck.
  • Train deck crew in mooring, crane operation, and emergency drills.
  • Inspect ballast operations, watertight doors, and sounding pipes.
  • Assist the Master with passage planning and port clearance documents.

Requirements

DocumentConventionNote
Certificate of Competency (CoC) – Chief Mate on ships of 500 GT or moreSTCW II/2Every master and chief mate on a seagoing ship of 500 gross tonnage or more must hold a certificate of competency.
Certificate of Competency (CoC) – Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch on ships of 500 GT or moreSTCW II/1For ships of 3,000 gross tonnage or more, a candidate must first meet the requirements for an officer in charge of a navigational watch on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more.
Basic Safety Training (BST) certificateSTCW VI/1Seafarers must receive safety familiarization and basic training or instruction in line with section A-VI/1 of the STCW Code.
Security awareness training or certificateSTCW VI/6Seafarers must receive security-related familiarization and security-awareness training or instruction (section A-VI/6 of the STCW Code).

Sea service

For certification as chief mate on ships of 3,000 gross tonnage or more, a candidate needs not less than 12 months of approved seagoing service as officer in charge of a navigational watch.

Medical fitness

Seafarers may not work on a ship unless they are certified as medically fit to perform their duties. Before beginning work on a ship, seafarers must hold a valid medical certificate. A medical certificate issued under STCW is accepted for the purposes of the MLC. A medical certificate is valid for a maximum of two years, or one year if the seafarer is under the age of 18.

Documents

  • Passport
  • Seaman's book (CDC)
  • Certificate of Competency (CoC) for chief mate on ships of 500 GT or more
  • Medical certificate (MLC 2006 Reg. 1.2)
  • Basic training certificate (STCW VI/1)
  • Security awareness certificate (STCW VI/6)

Career path

Comes from: Second Officer
Next step: Master (Captain)

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Chief Officer (Chief Mate): questions and answers

What certificate does a Chief Officer need?

A Chief Officer on a seagoing ship of 500 gross tonnage or more must hold a Certificate of Competency. On ships of 3,000 gross tonnage or more, you must first meet the requirements for an officer in charge of a navigational watch on ships of 500 gross tonnage or more, and have approved seagoing service as officer in charge of a navigational watch.

What sea service is required for a Chief Officer certificate?

For certification as chief mate on ships of 3,000 gross tonnage or more, you need not less than 12 months of approved seagoing service as officer in charge of a navigational watch.

Does a Chief Officer need a medical certificate?

Yes. Seafarers may not work on a ship unless they are certified as medically fit to perform their duties. Before beginning work on a ship, seafarers must hold a valid medical certificate. A medical certificate issued under STCW is accepted for the purposes of the MLC. A medical certificate is valid for a maximum of two years, or one year if the seafarer is under the age of 18.

What are the main duties of a Chief Officer?

The Chief Officer leads the deck department, plans and supervises cargo operations, calculates ship stability, keeps navigational watch, manages deck maintenance, and assists the Master with safety and port documents.

Can a Chief Officer become a Master?

Yes. For ships of 3,000 gross tonnage or more, certification as master requires not less than 36 months of approved seagoing service as officer in charge of a navigational watch; this may be reduced to not less than 24 months if not less than 12 months were served as chief mate.
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Sources

Checked against the official texts on 26 Oct 2026.