Senior Navigation Specialist

BMT•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Senior Navigation Specialist provides professional technical advice in support of simulation-based activities related to navigation, bridge operations, and ship handling. The role supports the design, delivery, and execution of simulation services, applying advanced operational expertise to help ensure realistic, safe, and operationally credible outcomes. The position is based in Houston, Texas, or may be performed remotely. The specialist provides navigation and ship-handling expertise for simulation scenarios, client activities, trials, studies, engineering work, and capability assessments. The role also reviews simulation outputs and navigation-related deliverables for operational realism and client expectations, contributes insight into bridge-team behavior and human factors, and trains and mentors colleagues. Ongoing professional development and contribution to innovation and business development are also part of the role.

Requirements

At least 10 years of practical experience in ship handling, maritime navigation, and/or pilotage of large seagoing vessels, such as cruise ships, tankers, or naval platforms.
Valid Bridge Watchkeeper Certificate of Competency compliant with STCW.
Extensive experience with electronic navigation systems, including ECDIS, Radar/ARPA, AIS, GPS, and integrated bridge systems, including their representation and use in simulated environments.
Ability to translate real-world operational practices into credible simulation inputs, constraints, and performance measures.
Understanding of bridge-team dynamics in simulated and real-world operations.
Strong analytical skills for interpreting simulation results and providing actionable client insights.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly in explaining complex operational behaviors in technical studies.
Strong leadership, teamwork, and stakeholder-engagement skills across multidisciplinary project teams.
Travel to other BMT offices or client sites is required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with bridge simulators, including full-mission or part-task trainers, or maritime modeling/simulation tools.
Experience in complex ship-towing operations.
Familiarity with how vessel-design characteristics influence maneuvering performance and simulation fidelity.
Experience contributing to marine assurance, safety cases, or operational risk assessments.
Eligibility for US security clearance.

Responsibilities

Provide subject matter expertise and technical advice for navigation and ship-handling simulations, including scenario development, execution, and analysis.
Translate real-world maritime operations into credible simulation inputs, behaviors, and constraints for client activities.
Perform qualified Bridge Watchkeeper duties and ensure simulation outputs reflect operational best practices and relevant regulatory requirements, including COLREGs and STCW.
Apply advanced ship-handling knowledge to validate and inform scenarios across open-ocean, coastal, confined-water, and port-approach conditions.
Operate and provide expert guidance on electronic navigation systems in simulation and real-world contexts, including ECDIS, Radar/ARPA, GPS, integrated bridge systems, AIS, and voyage-planning tools.
Support the development and conduct of simulations, trials, and studies, including post-simulation analysis and reporting.
Contribute operational expertise to engineering studies, concept development, and capability assessments involving navigation and maneuvering.
Provide insight into human factors and bridge-team behaviors in simulated operations.
Train, mentor, and support team members on practical navigation considerations in simulation environments.
Maintain professional and technical knowledge through certification, training, and awareness of evolving navigation technologies and simulation practices.
Review and provide assurance that simulation outputs and navigation-related deliverables meet client expectations and operational-realism standards.
Contribute to internal innovation and business-development activities requiring simulation and operational navigation expertise.
Travel to other BMT offices or client sites, domestically and internationally, as required.