We are Helsinki Shipyard – celebrating 160 years of shipbuilding excellence. Since 1865, we have been designing, building, and commissioning tailor-made, high-class passenger vessels and icebreakers for extreme conditions. We proudly continue the legacy of Helsinki’s own Shipyard, right in the heart of Helsinki.

With us, you get to design and build the ships under one roof from start to finish, in close collaboration with our customers. Our specialty lies in vessels that operate on the polar seas, but we can build everything from smaller yachts to complex multi-purpose icebreakers. To provide you with some perspective, we've built 50% of the world's icebreakers - without us it would be hard to navigate in the icy seas!

Read more about the ice breaking vessels we have built here: https://helsinkishipyard.fi/products/icebreaking-vessels/

Since November 2023, Helsinki Shipyard has been part of the Canadian Davie group.

We are looking for a Lead Designer, basic design to join our Deck Outfitting Design team.

In this role, you will take responsibility for overseeing the deck outfitting design project tasks during the entire shipbuilding project life cycle. Our Deck Design team works on many different systems; for example, mooring, lifeboat and deck crane systems among others, to mention a few.

A typical workday includes delegating and overseeing design- and procurement-related work while resolving design solutions together with other designers and production specialists. As a Lead Designer, you will report project design progress, procurement and purchasing updates, and budgetary performance to both the project manager and the head of the department. You will also prepare and oversee project budget and resource needs in collaboration with the project organization and the head of the department.

You will join a skilled team of deck outfitting designers from various backgrounds and also be part of a multidisciplinary design and project organization.

• “The ship project takes from 2-3 years, and you can literally see the completion of the ship from plans to the finished ship ready for her maiden voyage outside one’s own window. It’s always a moving moment when a ship leaves for her home port” - Mohamed Elameen, Ship Theory Engineer.

To succeed in this role, you should have:

• Experience from the marine industry or shipbuilding
• Technical background and work experience in project business, for example, as a designer
• A solid knowledge of AutoCAD or other similar drafting programs
• Project management or other similar project coordination skills
• Technical education (B.Sc. or M.Sc.)

Ability to communicate effectively in English is necessary as we have international clients and suppliers.

An ideal candidate would be a team-player with good social skills and a go-getter attitude. Being organized and having the ability to prioritize will help you to succeed in this role.

Why you’ll thrive here:

• You’ll participate in the entire design process, from conceptual drafts to collaborating with suppliers to the final product at the pier.
• Our tight-knit team of 100 designers values each individual’s impact on projects. Collectively, we're roughly 400 professionals specializing in shipbuilding.
• Sustainability is central to us — we participate in joint Helsinki sea monitoring, where the quality and harmful substances in the water are monitored.
• Flexible working options — based in Helsinki or Turku, with hybrid work possibilities. Our team members work both remotely and on-site at the office, depending on the tasks and project phase.
• With us you can thrive, learn, and grow your expertise.

Ready to make an impact in ship design?

We’d love to hear from you. While the application deadline is 7.4.2025, we’ll move forward as soon as we find the right candidate—so don’t hesitate to apply!

Please note, applications are only accepted via Teamtailor.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact department head Mikael Johansson via email at mikael.johansson@helsinkishipyard.fi, or by phone +358 50 390 7892 on Thursday 27th March after 5 PM or Tuesday 1st April after 5 PM.