All roles/Engineering/Communications / Radio Officer
Engineering
Communications / Radio Officer
Keeps a large yacht connected by running its satellite links, GMDSS radio equipment and onboard networks, so the bridge can always communicate and guests stay online anywhere in the world.
- Department
- Engineering
- Reports to
- Chief Engineer
- Yacht size
- 100m+
- Contract
- Permanent or rotation
- Starting pay
- €5,500 per month
What the job is
The Communications / Radio Officer keeps a large yacht connected to the outside world. You look after the satellite links, GMDSS radio equipment, telephone systems and the crew and guest networks, and you make sure the bridge can always raise a coast station, a rescue centre or the next marina. On most yachts these duties sit with the ETO or AV/IT Officer, so a dedicated post usually only exists on yachts over about 100m with heavy data and security demands.
Day to day the work is technical and quiet when it goes well. You monitor VSAT and Starlink terminals, switch between providers as the yacht moves, manage bandwidth so the owner's video call is not competing with crew streaming, and keep the GMDSS log and radio tests in order for flag and class surveys. You hold the GOC, so you can stand a radio watch and handle distress traffic if the bridge needs a dedicated operator.
The guest side matters as much as the bridge side. Owners and their families expect phones, Wi-Fi and television to work in a remote anchorage exactly as they do at home, and principals often travel with staff who need secure, private connections. You work closely with the security team on network separation and cyber risk, with the captain on communications plans for passages, and with suppliers and the management company on contracts, spares and upgrades.
What makes a good one
- Satellite and RF systems
- Network and firewall management
- Calm GMDSS radio procedure
- Discreet guest support
- Clear fault finding under pressure
A day in the life
- 07:00Check overnight alarms on the network monitoring system and confirm both VSAT and Starlink links are up. Review data use from the night and clear any crew Wi-Fi faults logged on the helpdesk.
- 08:00Join the heads of department meeting. Brief the captain and chief engineer on coverage along today's route and the window when the yacht will lose one satellite beam.
- 09:00Carry out the daily GMDSS tests on the bridge, check the DSC controller and NAVTEX, and write them up in the radio log ready for the next flag inspection.
- 10:30Set up a secure video conference for the owner's office in the main saloon. Reserve bandwidth, test the camera and microphones and stay on standby until the call ends.
- 12:30Lunch in the crew mess, then a call with the airtime provider about a slow ground station handover and a quote for a bandwidth upgrade for the summer season.
- 14:00Work with the security officer on firewall rules for a guest's visiting staff, keeping their devices on a separate network from the yacht's operational systems.
- 16:00Replace a faulty access point in a guest cabin while the guests are on deck, then update the spares list and order a replacement unit to meet the yacht in Porto Cervo.
- 18:30Before the yacht sails overnight, confirm VHF and satellite telephone are working on the bridge and hand the officer of the watch the communications plan for the passage.
- 20:30Final check of link status and guest television, answer a message from the chief stewardess about a cabin phone, and set alerts to your phone for the night.
Pay by country
Monthly salary on yachts of 100m and above, usually paid in EUR or USD whatever the flag. Rotation posts often pay at the top of the range. Charter tips apply on yachts that charter, normally shared equally with the crew.
- France and Monaco
- €5,500 – 7,500
- Spain
- €5,500 – 7,500
- Italy
- €5,500 – 7,500
- United Kingdom
- £4,700 – 6,400
- USA (Florida)
- US$6,000 – 8,200
- Caribbean
- US$6,000 – 8,200
- UAE
- AED 22,000 – 30,000
- Australia
- A$9,000 – 12,500
- New Zealand
- NZ$10,000 – 13,500
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- GMDSS GOC
- PDSD
Recommended
- STCW Electro-Technical Officer certificate
- Cisco CCNA
- CompTIA Network+
- Ship Security Officer
- Medical First Aid
- Manufacturer VSAT training
Visas
- Schengen visa
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
- Australian MCV
Where it leads
- IT Support Engineer
- AV/IT Engineer
- Communications / Radio Officer
- AV/IT Officer
- Electro-Technical Officer (ETO)
Communications / Radio Officer jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need a GOC or is the ROC enough?
Yachts large enough to employ a dedicated radio officer sail beyond coastal waters, so the GMDSS GOC is the standard requirement. The ROC is useful for deck crew but will not get you this job.
Can I move into this role from shore IT or telecoms?
Yes, many come from network engineering or satellite telecoms. You will need STCW, an ENG1 and the GOC before a captain will consider you, and some sea time in a junior AV/IT post helps a great deal.
Why are there so few of these jobs?
On most yachts the ETO or AV/IT Officer covers communications as part of a wider role. Dedicated posts are found mainly on yachts over 100m with heavy data, security or owner office requirements.