March 28, 2023
Our dedicated group of engineers show up to work every day across both Victoria Shipyards and Vancouver Shipyards to solve challenges and enable our teams to do what they do best: build and repair ships.
March is National Engineering Month, Canada’s largest celebration of engineering excellence. Revolving around the theme, “There’s A Place for You in Engineering,” we are taking the opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of a few of our engineering team members across Seaspan.
Kaitlyn Hall, Structural Engineer at Vancouver Shipyards
How long have you worked at Seaspan and what is your role?
I’ve been working at Seaspan for almost 3 years now and I’m a Structural Engineer at Vancouver Shipyards.
What do you love about your job?
What I enjoy most about my job is getting to work very closely with other engineering disciplines to solve integration challenges. I like working with my team I can depend on them to help me when I need support.
What is one piece of advice you would share with someone that is interested in pursuing engineering as a career?
My advice would be to assess your skillset and if you have an interest in engineering, get involved with some clubs and associations that focus on STEM skills.
Ryan Tuira, Technical Superintendent at Victoria Shipyards
How long have you worked at Seaspan and what is your role?
By October of this year, I will have worked at Seaspan for 20 years. As an Engineering Superintendent at Victoria Shipyards, my primary focus is the design, repair, and conversion of vessels. This role allows me to work on projects from initial inquiry to the final delivery to the client.
What was your educational path to get here and what do you love about your job?
I have a degree in mechanical engineering from UBC and a master’s in maritime management from Memorial University. I enjoy working with the skilled and diverse team of tradespeople and staff at Victoria Shipyards delivering solutions to our clients.
The most rewarding project to date was converting a vessel to use Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) as a fuel. It truly amazing to see the client, trades, and Victoria Shipyards come together as one team to deliver such a complex vessel conversion project.
What is one piece of advice you would share with someone that is interested in pursuing engineering as a career?
My advice for people considering a career in engineering is to be curious and get out of your comfort zone. Be curious in learning from others the challenges they have come across and what lessons you can learn. Get out of your comfort zone so that you are always learning and honing your skills.
Frederick Gadd, Structural (Lift & Turn) Engineer at Vancouver Shipyards
How long have you worked at Seaspan and what is your role?
I’m a structural lift and turn engineer here at Vancouver Shipyards. I’ve been working with Seaspan since 2014 and became full time in 2018.
What do you love about your job?
I love seeing the ships coming together. Seeing them go from these little metal boxes made of plate to something that is going to have a whole history and a story to it, and people are going to see it. It’s going to have a whole Wikipedia article! Then being able to say, “I built that.”
What is one piece of advice you would share with someone that is interested in pursuing engineering as a career?
My advice for people considering engineering is to go for it! If you’re considering it, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re suited for it. I think a lot of people assume that engineering involves doing the highest levels of math 24/7. I’m sure there are jobs like that, but it doesn’t have to be that way either. As long as you have some ability in math and science and you can get through that part of the education, there’s a place for you in engineering.
Matthew Hayne, Structural Engineer at Vancouver Shipyards
How long have you worked at Seaspan and what is your role?
I’m a Senior Structural Engineer and I’ve been working here for five years now.
What inspired you to get into this field and what do you love about your job?
I studied mechanical engineering, specializing in advanced machine design and hydraulics. After working in the energy and industrial industry for about six and a half years, I was looking for a change, which is when I came over to Seaspan.
I love showing up in the morning and never knowing what new problem I’ve got to attack. I take a huge amount of pride in building some of the biggest ships Canada’s ever built and having that sense of pride makes it easy to come in.
What is one piece of advice you would share with someone that is interested in pursuing engineering as a career?
If I was going to give someone advice for why to get into engineering, it would be for those people that are looking for complex questions. They want to approach a problem that no one’s solved yet or approach a problem where a new point of view will lead to a better way of doing it.
Mo Mirlohi, Structural Lift & Turn Engineer
How long have you worked at Seaspan and what is your role?
I started as an intern at Vancouver Shipyards in April 2019 and have been working here full time since October 2022 as a structural lift and turn engineer.
What inspired you to get into this field and what do you love about your job?
Ever since my first internship at Seaspan, I fell in love with the shipbuilding industry, so much so that I came back for three more internships. I didn’t know what career path I wanted to choose but as school progressed, I knew I wanted to be part of a structural engineering department.
What I enjoy most about my job is every robust challenge. Every block that we work on is different, and we work with a variety of teams from mechanical, electrical to make sure that we have successful and safe lifts.
What is one piece of advice you would share with someone that is interested in pursuing engineering as a career?
Some advice I can give to students considering the field of engineering is to work hard, get into a good school, and get involved with internships to see where your passion really lies – the field of engineering is so vast that everything is a product of it.