What the job actually is
A yacht project manager runs a refit or new build for the owner. Recruiter Wilsonhalligan says owners usually hire either a project manager or an owner's technical representative to keep a refit on time and within budget. The owner is often thousands of miles from the yard, so you act as the owner's eyes and ears on site. You spot problems early, advise the owner and keep the yard, captain and crew working to the same plan.
The work is planning and control. Wilsonhalligan lists building a timeline of the key work, planning resources and managing quality. A project carries hard deadlines: information issued, drawings and samples accepted, owner-supplied items delivered. Shipyards can charge heavy penalties when the owner's side is late, so slipping dates cost money. You make decisions on the client's behalf and give clear advice. Someone who hedges every answer will not last.
Why chief engineers and captains make the move
Senior crew have usually lived through several yard periods from the inside. A chief engineer has written the work lists, chased contractors, signed off systems and argued over variations. A captain has managed the budget, the schedule, the crew and the owner's expectations all at once. That is most of the job already, done from the yacht's side of the table.
Wilsonhalligan says sea time on yachts or commercial ships, boatbuilding experience and a commercial understanding of the marine industry all help. Its shoreside desk adds that employers value ex-crew who know superyacht operations, and that demand for them has grown. The gap is usually commercial. You may have run a refit, but can you show a contract, a budget and a penalty clause handled well? Put those on your CV in plain numbers.
What employers ask for
Wilsonhalligan's list for refit project managers is business sense, negotiating on someone else's behalf, problem solving, proven project management experience, and strong communication and persuasion. Yotspot's description of the role adds risk management, good IT skills, and experience with 2D and 3D design models. It names a marine degree as a qualification and a yacht design and production degree as a bonus. AutoCAD and MS Office are useful extras.
Courses can help, within limits. Wilsonhalligan points to the Maritime Training Academy, which runs distance-learning courses including Superyacht Project Management, Refit & Newbuilding. Diploma students sit written exams after their assignments. The same recruiter warns that a diploma does not guarantee a job, because many companies still value hands-on experience more. Take a course to fill a real gap, such as contracts or planning, and not as a substitute for refits you have actually run.
Who hires, and what changes when you go ashore
Owners hire project managers directly or through their advisers. Wilsonhalligan says its shoreside clients include yacht management companies, yacht builders, refit yards and suppliers, and it lists project manager and new-build roles among the jobs it fills. The project manager adverts on Yotspot were mostly in southern England, in Hampshire, Southampton and Devon, with one in Merseyside. Expect most posts to be in maritime hubs. Wilsonhalligan notes you will find more openings if you are willing to relocate.
Plan for the money and the culture to change. Wilsonhalligan reminds crew moving ashore that income they are used to receiving untaxed will now have tax taken off every month. It also warns you may start as the junior in an established office, however senior you were at sea. Yard and client visits mean travel stays part of the job. The difference is that you go home afterwards.
Pay
GBP a year, before tax. Figures come from UK refit project manager job adverts with pay listed on Yotspot, 2025-26, not from a salary survey. Location, project size, and whether you work for a yard, a manager or the owner all move the figure. Refer to the Refit, Shipyard & Project Management salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Refit or build experienceEmployers want proven project delivery. For ex-crew this usually means refits run as chief engineer or captain, which you can show with dates, budgets and outcomes.
- Commercial and negotiating skillWilsonhalligan puts business sense and negotiating on the owner's behalf near the top of its list for refit project managers.
- Planning and quality controlYou must be able to build a timeline of the key work, plan resources and manage quality against yard deadlines.
- CommunicationYou report clearly and often to the owner, captain, crew and shipyard, and you give firm advice when asked.
- Technical and IT skillsYotspot's description of the role lists risk management, good IT skills and work with 2D and 3D design models. AutoCAD is a useful extra.
- Formal study (optional)Yotspot names a marine degree as a qualification. Short diplomas such as the Maritime Training Academy's project management course can fill gaps, but they do not replace experience.
How to get there
- At seaSenior role at seaReach chief engineer, captain or another head-of-department post where you carry responsibility for yard periods.
- Each yard periodRun refits from the yacht's sideTake ownership of work lists, contractor management, budgets and sign-off. Keep records of scope, cost and schedule for each project.
- Before leavingClose the commercial gapLearn contracts, planning and risk. A targeted course can help where your experience is thin.
- Before leavingRewrite your CV for shore employersExplain refits as projects with budgets, deadlines and results. Shore employers may not know what crew duties involve.
- Job searchTalk to shoreside recruitersApproach recruiters who fill roles for management companies, builders and refit yards, and decide where you are willing to live.
- First roleFirst project role ashoreExpect to start below your seagoing rank in an established office and build your record as a shore-based manager.
Open now on SuperyachtRoles.com
Related pages
Questions people ask
Do I need a specific ticket to be a yacht project manager?
No single ticket is required for every job, but some adverts ask for STCW Basic Safety Training or a marine degree. A YaCrew project manager advert, for example, asks for STCW Basic Safety Training and yacht experience. Experience counts most: employers judge you on the projects you have delivered and your commercial sense.
Is a chief engineer or a captain better placed to move into project management?
Both routes work. Wilsonhalligan says experience at sea on yachts or commercial ships, boatbuilding, and a commercial understanding of the marine industry all help. What matters most is having run refits and being able to show the budgets and deadlines you managed.
How much does a yacht project manager earn in the UK?
UK refit project manager adverts on Yotspot from 2025-26 show a median of £50,000 a year. The lower quartile is £40,000 and the upper quartile £60,000. These figures come from job adverts and are paid yearly, unlike crew salaries.
Will a project management diploma get me the job?
Not on its own. Wilsonhalligan notes that diplomas and short courses do not guarantee work, because many companies still value hands-on experience more. Use a course to fill a specific gap such as contracts or planning.
What is the difference between a project manager and an owner's technical representative?
Wilsonhalligan says owners usually hire one or the other to keep a refit on time and on budget. Both look after the owner's interests at the yard. Titles and scope vary between employers, so read each advert closely.
