Engineer Simulation

Career at Damen

About us

Hop aboard Damen Naval, the naval division of the family-owned Damen Shipyards Group, where 12,000 professionals work worldwide. Damen Naval delivers advanced naval vessels to clients all over the globe. By implementing the most innovative technological developments in practice, we continue to push the boundaries of the shipbuilding industry. You contribute to this growth while benefitting from the diverse development and career opportunities that our company offers. We will continue to challenge you. With our extensive portfolio of products and solutions you will never get bored and never stop learning. We offer you a world of possibilities. Working at Damen means contributing to the highest quality in shipbuilding, with an eye to the future and future generations. We want to make the world a better place by becoming the most sustainable maritime solution provider. For that, we need you. Become part of our family. You can be part of our team! Are you ready for duty?

The role

As the Simulation Engineer at Damen Naval, you play a vital role in designing and implementing advanced shore-based simulation and testing environments. These systems are essential for validating the functionality and integration of complex naval systems before they are installed on board. You develop simulation concepts that replicate the behavior of shipboard systems and support testing activities ranging from subsystem validation to full mission simulations. Depending on the vessel configuration and project scope, your work includes setting up Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) environments, test benches, and shore-based control interfaces. Working in accordance with the V-model within our 3DExperience engineering environment, your designs will be carefully reviewed, simulated, and verified during both the engineering and testing phases. The result of your work is a reliable, high-fidelity simulation setup that supports safe commissioning, crew training, and early issue detection, all contributing to the successful deployment of naval vessels around the world.

Key accountabilities

• Develop functional descriptions, test scenarios, and technical specifications for shore-based simulation systems.
• Design and implement simulation environments that replicate the behavior of shipboard automation, power, or mission systems.
• Set up and integrate Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) test benches and other simulation setups to support system validation and crew training.
• Prepare and maintain detailed test plans and validation procedures to ensure compliance with Class regulations and project requirements.
• Coordinate with internal engineering teams and subcontractors to align simulation requirements with actual system design.
• Review vendor deliverables related to simulation interfaces and integrate these into the overall test environment.
• Provide support during Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), Harbor Acceptance Tests (HAT), and Site Acceptance Tests (SAT) at the shore facilities.
• Contribute to the development of simulation and validation standards for future naval projects.

Skills & experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Technical Automation, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 2 years of experience with the design, setup, or integration of functional simulation and testing environments, preferably within the maritime domain.
• Familiarity with PLC/SCADA systems, signal interfacing, and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing.
• Experience working in complex, multidisciplinary engineering projects with multiple suppliers and stakeholders.
• Knowledge of system modeling, control logic, and simulation tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, TwinCAT, LabVIEW) is a plus.
• Excellent references, as a security screening is part of the hiring process.
• Permanent EU citizenship and passport are both required. Candidates with EU (work) visa or with (also) a non-EU nationality and/or passport are not eligible given the requirements imposed by the military nature of our projects.

What we offer

At Damen Naval, we highly value our employees, and we will support your professional and personal development. We also provide our employees with:

• A competitive salary and 8% holiday pay.
• 27 holidays and 13 ADV days.
• Travel allowance of 23 cents per kilometre.
• PME-pension arrangement with an employer contribution of 60%.
• Profit sharing based on company results.
• Flexibility to work from home up to two days a week.
• Additional benefits including a bicycle plan and company fitness.

Please note that due to the military nature of our projects, only candidates who have permanent EU nationality can be considered for vacancies at Damen Naval. Unfortunately, we are not allowed to process candidates who (also) have a non-EU passport or nationality.

A pre-employment and security screening and investigation form part of the recruitment process.