Maritime Refit & Maintenance Professionals - Expressions of Interest
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EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – Maritime Project, Technical & Trade Professionals
Cairns Shipyard
ABOUT US
Norship is a Northern Australian, privately owned and operated company with a long and successful history in ship repair, heavy industry, engineering, maintenance, and in‐service support. With operations in Cairns and Darwin, we are proud to have supported the maritime and heavy industries — and the broader Far Northern community — for over 40 years.
Norship is part of the Varley Group, one of Australia's oldest and most diverse engineering and manufacturing companies. For more than 130 years, the Varley Group has delivered trusted engineering and industrial solutions across Defence, Rail, Marine, Energy, and Specialised Vehicles, and is renowned for quality, innovation, and reliability.
From our Cairns shipyard, Norship provides high‐quality, cost‐effective refit, maintenance, repair, and new‐build solutions across Defence, Border Force, commercial, fishing, tourism, and private marine vessels. With the largest directly employed maritime maintenance & refit team in Cairns — and scope to further expand our workforce from skilled trades and trade‐coordination roles through to project and technical professionals — we are seeking Expressions of Interest from people interested in future opportunities within our growing operations.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES
We are looking to connect with experienced project, technical, and trade professionals with practical backgrounds in industrial, heavy‐engineering, or maritime environments. EOIs are open to a wide range of skillsets that support the delivery of refits, maintenance programs, complex repair activities, and new‐build projects across our operations.
Depending on your background, opportunities may include:
Project & Technical Support
* Contributing to quoting and cost considerations for upcoming tasks and work packages
* Assisting with estimates and scopes to support efficient planning and delivery
* Reviewing work packages to ensure clarity of requirements, sequencing, and readiness for execution
* Applying a practical understanding of Objective Quality Evidence (OQE) and quality assurance requirements
* Supporting clear communication across technical, operational, and stakeholder groups
* Contributing to safety, quality, and process improvement initiatives
* Supporting the coordination of small groups of trades or technical personnel to keep work progressing smoothly
* Contributing practical insights into job readiness, work sequencing, and task completion
* Assisting with the organisation of materials, tooling, and resources for day‐to‐day work
* Engaging hands‐on in maintenance, repair, refit, and new‐build activities within your trade skillset
* Helping maintain worksite safety, quality standards, and operational discipline
* Working collaboratively across different trades to support efficient workflow and vessel turnaround
This EOI campaign helps us build a talent pool across skilled trades, trade leadership support, technical roles, and project delivery, ensuring we are well‐positioned for future work packages and operational growth.
ABOUT YOU
You bring experience from project, industrial, maritime, technical, or trade‐based roles and enjoy contributing to operational delivery in a practical, solutions‐focused, and team‐orientated way. You work well in dynamic environments, are confident managing competing priorities, and can adapt as requirements shift across the shipyard.
You may have experience in areas such as planning, technical coordination, trade execution, quality, compliance, operations support, or project delivery — or a combination of these. What matters most is your ability to collaborate effectively, communicate clearly, and contribute to safe, high‐quality outcomes.
We're interested in people who:
* Are proactive, reliable, and comfortable working across multiple tasks
* Have strong organisational and problem‐solving skills
* Can build positive working relationships with trades, technical teams, supervisors, and stakeholders
* Take pride in workmanship, professionalism, and operational discipline
* Are committed to safety, quality, and continuous improvement
Because this Expression of Interest covers a broad range of potential roles, we ask applicants to provide:
* A current resume
* A short cover letter (just a few sentences is fine) outlining what type of work you're most interested in — for example:
* Trade coordination or trade‐support roles
* Technical support
* Project support or project management
* Or another area you'd like to be considered for
There's no need for a long or detailed application — we simply want to understand where you may best fit within Norship's future opportunities.
THE ESSENTIALS
You must be based in Cairns (or willing to relocate)
Full Australian work rights are required
Applicable certification for the type of role you're interested in — such as trade, technical or project‐related certifications
Depending on the role, additional certifications may be required (e.g. Construction White Card, Confined Space, Working at Heights, High‐Risk Work Licences)
A pre‐employment medical (including drug & alcohol screening) is required if you progress into the onboarding process
We understand that not every candidate will meet all listed criteria. If you bring relevant experience, strong practical capability, and a positive, collaborative approach, we encourage you to submit your Expression of Interest.
Unlock job insights
Your application will include the following questions:
* Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Australia?
* Are you willing to undergo pre-employment drug and alcohol screening?
* What\'s your expected annual base salary?
* How much notice are you required to give your current employer?
* Do you have a current Police Check (National Police Certificate) for employment?
* Are you willing to undergo a pre-employment medical check?
* How many years\' experience do you have in the maritime industry?
To help fast track investigation, please include here any other relevant details that prompted you to report this job ad as fraudulent / misleading / discriminatory / salary below minimum wage.
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