Certification Officer

Aversan Inc. is a trusted multi-service engineering and electronics manufacturing company serving the aerospace, defence, and space industries. They’re looking for a Certification Officer to join the team, focusing on naval ship classification and certification processes. The role is hybrid and based in Mississauga, CA, with travel across Canada for inspections as required. This position will suit someone with deep experience in naval classification rules, marine surveying or vessel maintenance, and strong communication skills to coordinate with Classification Societies, naval clients, and internal teams.

The right candidate will bridge engineering requirements and regulatory standards, ensuring vessels stay certified as they undergo maintenance and engineering changes. The role mixes office work with field activity, including onboard inspections, and demands clear communication to keep certification activities on track yet flexible enough to respond to evolving project needs.

Keeping the ships certified from shore to sea

You’ll manage certification activities for Royal Canadian Navy Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPV), Joint Support Ships (JSS), and Minor Warships and Auxiliary Vessels (MWAV). You’ll identify and track all certification and recertification requirements, including Classification Society surveys, inspections, and material certificate renewals, and you’ll help design and improve certification management processes and tracking systems.

Coordination is key: you’ll line up scheduled, periodic, and annual surveys with surveyors, ship staff, and service delivery teams, while maintaining certification issue trackers and deliverable lists to keep vessel records accurate and current. When technical issues or engineering changes affect classification, you’ll liaise with Classification Society representatives to resolve them and assess their impact on the vessel’s certification. You’ll also review the Captain’s Ship Book to ensure certificates stay valid and aligned with the ship’s Technical Data Package.

Beyond that, you’ll advise Engineering and Service Delivery teams on classification rules and regulatory requirements, and you’ll serve as the primary contact for certification inquiries, coordinating between the Department of National Defence (DND), the Naval Materiel Regulatory Authority (NMRA), Formation Technical Authority (FTA), Maritime Equipment Program Management (MEPM), Classification Societies, and internal teams. The role includes supporting vessel inspections and certification activities at offices, dockyards, and onboard naval ships, with travel across Canada as needed.

The must-haves to run the show

Here’s what you’ll need to bring to the role:

• A solid grasp of Classification Society rules, especially from Lloyd’s Register, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), and DNV
• An understanding of both naval and commercial ship classification requirements
• Familiarity with the IACS, IMO, SOLAS, and the Polar Code
• Relevant hands-on experience in marine surveying, vessel certification, ship maintenance, or quality assurance tied to classification standards
• Excellent communication, coordination, and stakeholder-management skills
• Strong organisational and documentation abilities to manage certification records and deliverables
• Proficiency in English, both written and verbal
• Ability to work in a hybrid setting, including office, dockyard, and onboard activities in Halifax
• Willingness to travel within Canada as required
• Ability and willingness to perform onboard inspections involving bending, twisting, working at heights, and entering confined spaces, with training provided
• Must hold an acceptable current security clearance: NATO Secret, CGP, or Trade clearance, with the level clearly stated on the resume

Pay, benefits and practical details

Compensation is listed as a yearly salary in the range of $xxxxx – $xxxxx CAD. The base salary offered within this range is determined by factors such as geographic location, skills, competencies, and unique qualifications to ensure fair alignment with the role’s requirements.

The position is described as hybrid, with the location in Mississauga, and travel across Canada as needed, including onboard duties in Halifax. The posting notes this is an existing vacancy, and security clearance is a prerequisite for consideration.

AI in Hiring: AI tools may assist with application management, but hiring decisions are made by the human recruitment team and the hiring managers, with security and privacy risk assessments guiding the process.

Advice for applicants

Put your most relevant naval classification and marine surveying experience up front on your resume, especially any work with AOPV, JSS, or MWAV programs and any involvement with LR, ABS or DNV rules.

Show how you manage certification records and deliverables by describing concrete examples of keeping issue trackers active, coordinating classification surveys, and communicating with surveyors, ship staff, and internal teams to keep milestones on track.

Be ready to explain how you assess the certification impact of vessel defects, planned maintenance, and engineering changes, and how you participate in technical risk assessments tied to Conditions of Class.

Ask about the current challenges facing the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel certification program and how the team collaborates with DND, NMRA, FTA and MEPM to resolve them.

How to apply

Interested applicants should apply directly via this link: Certification Officer to be considered for this position. The resume file should be named with your full name and the position title, in PDF format.