Royal Navy officer
Lead a squadron or unit on board ships or submarines in the Royal Navy.
About the job
What it's like
You would lead a squadron or unit on board ships or submarines in the Royal Navy.
You would be responsible for the welfare and discipline of those serving under your command.
You would also have a specialist role. You could become:
A warfare officer – control weapons and defence systems, and help navigate
An air engineering officer – prepare aircraft for flight and work with experts to improve aircraft design
A weapons engineering officer – look after weapons delivery, detection and communications equipment
A logistics officer – manage the delivery of supplies and equipment, and give legal and financial advice
A medical or nursing officer – give medical care on ships, submarines and land
Hours
You would usually be on call 24 hours a day, generally working eight-hour shifts, which would include weekends and public holidays.
Environment
You would live and work on board a ship or submarine for several months at a time. Living quarters are cramped. You may face a wide variety of conditions including extremes in weather, as well as mental, physical and emotional challenges.
Travel
You must be prepared to move within the UK and overseas. Whilst serving at sea, you would be separated from your family for several months.
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Like the sound of this career?
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Royal Navy officer'
Select qualification level(s)
Other careers that you might like
Army officer RAF officer Royal Marines officer
Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- baseline personnel security standard (bpss)
- general data protection regulation (gdpr)
- developed vetting (dv)
- nuclear weapons
- project management office (pmo)
- cash handling
- loans
- finance
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- problem solving
- cooperating
- verbal communication
- understanding
- developing a plan
- managing resources
- making decisions
- taking responsibility
- delegating
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Skills for Work: Maritime Skills
Skills for Work: Uniformed and Emergency Services
You will need at least five National 5 qualifications and Highers at C or above valuing 180 UCAS points, for example BBC.
You must have gained these qualifications within a maximum spread of 13 months and they need to be of a sufficient academic content. Equivalent qualifications at SCQF levels 5-6, Higher National Certificates (SCQF level 7) and Higher National Diplomas (SCQF level 8) will also support entry.
Some roles will require a relevant degree (SCQF level 9/10) acquired prior to applying or in some cases you can apply before entering a degree or when you have partially completed a degree to access bursary support.
To enter as an Engineering Officer you need a degree accredited to IEng or CEng level by the Engineering Council. Alternatively an honours degree in either mathematics or physics accredited by either the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (IMA) or the Institute of Physics(IoP). An Engineering Officer Bursary is available.
There may be opportunities to study for an MSc or MA once in this career.
You may apply to be a Training Management Officer with a UK-recognised honours degree in any subject.
To become an Environmental Officer you will require a BSc or MSc in Environmental Health accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.
To become a Nursing Officer (Adult) you require a BA or BSc in Adult Nursing. You can apply in the final year of completing your Nursing degree, to be selected subject to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Medical and Dental Cadetships are available.
Qualifications and experience that demonstrate the Royal Navy's core values of commitment, courage, discipline, respect, integrity and loyalty, such as:
Skills for Work Uniformed and Emergency Services (SCQF level 4)
SQA Leadership Award (SCQF level 5/6)
Cadet Organisation or other Youth Awards
You need to be aged between 16 years and 36 years old, however you can apply when you are at least 15 years old and 9 months. Certain roles may have different age ranges which you should check.
You will need to be a minimum height of 151.5cm. The only exception to this rule is the Submarine Service where you will need to be a minimum height of 157cm. You must also be within the healthy range for Body Mass Index (BMI).
Some roles may require you to have normal colour vision.
You will need to be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen or have dual nationality.
You will need to complete a full security check.
Any tattoos which would be visible in parade uniform are not allowed. There are also restrictions on body piercings.
You will need to pass the Royal Navy Recruiting Test (RT) a psychometric ability test used to assess specific academic ability and shows your ability to cope with the technical and academic aspects of training. There are four separate parts to this test which you will need to complete within a strict time limit. These measure general reasoning, verbal ability, numeracy and mechanical comprehension.
You will also need to pass medical and eye tests and the Royal Navy Pre-Joining Fitness Test.
Once you’ve passed all the tests, you must attend and pass the Pre-Royal Navy Course to enter this career.
Find the right course for you
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Royal Navy officer'
