9 Dec 2025
After studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Auckland, Chris Bone spent two years achieving naval engineering qualifications in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. He has recently taken up a staff officer role at Devonport Naval Base, following nearly a year as the Commanding Officer for HMNZS Te Mana.
It was a role normally reserved for Warfare Officers in the Navy, but Chris held the role as the ship underwent a major refit and upgrade period to prepare for and enable operations for the next 10 years until the end of its service life.
I describe my role to non-engineers as… enabling the team I lead and work with to execute their roles to the best of their ability, while simultaneously forecasting and planning for future requirements.
The part of my job that always surprises people is… that I do so little engineering despite being an engineer both in qualification and trade specialisation. So much of the job (currently, and on Te Mana) is about people – looking out for them, providing advice or direction, or just being a sounding board.
The best emoji to sum up me on a typical workday is…
In my role, I always challenge… the phrase “it is what it is”. It implies acceptance of a less-than-ideal situation, but there is nearly always something we can do to seek to improve our circumstances.
In the past year, I’ve pushed boundaries by… restarting my own personal journey in te reo Māori. It is a challenge to find the time and to give the learning the respect it deserves, but it has been worth it so far.
Photo: NZDF
My luckiest break was… getting the role as Commanding Officer of a frigate. While I may not have had the whole experience of commanding at sea, having the opportunity of this responsibility at all was humbling and a privilege.
Best career advice I’ve received… whether you’re seeking to advance in your own organisation or another, look two to three years in the future to see where your opportunities may be, then prepare for, and navigate yourself towards, these opportunities. The person who is best placed to help you in your career is you.
I’d advise other people interested in an engineering role in the Navy to… go for it and apply – there’s top-quality training, awesome people and travel opportunities!
3 things I love about my job:
- I really enjoy the diverse range of people I get to work with. Even though we’re all military and trained to the same standard, we come from different backgrounds and bring different thoughts and perspectives to the job.
- You always walk away with new friendships for life, no matter what you’re doing. I also enjoy the continuous challenge of learning a new role every two to three years, as while they all build on the same foundations, no two jobs are ever the same.
- Finally, in my current role I get to promote and commend people for their achievements in the New Zealand Defence Force, and doing this in front of their friends and whānau is an awesome thing to be a part of.
2 reasons why I chose to study engineering:
- I enjoy working through problems and testing/adjusting different solutions to see tangible results.
- Engineering offered a means to pursue that and gain a better understanding of the principles behind so much of what we rely on in our daily lives.
1 thing I wouldn’t change about my workday:
The people I get to work with – they are what brings the most fulfilment to any role in the Navy.
This article was first published in the December 2025 issue of EG magazine.
