The posting
1.Position Purpose
The Operations Manager isresponsible for the day-to-day commercial and technical-interface operation ofa fleet of dry cargo ships, including but not limited to woodchip carriers andgeneral cargo vessels. Reporting to the Head of Shipping, the role owns voyageexecution end-to-end — from post-fixture handover through to finalredelivery/discharge — ensuring vessels are operated safely, efficiently, andprofitably across cargo types with materially different loading, stowage, andport-handling characteristics.
The successful candidate willact as the operational bridge between chartering/commercial, technicalmanagement, port agents, and cargo interests, and will personally coordinate,supervise, and plan the loading of different cargoes across the fleet, bringinghands-on judgement on cargo compatibility, stowage, and vessel-deploymenttrade-offs rather than executing a single, uniform operating pattern. The rolealso leads the Singapore-based operations team, providing direct supervision,guidance, and development to operators and port captains.
2.Key Responsibilities
TeamLeadership
• Lead, supervise, and develop theoperations team — including operators and port captains — setting clearpriorities, allocating vessels/voyages across the team, and ensuring adequatecoverage across the fleet at all times.
• Set individual and teamperformance expectations, conduct regular reviews, and provide day-to-daycoaching on cargo planning, voyage execution, and commercial judgement.
• Build team capability throughstructured onboarding, on-the-job training, and knowledge-sharing oncargo-specific handling requirements across the fleet.
• Foster a strong safety-first,accountable team culture, and act as the escalation point for operationaldecisions requiring managerial judgement.
• Support recruitment, workloadplanning, and succession planning for the operations team as the fleet grows.
Voyage& Fleet Operations
• Plan, monitor, and executevoyages across the fleet, coordinating laycan, port rotation, and cargoreadiness with charterers, agents, and terminals.
• Coordinate, supervise, and planthe loading of different cargoes across the fleet — assessing cargocompatibility, sequencing, and stowage requirements for each vessel and voyage,and ensuring the right vessel is matched to the right cargo.
• Issue and manage voyageinstructions, ensuring masters and crew have clear, timely guidance on loadingsequence, stowage, dunnage requirements, and port formalities specific to eachcargo/vessel combination.
• Monitor vessel positions, ETAs,and port performance in real time; proactively manage delays, weather routing,and berth congestion to protect laycan and minimise off-hire/demurrageexposure.
• Oversee cargo-specific handlingrequirements across the fleet — including woodchip volumetric stowage andmoisture/self-heating considerations, general cargo lashing/securing andstowage planning, and bulk cargo trimming and draft optimisation where applicable.
• Coordinate bunkering plans inline with voyage economics and charter party terms, working with the commercialteam on optimal bunkering ports and quantities.
Commercial& Financial Performance
• Monitor voyage P&L againstbudget/estimate for each fixture, flagging variances in hire, bunkers, portcosts, and demurrage/despatch, and driving corrective action.
• Support chartering withoperational input on vessel suitability, cargo compatibility, and realisticport/cargo-handling timelines when appraising new fixtures across the fleet.
• Manage and settle laytime,demurrage, and despatch claims; maintain accurate, defensible SOF and voyagedocumentation.
• Contribute operational data andlessons-learned to voyage economics comparisons (e.g. dedicated tonnage vs.standard bulker deployment decisions) to support fleet-mix and charteringstrategy.
Port,Agency & Stakeholder Coordination
• Appoint and manage port agents,stevedores, and surveyors; ensure competitive, accountable local support ateach port of call.
• Liaise directly with charterers,shippers, receivers, and terminal operators to resolve operational issues andkeep all parties aligned on schedule and cargo status.
• Coordinate with thetechnical/ship management team on vessel readiness, class/statutory matters,and any operational constraints (e.g. gear certification, hold cleanliness andpreparation for the next cargo).
Safety,Compliance & Risk
• Ensure all voyages are conductedin compliance with SOLAS, MARPOL, IMSBC Code (for bulk cargoes), and relevantflag/port state requirements.
• Oversee cargo-specific riskcontrols — including woodchip self-heating/off-gassing monitoring, bulk cargoliquefaction risk (TML/moisture content) assessment, and general cargo securingarrangement approval.
• Support incident investigationand corrective action for any operational, cargo, or safety non-conformance;maintain a strong safety-first operating culture across the fleet.
• Ensure KYC, sanctions, andcompliance screening is completed for counterparties, ports, and cargointerests ahead of fixture execution.
Reporting& Continuous Improvement
• Produce regular voyageperformance, fleet utilisation, and KPI reporting for senior management.
• Identify and implement processimprovements in voyage planning, port turnaround, and cross-vessel-typeoperating procedures.
• Support budgeting andforecasting for the operated fleet, and contribute to fleetdeployment/newbuilding or chartering-in decisions.
3.Qualifications & Experience
• Seafaring background required —prior sea-going experience as a deck officer (Master/Chief Officer levelpreferred) on dry cargo vessels, giving direct, first-hand knowledge of cargoloading, stowage, and vessel handling.
• Minimum 5–8 years' overallexperience in ship operations, spanning both sea-going service and shore-basedoperations in a shipowning, ship management, or chartering environment, ideallywith exposure to woodchip carriers and/or general cargo vessels.
• Prior experience leading orsupervising a team is preferred (e.g. as a senior/chief operator, ChiefOfficer/Master, or team lead).
• Demonstrated experience managinglaytime, demurrage, and voyage P&L.
• Working knowledge of the IMSBCCode, cargo securing manuals, and stowage/lashing principles relevant towoodchip, general, and bulk dry cargo.
• Degree or diploma in NauticalScience, Maritime Business, Marine Engineering, or a related discipline;Certificate of Competency (Deck Officer, Class 1/2) required.
4.Skills & Competencies
• Strong commercial acumen — ableto connect day-to-day operational decisions to voyage profitability andfleet-mix strategy.
• Confident, clear communicatorable to manage multiple counterparties (owners, charterers, agents, terminals)simultaneously and under time pressure.
• High attention to detail indocumentation, laytime calculation, and cargo-handling instructions, whereerrors carry direct financial and safety consequences.
• Comfortable operating acrossdistinct cargo/vessel profiles concurrently — not a single-trade specialist —and able to prioritise across a mixed, live fleet.
• Resilient and decisive underoperational pressure (weather delays, berth congestion, cargo disputes,off-hire events).
• Proven people-management ability— capable of leading, motivating, and developing a small operations team, andof making clear decisions on workload allocation and escalation.
• Proficient in voyageestimating/reporting tools, MS Excel, and standard shipping operations/AIStracking platforms.
