Vessel Operator

ZURICH, CH

Vessel Operator

SUMMARY OF THE JOB

The vessel operator is responsible for closely coordinating with Operators, Disponent Owners, Head Owners, and various stakeholders to ensure compliance with Group policies and procedures. Managing day-to-day operations of a fleet of time-chartered vessels, monitoring performance against charter party terms, optimizing transportation costs, and issuing voyage instructions. Additionally, to execute commercial contracts, working with various departments on financial and safety matters, manage deviations during supply ruptures, resolve voyage-related disputes, and oversee cargo logistics. Needs to ensure all transactions are timely, properly and accurately recorded in IMOS to ensure financial result accuracy and reporting. The role also involves coordinating with ship managers on supplies, repairs, and dry-docking plans, and responding to urgent or emergency situations with immediate reporting to higher management. Overall, the focus is on ensuring operational readiness, maximizing efficiency in vessel operations and making sure all records are accurate and timely maintained to facilitate proper Performance Management.

MAIN ACTIVITIES / RESPONSIBILITIES

• Managing the activity related day-to-day operating of the fleet of time chartered vessels (period and/or TCT), which includes closely monitoring of vessels performance as per agreed Charter party terms.
• Preparing and issuing voyage instructions to the vessel Master in accordance with recap of main terms agreed / charter party.
• Execute, implement and supervise any commercial contracts, time charters performed by vessels under Holcim Shipping Pte Ltd, so that the highest possible voyage result can be achieved.
• Work closely with the Chartering and Senior Chartering Managers who will provide voyage evaluations / voyage estimates / freight simulations and optimizations studies in accordance with established operational procedures.
• Work closely with the HS&E Department, to obtain monthly near miss reports and incident reports from master, and report it into the iCare system.
• Perform the controls required as per the Inter Control requirements of HT&S and the Group (ICS), and work closely with the Internal Control Department to timely provide the required evidence of the controls performed as per the Control Design and Control Self Assessment (CSA).
• Resolve disputes relating to the voyage to their best ability.
• Maximizing cargo lift by checking the deadweight calculations of vessels
• Execute, control, monitor, voyage operations.
• Timely record, update and maintain system inputs accurately into IMOS, including and not limited to delivery / redelivery of vessels, bunker fuels purchases and consumptions, port fees accruals, between others.
• Perform the Month End Closing activities in IMOS to ensure proper Financial Closure of the voyages and vessels results, providing P&L report from IMOS for Head of Shipping sign off of monthly result.
• Work closely with the Accounting & Controlling Department, enabling and supporting on the reconciliation of IMOS and SAP, specifically about receivables and payables, vessel operations and voyages entries, bunker fuels.
• Max intake & Bunker Grades requirements to be coordinated with the Master of Vessel. Stemming bunkers for vessels according to prescribed specifications & negotiation for most competitive rates in an efficient manner using Singapore Entities for bunker suppliers.
• Analyze shipping cargo documents, control and follow claims.
• Preparing / follow-up laytime calculations, freight invoices, final charter hire statements, cargo / hire / freight claims according to the charter party.
• Coordination & Appointment of Singapore based agents as discussed with management via DIABOS and arrange payments of proforma & final port DA’s to the respective local port agents via IMOS.
• Review PDAS/FDAS submitted on Diabos closely and compare with historic data to ensure fees remain competitive. Ensure timely disbursements arranged in coordination with the Chartering Managers/Accounting/SAP team for bunker/load/discharge ports.
• Appoint a weather routing company, and analyze the post voyage performance report if the vessel has underperformed.
• Maintain the internal drive for all voyages, Vessel scheduling sheet
• Highlight the Head Owners on matters relating to underperformance/offhire/ technical issues & voyage optimisation as and when required
• Organize and plan on-hire/off-hire surveys and any other marine cargo/damage surveys as and when required.
• Respond to urgent / emergency situations with immediate reporting to Chartering Manager or Senior Chartering Manager and support crisis management teams.

PROFILE REQUIRED

Education/Qualification

• Degree/Diploma in Shipping and Maritime or equivalent

Experience

• At least 2 year(s) of working experience in the related field is required for this position.

Knowledge and skills

• Good communication skills and ability to convey with clarity the results of the voyages / vessels, anticipating properly what is pending to materialize.
• Detailed working knowledge of dry bulk operations, particularly with Handy / Supramax trades, general ship knowledge, cargo operations, voyage performance, outstanding communication skills and a team approach.
• Good knowledge of fleet planning / voyage estimation / ship management / cargo operations
• Good knowledge of commercial shipping i.e. Vessel Operations, Charter Parties, Bills of Lading, Marine Claims and Insurance.
• Negotiation skills for Bunker stemming
• Good knowledge of IMSBC Code.
• Very good knowledge and demonstrable experience using the shipping software “IMOS” for voyage planning, P&L management, and centralized voyage instructions, including identifying, adapting and resolving issues related to “IMOS Business Rules”.
• Knowledge on pneumatic cement carriers & self-discharging vessel operations is preferable.
• Some knowledge of Ship construction, Ship stability, Load Line Rules, SOLAS, ISPS Code, ISM Code, Port State Control, marine surveys, Classification Society Rules /P&I Cubs.
• Knowledge on Laytime calculations is a must.

Language

• Excellent English, written and spoken.
• Knowing French or Italian is preferred but not a must.