Job Title: Shipping Operator
The Shipping Operator serves as a crucial intermediary between various departments within the company and external stakeholders, including Ship Owners, Vessels, Port Agents, and third-party Charterers. This pivotal role is responsible for ensuring the flawless, safe, and efficient transportation of goods on chartered ships, as well as providing in-house support and expertise on shipping-related matters.
In addition to overseeing the physical operations, the Shipping Operator maintains accurate representations of transportation arrangements and related costs within the shipping software. Non-demurrage claims handling may also be part of the responsibilities associated with vessels chartered in or out.
This position is dynamic, fast-paced, and challenging, requiring support for worldwide operations that run continuously across multiple time zones. Therefore, individuals in this role may need to be available outside of standard office hours.
Key Responsibilities
- Assist chartering with port restrictions and costs; screen vessels with terminals/ports.
- Guide Chartering and Trading on tank cleaning procedures and potential contamination risks.
- Screen vessels (including STS candidates) according to company vetting criteria and coordinate ship/shore compatibility checks.
- Issue voyage instructions to vessels.
- Develop stowage plans, including multi-grades, to accommodate trading arrangements, proposing the most efficient solutions.
- Optimize cargo stowage plans and bunker calculations; manage grade conversions.
- Determine vessel routing based on speed/consumption curves, weather, and arrival deadlines.
- Arrange STS transfers, participate in Panama Canal auctions, and manage pre-bookings.
- Coordinate bunkering for the time-chartered fleet, negotiating quality/quantity disputes.
- Negotiate and arrange various shipping-related contracts (agency, towage, mooring, STS, etc.).
- Provide initial legal support to freight and trading for shipping-related matters.
- Negotiate LOI wordings and participate in the development of charter party clauses.
- Update the system and maintain accountability for P&L, contributing to system development and interfacing with ETRM.
- Conduct periodic system reconciliations and provide feedback on estimates versus actual voyage costs, alongside optimization proposals.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience
- A minimum of 5 years of relevant shipping experience handling clean and dirty petroleum products and chemicals; experience with LNG/LPG is a plus.
- Strong work ethic and structured team player; must adhere to corporate processes while retaining an entrepreneurial mindset.
- Preferred sailing experience as an Officer on an oil tanker, combined with shore experience in a trading or shipping company. However, solid understanding of vessel and cargo technicalities may compensate for this requirement.
- Some legal background or substantial exposure to claims related to voyage and time-charter parties.
- Experience with IMOS shipping systems is advantageous, but not mandatory.
- Good understanding of standard gas voyage and time-charter parties, with acquaintance in tankers & dry, FFAs, and basic freight and bunker risk management techniques.
- Knowledge of trading operations.
- Fluency in English, both oral and written.
- P&L conscious and commercially minded.
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.