Operations Manager – Dry Cargo Fleet

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…