Shipping Operations & Fleet Performance Executive

About the Role

We are looking for a hands-on shipping professional who can independently manage dry bulk vessel operations while also contributing to fleet performance, owner-side technical coordination and drydock projects. The role is designed for someone with strong commercial operations fundamentals and enough technical understanding to identify performance issues, assess operational impact and work effectively with third-party ship managers.

Main Responsibilities:

Commercial Vessel Operations - Independently manage assigned dry bulk vessels from fixture handover through voyage completion. - Handle voyage instructions, delivery/redelivery, ETA and schedule management, port rotation, cargo operations and agency coordination. - Communicate effectively with Masters, Charterers, Brokers, Agents and Ship Managers. - Monitor bunker ROB, freight/hire, off-hire exposure, voyage delays and commercial claims. - Maintain clear visibility of vessel position, voyage status, operational risks and upcoming requirements.

Charter Party Execution & Commercial Risk - Understand and apply key Voyage Charter and Time Charter provisions, including speed/consumption, bunkers, delivery/redelivery, off-hire, laycan, cargo requirements and notices. - Identify potential commercial exposure early and escalate material issues in a timely manner. - Support Post Fixture and Claims work with accurate voyage facts and commercial context.

Vessel Performance Monitoring - Monitor vessel speed, fuel consumption, RPM, engine load, draft, weather, sea conditions and ballast/laden performance. - Compare actual performance against Charter Party warranties, historical trends and internal benchmarks. - Identify unexplained speed deterioration or excess consumption and work with the Ship Manager / technical team to investigate root causes and corrective actions. - Support performance-related commercial claims and disputes with clear operational evidence.

Owner-side Technical Coordination - Follow up material technical issues affecting commercial operations, including major breakdowns, repairs, PSC/Class matters, critical equipment issues and technical off-hire. - Assess technical issues through an owner/commercial lens: operational impact, cost, proposed action, timeline and completion. - Challenge unclear explanations or proposed actions where appropriate, while relying on the third-party Technical Superintendent for detailed technical management.

Drydock & Major Repair Support - Participate in drydock preparation, including review of repair specifications and major work scopes together with the Ship Manager. - Support technical comparison of yard quotations and review the operational impact of major repair items. - Monitor drydock progress, additional work, budget/schedule risks and return-to-service planning. - Support before-vs-after performance review following drydock or major efficiency-related work.

Cost, Compliance & Energy Efficiency - Maintain strong cost awareness across operational and technical matters, and question timing, necessity, alternatives and commercial impact of significant expenditure. - Support monitoring of CII, EEXI, SEEMP, fuel efficiency, hull/propeller condition, weather-routing effectiveness and other energy-efficiency initiatives. - Work with Ship Managers to ensure agreed actions have owners, deadlines and measurable outcomes.

Requirements:

• Approximately 5-10 years of relevant shipping experience; strong candidates with slightly less experience may also be considered.
• Hands-on dry bulk vessel operations experience is essential; Panamax / Kamsarmax / Capesize exposure is preferred.
• Good understanding of Voyage Charter / Time Charter operations and Charter Party execution.
• Practical understanding of vessel speed and fuel-consumption performance.
• Some exposure to drydock, major repairs or owner-side technical coordination is strongly preferred.
• Degree or diploma in Maritime Studies, Shipping, Marine Engineering, Nautical Studies, Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline is preferred.
• Strong Mandarin and English communication skills and confident interaction with Masters, Charterers, Brokers and Ship Managers.
• Proficiency in Excel; AI tools, IMOS, vessel-performance systems would be an advantage.

What Will Put You Ahead:

• Ownership - takes responsibility for outcomes, not just individual tasks.
• Proactiveness - identifies risks early and acts without waiting to be reminded.
• Follow-through - drives issues from identification to action, deadline, result and closure.
• Commercial awareness - understands how technical and operational issues affect revenue, cost, off-hire and future employment.
• Analytical thinking - able to distinguish data noise from real vessel-performance concerns.
• Good judgement and teamwork - able to work across Commercial Operations, Post Fixture, Finance and external Ship Managers.