Ship Manager (Heavy Lift)

Role Purpose

The Ship Manager for the Heavy Lift Vessels is responsible for representing the owner’s interests for heavy lift vessels managed by third-party Ship Management. The role ensures that vessels are safely operated, correctly maintained, cost effectively managed, and commercially fit to support Swire Shipping’s breakbulk and heavy lift business. Swire Shipping is both Owner and Operator/Charterer of the vessels.

This role requires strong technical understanding and ownership of Heavy Lift vessel performance, with particular focus on vessels equipped with high-capacity cargo cranes, typically two cranes of 150MT or above, and either two-stroke or four-stroke main engine configurations. The role acts as the key interface between Swire Shipping, third-party ship managers, charterers/operations, class, flag and insurance/legal teams.

Although this is an Owner Representative role, it requires a strong understanding of operational, technical and budgetary requirements. The ideal candidate has both sea-going experience and shore-based ship management experience, such as Ship Manager or Technical Superintendent. Regular vessel visits are required to ensure the vessels are properly maintained and meet the required standards.

Role Accountabilities

1. Vessel Ownership and Ship Manager Oversight

• Act as Owner’s Representative for assigned heavy lift vessels managed by third-party ship management companies.
• Ensure assigned vessels are safely operated, correctly maintained, kept within approved budgets and maintained to a standard that satisfies operational and commercial needs.
• Monitor agreed KPIs for vessel and manager performance, including safety, technical reliability, maintenance, cost, crewing, class status, drydock performance and operational readiness.
• Meet regularly with ship managers, normally monthly, to review vessel condition, performance, KPIs, outstanding defects, budget status, crewing matters and planned maintenance performance.
• Maintain open cooperation and communication between Swire Shipping and ship managers to ensure lessons learnt, technical knowledge and best practices are shared.
• Escalate any matters to Swire Shipping’s Fleet Manager
  

2. Heavy Lift Technical and Operational Capability

• Provide technical oversight specific to heavy lift vessels, including cargo crane reliability, crane maintenance strategy, structural condition, lifting appliance certification, cargo gear readiness and safe heavy lift operational capability. As well as Cargo Hold and hatch cover maintenance and structural integrity.

• Ensure ship managers understand and support the commercial requirements of breakbulk and heavy lift operations, including cargo sensitivity, project cargo requirements, port constraints, lifting plans, deck strength limitations, lashing/securing arrangements and schedule reliability.
• Work closely with commercial, operations, marine assurance, cargo, QA and technical stakeholders to ensure vessels are suitable and prepared for heavy lift and breakbulk employment.
• Review technical risks affecting heavy lift operations, including crane downtime, hydraulic and electrical crane systems, cargo hold condition, hatch cover integrity, ballast capability, stability considerations, lifting gear condition and main engine reliability.
• Provide guidance to ship managers and internal stakeholders on carriage requirements for breakbulk, project cargo and heavy lift cargoes.
  

3. Vessel Condition, Class and Compliance

• Monitor each vessel’s class status and ensure ship managers plan and complete surveys in a timely manner.
• Ensure statutory, class, flag and lifting appliance requirements are properly understood, planned and executed by ship managers.
• Inspect each vessel “officially” at least once per 6 months and submit a written condition report. Poorly performing vessels, or vessels with repeat technical or crane reliability issues, should receive more frequent inspections.
• Review vessel condition with particular attention to main propulsion, auxiliary machinery, cargo cranes, deck equipment, hatch covers, ballast systems, hull structure, cargo holds, lifting gear and heavy lift readiness.

4. Drydockings, Repairs and Technical Projects

• Attend drydockings and major repair periods to protect the owner’s interests, review scope, monitor quality, control cost and approve major expenditure where authorized.
• Review and challenge drydock specifications, especially for crane overhaul, steel repairs, cargo hold preparation, hatch cover work, main engine and auxiliary engine overhauls, ballast systems and statutory survey items.
• Collaborate with ship managers and relevant internal stakeholders on upgrades, modifications or special projects required for heavy lift and breakbulk trading.
• Ensure lessons learnt from drydockings, breakdowns, crane failures, cargo-related incidents and off-hire events are captured and shared with relevant managers and internal teams.

5. Budget, Cost and Performance Management

• Review, challenge and monitor vessel operating budgets, drydock budgets and unbudgeted expenditure requests, ensuring owner’s funds are spent responsibly and aligned with operational needs.
• Consider and approve unbudgeted expenditure requests from ship managers within delegated authority, maintaining accurate records for management review.
• Monitor vessel speed, consumption and technical performance, and instruct ship managers to take corrective action where performance becomes excessive or inefficient.
• Assess the cost and operational impact of crane defects, machinery issues, off-hire, cargo delay, port delay and drydock overruns.
• Support initiatives that improve vessel reliability, fuel performance, maintenance effectiveness and commercial availability.

6. Crewing, Sea Staff and Manager Performance

• Monitor technical and operational performance of ship managers and provide guidance where agreed standards or KPIs are not met.
• Maintain a practical record of sea staff performance and provide feedback to managers so strong performers are retained and underperforming personnel are developed or replaced where appropriate.
• Ensure vessels are crewed with personnel who understand heavy lift, breakbulk, project cargo and cargo crane operations.
• Promote strong onboard safety culture, technical discipline and operational ownership among senior officers and ship managers.

7. Commercial

• Ensure charterer, customer and internal commercial requirements are properly collated, understood and conveyed to ship managers for appropriate action.
• Act as a technically credible partner to commercial and operations teams when assessing vessel suitability for heavy lift cargoes, project cargoes, breakbulk parcels and special cargo requirements.
• Provide timely input on technical limitations, crane capability, cargo gear readiness, vessel performance, drydock timing, defect risk and operational constraints.
• Handle insurance and technical claims by collating costs, reports, invoices and supporting documentation for submission to the claims department.
• Support investigation and follow-up of machinery damage, crane failures, cargo gear incidents, cargo damage, off-hire events, safety incidents and operational claims.
• Ensure corrective and preventive actions are followed through with ship managers and relevant stakeholders.

8. Reporting and Escalation

• Report regularly on assigned vessels’ technical, crewing, QA, cargo-readiness and operational matters to the Fleet Manager
• Provide clear summaries of vessel performance, risks, costs, condition, drydock status, class matters, crane reliability and key operational issues.
• Escalate high-risk issues promptly, especially those affecting safety, heavy lift capability, commercial commitments, class/statutory compliance, budget exposure or vessel availability.

9. Safety

• Take responsibility for personal safety and the safety of those around them by demonstrating safety leadership principles.
• Challenge and stop unsafe acts, unsafe behaviours or unsafe conditions.
• Comply with applicable Global and company Safety Standards, policies and operating procedures.
• Promote a strong onboard and shore-based safety culture for heavy lift and breakbulk operations, with particular focus on lifting operations, working at height, suspended loads, cargo securing, machinery safety, permit-to-work discipline and contractor management.

Key Qualifications & Skills

Essential Qualifications

• Class 1 Motor Certificate of Competency, or equivalent senior marine engineering qualification.
• Significant sea-going experience as Chief Engineer on international trading vessels
• Shore-based experience as Ship Manager, Technical Superintendent, Fleet Manager or Owner’s Representative.

Heavy Lift and Breakbulk Experience

• Demonstrated Chief Engineer experience on heavy lift, multipurpose, project cargo or breakbulk vessels, preferably with vessels fitted with two heavy lift cranes of 150 tonnes or above.
• Strong understanding of cargo crane systems, lifting appliance maintenance, crane structural integrity, hydraulic/electrical crane systems, certification requirements and heavy lift operational risks.
• Strong affinity with the breakbulk and heavy lift business, including appreciation of customer requirements, project cargo sensitivity, schedule reliability, cargo readiness and the commercial consequences of technical downtime.
• Experience with both two-stroke and four-stroke main engine configurations is preferred.
• Practical knowledge of heavy lift vessel drydockings, crane overhauls, cargo hold preparation, deck strength considerations, hatch cover maintenance and project / breakbulk cargo.

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of ship management, drydocking, newbuilding or modification projects, class rules and flag requirements.
• Strong technical knowledge of marine engineering systems, planned maintenance, machinery reliability, defect management and condition-based decision making.
• Ability to review budgets, drydock specifications, technical proposals, repair quotations and unbudgeted expenditure requests.
• Ability to assess vessel condition and translate technical findings into practical commercial and operational risk language.
• Familiarity with performance monitoring systems and the ability to act on speed, consumption and vessel performance concerns.

Professional Skills

• Strong ship manager governance and stakeholder management skills.
• Credible communication style with ship managers, vessel senior officers, class, flag, insurers, internal technical teams, commercial teams and customers.
• Strong judgement in balancing safety, cost, commercial urgency and long-term asset integrity.
• Ability to challenge constructively and drive corrective action when ship manager performance, vessel condition or heavy lift readiness falls below expectations.
• Experience in ship repairs, drydocking and ship management.
• Experience managing or influencing technical teams, ship managers or owner-side stakeholders is desirable.

By submitting your CV, you are deemed to have agreed and consent to the collection, use and/or disclosure of your personal data to the Company for the purposes of recruitment and employment only in accordance with the Company's Recruitment Data Privacy Policy on our website.

Swire Shipping is committed to ensuring equal equitable access and participation for persons who experience disability. SSL is committed to treating persons with disability in a way that allows them to maintain their dignity and independence. Reasonable adjustments can be made upon request based on understanding of those accommodations.

Across Swire Shipping, we seek to create a supportive and inclusive environment that embraces individuality and recognise the benefits that these differences make. We do this by ensuring that all individuals are treated with respect and understanding and actively promote Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, bullying, retaliation or intimidation of any kind. We are committed to driving the strategy, policies and accountability to build and sustain a diverse global workforce, through equitable processes and systems where everyone can contribute their very best.