Role Purpose
Support the Line Manager in managing capacity effectively across all relevant bi-directional service legs in order to maximize yield and profitability. The scope of this includes establishing, maintaining, and monitoring vessel utilisations proactively through effective forecasting with stakeholders and planning by coordinating E2E cargo flows, including third party feeders, mother vessels and transhipments across the network service strings to deliver cargo OTP. Maintaining effective service partnerships execution, as defined and to support the Line Manager in achieving budgeted P&L outcomes through management and control of non-pricing related activity.
Role Accountabilities
Seasonal & Short-Term Capacity Planning
- Work closely with regional customer service and booking teams to manage cargo intake on a voyage-by-voyage basis, ensuring an optimal customer experience to delivery cargo OTP.
- Develop and agree the 12-month capacity plan for the relevant directional service legs based on supply and demand forecasts provided by respective departments, i.e., Commercial, Logistics (empties) and Line Management (partner Lines).
- Understand past and future volume, commodity, and market trends to inform Line Management on potential tonnage requirements.
- Own the coordination of executing seasonal capacity adjustments, including voyage blanking, port omissions, ad-hoc port calls, rotation changes, and one-off peak charter voyages.
- Proactively communicate short range capacity adjustments to the Assistant/Line Manager.
- Proactively manage short range capacity adjustments such as cargo transfers, transshipment, port omissions, ad-hoc port calls to minimise impact on customers, schedule OTP and cost.
- Determine and implement optimal primary and secondary cargo routing in conjunction with Market department.
- Analyse future cargo demand and agree in conjunction with Market department monthly forecast volume to ensure +/- 10% variance to actual.
- Identify opportunities for improvement that drive efficiency and deliver value.
- Proactively communicate and build relationships with key internal stakeholders.
Yield Management
- Responsible for ensuring the optimal mix of cargo is carried on any given voyage to ensure the best possible financial return, considering long and short-term factors, including but not limited to customer impact, contracts and competitor response.
- To develop reports and systems to support the Line Manager in ensuring the maximum possible yield is achieved on every voyage (given pricing set by Market Managers) and reviewed accordingly in month-end forecasts and actual and TCE results
Competitor Analysis & Monitoring
- To be Swire Shipping’s regional expert in understanding the capacity, drivers impacting relevant competitors, and to recommend and support the Line Managers in forming, implementing and monitoring effective competitive strategies.
People Management
- Lead employees to meet the organisation's expectations for productivity, quality, and goal accomplishment.
- Provide oversight and direction to the employees in the team in accordance with the organisation's policies and procedures.
- Plan staffing levels and work with Human Resources to recruit, interview, select, hire, and employ the right people within budgetary guidelines.
- Coach, mentor and develop staff, including overseeing new employee onboarding and providing career development planning and opportunities.
- Consciously create an engaging workplace culture that emphasizes the identified mission, vision, guiding principles, and values of the organisation.
- Lead employees using a performance management and development process including goal setting, feedback, and performance development planning.
- Empower employees to take responsibility for their jobs and goals. Delegate responsibility, drive accountability and provide regular feedback for continuous improvement.
- Manage and maintain effective employee work schedules including assignments, job rotation, training, vacations and paid time off, cover for absenteeism, and overtime scheduling.
- Maintain two-way transparent communication. Appropriately communicate organization information through department meetings, one-on-one meetings, and appropriate email, IM, and regular interpersonal communication.
- Deliver key people related activities in conjunction with HR that will lead to the enhanced engagement and retention of team members.
Crisis Management
- Make every effort to be aware of and understand your role in the event of a crisis.
- Make every effort to attend any relevant training, simulations and or meetings relating to Crisis Management.
- Perform your role as best as possible in a calm and collaborative manner in line with the relevant policy and procedures in the event of a Crisis.
- Provide input and feedback towards the ongoing improvement of the Crisis Management framework and procedure.
Safety
- Take responsibility for the safety of myself and those around me by displaying safety leadership principles (i.e. Safety I’s & Accountability ladder).
- Challenging and stopping unsafe acts and behaviours or unsafe conditions.
- Comply with the Global Safety Standards, Polices and Operating Procedures.
Key Qualifications & Skills (What knowledge will ensure success in the role?)
Qualifications
- Degree or diploma desirable with a focus on Business or Supply Chain Management
- 6-10 years of progressive shipping experience preferred with a proven business or operations focus
Technical Skills
- Specialist and proven expertise in planning and logistics
- Highly developed communication, presentation and negotiation skills
- Demonstrates extensive knowledge and understanding of shipping dynamics (contract development, cargo profiles, cargo mix and maximizing yields)
- A solid understanding of the financial drivers to the business and customers
- Demonstrated commitment to exceptional customer service.
Professional Skills
- Proven problem-solving skill, with ability to communicate with all department styles.
- Customer-centricity: Dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers by providing improvements in products and services. Talks and acts with customers in mind. Builds a high level of customer orientation throughout the organisation.
- Ownership and accountability: Take responsibility for individual and team output and results. Focused on results, profitability and performance.
- Collaboration: work effectively with internal and external stakeholders; seek and provide help to colleagues
- Demonstrated ability to proactively strategize and plan effectively and deliver outcomes in a competitive business environment.
- Strong conceptual and analytical skills.
