New Builds Fleet Senior Manager

For a well established company operating in the Commodity Trading and Shipping industry in Geneva (Switzerland), we are looking for a New Builds Senior Fleet Manager. This position is to be based in Geneva and requires frequent travel. The successful candidate will have experience as Technical Superintendent and Marine Superintendent.

Position Purpose

The New Builds Fleet Senior Manager is responsible for overseeing the planning, coordination, and execution of new vessel construction projects and integrating them into the operational fleet. This role bridges the gap between shipyard activities, design/engineering teams, regulatory compliance, and long-term operational readiness, ensuring new builds align with company standards, budgets, and timelines.

About the Role

This role is crucial for managing new vessel builds, ensuring they meet all necessary standards and are integrated smoothly into the operational fleet.

Responsibilities

Project Oversight & Coordination

• Lead end-to-end management of new vessel builds, from concept contractual through delivery and fleet integration.
• Serve as the main liaison between shipyards, design offices, classification societies, and internal stakeholders.
• Monitor construction progress, budgets, and quality control to ensure compliance with contractual specifications.

Fleet Integration and Readiness

• Develop and execute fleet integration plans for newly constructed vessels.
• Ensure operational readiness including crewing, technical documentation, training, and spare parts planning.
• Annual budget proposal to management.
• Coordinate with technical and commercial departments to ensure seamless entry into service.

Asset Management & Lifecycle Planning

• Ensure new builds align with the company's long-term asset strategy, including performance, sustainability, and return on investment.
• Incorporate lifecycle cost analysis and maintainability into design and build considerations.
• Support the development and implementation of asset management plans for newly commissioned vessels, including maintenance, upgrades, and eventual disposal.
• Collaborate with asset performance, finance, and operations teams to track the health and value of assets over time.

Compliance & Standards

• Ensure all new builds and existing fleet comply with applicable regulatory, environmental, and safety standards (IMO, SOLAS, MARPOL, etc.).
• Maintain awareness of technological trends and sustainability practices affecting new build projects.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Ensure all new builds and existing fleet comply with applicable regulatory, environmental, and safety standards (IMO, SOLAS, MARPOL, etc.).
• Maintain awareness of technological trends and sustainability practices affecting new build projects.

Consultancy to Group Activities

• Ship sale and purchase, ship conversion for offshore projects, Oil and Gas terminal inspections, evaluations, recommendations, liaising with 3rd party service providers

Qualifications

• Master's Degree (Foreign going) unlimited in Naval Architecture, Marine Engineering, or related field.
• 15+ years of experience in shipbuilding, fleet management of Oil and Gas tankers, marine and offshore project management.
• Both sea and shore-based experience is required.

Required Skills

• Proven track record of managing newbuild programs and delivering projects on time and within budget, including dry docking selection and execution.
• Strong knowledge of marine regulations and class regulations and technical standards (Flag State).
• Solid understanding of capital asset planning, TCO (Total Cost of Ownership), and condition-based maintenance strategies.
• Experience with digital twin technologies, sustainability initiatives, or smart ship systems.
• Familiarity with ESG compliance and green ship design initiatives.
• Previous experience working with international shipyards and suppliers.
• Ability to travel internationally (frequent travel) and work in multi-disciplinary environments.
• Fluent in English, both spoken and written.

Preferred Skills

• Strategic Planning & Execution: analyses key factors affecting deliverables; recognizes business opportunities, makes prioritizations and trade-offs.
• Project Management: Organizes and executes work efficiently. Uses good communication, interpersonal skills, motivational skills, and organization. Plans projects, maps out timelines, and executes each phase of the project in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Identifies, analyzes, engages, and influences individuals or groups who are affected by or can impact a project's outcomes to ensure alignment, mitigate risks, and achieve shared objectives.
• Decision Making: Deals comfortably with ambiguity, uncertainty, and risk. Learns fast, grasps the "essence" and can change course quickly where indicated. Makes high-quality decisions with less than perfect information. Acts consistently with our ethics, obligations, and the law.