Manager (Line/Trade Management)(Liner Shipping)

Our client is a well-known Shipping Brand. Currently, they are looking for a well-qualified candidate to join them as "Manager (Line/Trade Management)".

In this role, your key responsibilities will involve the following areas:

• Full P&L Responsibility
• Improve cost efficiency and optimize yield. To improve the cost aspect of the business by:
  • Selecting ships with optimum intake against volume prospect. Be sensitive to the vessel size and her related port due
  • Selecting a ship with optimal speed and bunker consumption
  • Close monitoring of daily bunker consumption via use of the system and ensure vessel consumption is in line with Time Charter Description (TCD) and cross-check against other sister ships previously operated in the trade or region
• Responsible for securing each port call berth window, negotiate terminal-related contracts including discount, rebate & volume incentives
• Indirect costs must be thoroughly understood
• Manage and resolve claims (cargo claims, container damage, vessel damage) in consultation with the legal team where required
• Strategize trade routes (existing and new) by having an appreciation of demand & supply of the prevailing market condition
• Demand: This may involve consolidation with customers with close collaboration with the marketing department, acquire, compile and maintain trade statistics and reports via business intelligence portal (BI) for analysis and decision making
• Supply: Understand competitors and prevailing market tonnage deploy on the trade lane. Be aware if we are operating in a tonnage over or under supply condition. This will have a direct impact on utilization prospect and pricing logic
• Achieve a differentiated product or increase the sailing frequency by expanding existing service coverage either via own deployment or slot swaps with other operators
• Maintain a high standard of vessel schedule integrity to meet customer feeder to mother connections. To provide customers with a clear and timely vessel update on actual ETA & ETD
• Improve the income aspect of the business by:
• Space management and selection of cargo that delivers best yield
• Create a portfolio of how the slots should be utilized
• Work closely with the marketing team for customer and deals selections. Play an active role during customer’s tender exercise
• Look for opportunities to implement GRI‘s (general rate increase), RR‘s (rate restoration), CBR (critical bunker recovery) for all trades managed in line with cost increases
• Manage and coordinate rate quotation and filing with the marketing department
• To manage all the agency involved in respective service rotation in terms of vessel operation, cargo bookings and customer relationship management in each local location
• Play an active marketing role especially toward key clients brought in by the marketing team. In time of operational crisis, required to deal directly with key clients especially those with structured space contracts
• Business development
  • Constantly review the viability of the existing trades routes and make suitable changes to improve the efficiency or given any changes in the operating environment
  • Feasibility studies to start a new service either solo or by forming a consortium via a vessel sharing agreement
• Able to maneuver quickly out from an operational and/or a business crisis involving quick decision making and effective communication of your strategy toward internal and external supporting colleagues
• Maintain a professional and good personal relationship with external clients, port & terminal operators, and business partners
• Be highly aware of the rapidly changing business environment through personal involvement and an effective feedback channel from various sources including media.
• This role is supported by a few core departments, ranging from sales; customer service; chartering desk; global & local operations; legal; finance & accounts; credit control and agents. Your role is to rally all these supporting cast to achieve your end objective, i.e. P&L
• Possessing a strong sense of the current business environment and form long-term outlook of the business prospect & needs in order to spot both opportunities and potential pitfalls
• Be ready with the right assets (ships) to meet future challenges & opportunities

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Maritime Business or Business Management
• Ideally with a good 7 or more years of experience in shipping line involving trade
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with colleagues across departments and various internal & external stakeholders
• Overseas travel and/or after office hours work and travel may be required to meet and maintain good relationships with local and overseas key clients and to support overseas local agents
• Independent and result-oriented
• Strategic thinker
• Ability to focus on tasks and analyze situations, systems, and problems
• Ability to make quick decisions supported by information and data gathered
• Able to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Strong leadership
• Proficiency in the English language, both verbal and written