The Marine Operations Program Manager operates under the direction of the Vice President, Marine Operations and is a coordination and program management role that supports the Vice President of Marine Operations in organizing, tracking, and advancing Marine Operations initiatives across the fleet, including newbuild programs. Reporting to the Vice President, Marine Operations, the role coordinates activities across Marine Operations, Safety, Medical, Health, Environment, Security, Crewing, Newbuilding, Hotel & Guest Services Operations, and Managed Services Providers to support safe, compliant, and well-run vessels.
The position blends program coordination, operational support, and administrative discipline, with responsibilities spanning regulatory readiness coordination, training planning support, managed services coordination, risk tracking, and executive support. The role acts as a key enabler of the VP Marine Operations by coordinating information flow, tracking actions, and supporting decision-making across operational, compliance, and newbuild workstreams.
Success in the role requires the ability to work with minimal guidance, manage multiple priorities, and support the translation of strategic direction into practical outcomes. Adaptability, sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to move between planning, problem solving, and detailed administrative coordination are key characteristics of this position.
The role supports Marine Operations in delivering operational excellence aligned with the company’s service culture, safety standards, and commitment to exceptional guest experiences.
Essential Functions
The Marine Operations Program Manager operates under the direction of the Vice President Marine Operations and supports the coordination and advancement of Marine Operations priorities across the organization. Primary responsibilities include program coordination, documentation management, and cross-department alignment to support Marine Operations leadership. This includes but is not limited to, the following essential functions:
- Coordinate operational oversight activities with Managed Service Providers across marine operations, safety, environmental, medical, health, and security functions.
- Support planning and coordination of marine operations–related newbuild and compliance activities, including documentation associated with Planned Maintenance Systems, operating procedures, Safety Management System materials, audits, inspections, muster lists, fire plans, emergency procedures, and operational risk assessments.
- Track operational incidents, performance metrics, and follow-up actions with internal teams and Managed Service Providers.
- Monitor ship certification status and maintain organized statutory and operational compliance documentation across operational, refit, and build phases, including preparation activities supporting audits, inspections, and regulatory readiness.
- Support review of marine operational considerations related to itinerary planning and port operations.
- Maintain the Marine Operations SOP and policy repository, including updates and version control of the Marine Operations Manual.
- Coordinate with Hotel Operations leadership to support alignment of deck and engine service standards and operational consistency across crew rotations.
- Support development and maintenance of Marine Operations program plans, tracking initiatives across Marine Operations, Hotel Operations, Port Operations, Newbuild Operations, and Managed Service Providers.
- Maintain action tracking systems and coordinate follow-up on regulatory actions, operational initiatives, lessons learned, and risk mitigation measures.
- Identify operational issues, risks, and inefficiencies and prepare supporting analysis for Marine Operations leadership.
- Coordinate operational information gathering with corporate departments including Legal, Finance, Risk, Insurance, and Human Resources.
- Prepare briefing materials, operational summaries, and supporting documentation for the VP Marine Operations and senior leadership engagements.
- Monitor emerging regulatory and compliance requirements affecting marine operations and support internal coordination of implementation activities.
- Support Marine Operations strategic planning activities by organizing operational data related to initiatives, budgeting, resource planning, and capital investment discussions.
- Coordinate meetings and follow-up actions with shipyards, designers, technical partners, classification societies, flag administrations, and Managed Service Providers.
- Support seagoing recruitment coordination with Crewing and Managed Service Providers, including screening materials and onboarding logistics.
- Serve as a coordination point for marine-related scheduling matters affecting operations, crewing, or compliance.
- Support development of operational guidance and quality assurance materials to promote operational continuity and knowledge transfer across vessels and crew rotations.
- Coordinate logistics for training and operational readiness activities, including emergency preparedness exercises, fire response training, shore-based courses, simulator sessions, and related programs, and support coordination of third-party training providers.
- Support Marine Operations participation in design review and operational planning for newbuild vessels, including coordination of operational feedback and comment tracking.
- Assist with coordination of Managed Service Provider newbuild readiness activities including certification planning, Marine Owner Supply coordination, logistics planning, crewing readiness, and early crew familiarization programs.
- Maintain visibility across Marine Operations initiatives through program dashboards, milestone tracking, and coordinated status reporting across departments, vessels, and service providers.
- Maintain program-level reporting on operational priorities including regulatory readiness, training programs, newbuild preparation, and cross-department dependencies, ensuring timely follow-up on decisions and commitments.
- Maintain structured oversight of Marine Operations projects, compliance activities, and operational initiatives, identifying risks, delays, and dependencies affecting operational readiness and ensuring leadership visibility.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Functions, duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Competency
A bachelor’s degree in a Maritime related field is preferred. An equivalent combination of education, professional certifications, and relevant maritime exposure may be considered.
Experience in project coordination, operational support, or regulatory documentation environments is advantageous.
Work Environment
This role operates in a fast-paced maritime environment requiring coordination with shipboard teams, ship managers, shipyards, and corporate stakeholders across multiple time zones. The position involves primarily home-office based coordination and management work with periodic travel to vessels, shipyards, and training facilities as required.
The position is full-time and may periodically require working outside of normal business hours to support operational timelines.