Role Synopsis
The Voyage Performance Specialist is a critical execution role within the Commercial Optimization team, responsible for safeguarding and maximizing voyage P&L through three integrated workstreams:
navigation & routing compliance,
vessel performance monitoring, and
commercial contract risk management.
Safety of navigation is the foundational principle of this role. All recommendations related to routing, speed, and voyage interventions are made with the clear understanding that
commercial optimization must never compromise the safety of the vessel, crew, or cargo. The Specialist operates with the belief that commercial sense and safe navigation are mutually reinforcing—not competing—priorities.
Functioning at the intersection of daily voyage operations and commercial strategy, this role leverages digital routing and weather optimization tools (e.g., ZeroNorth) to monitor all active vessels in real time, proactively addressing speed/route deviations and ensuring each voyage follows the most efficient and commercially sound plan.
This position serves as the
primary owner of vessel underperformance claims, leading the end-to-end process of identifying, quantifying, filing, and recovering claims within timebar in collaboration with shipowners, technical managers, and internal teams.
Additionally, the Specialist acts as the
Person in Charge (PIC) for key commercial contracts, including scrubber provisions, deslop, demucking, and towage, driving contract standardization, early risk identification, and enforcement of commercial terms.
The role works closely with Operations, Chartering, Claims, Port Agency, and Procurement teams while also supporting the Regional Optimization Leads in Singapore and the UK as needed.
Key Accountabilities
Voyage Safety & Routing
- Champion and uphold safe navigation practices across the fleet, ensuring all intervention recommendations prioritize vessel, crew, and cargo safety.
- Monitor all active voyages daily using digital routing and weather tools (e.g., ZeroNorth), tracking route compliance, instructed speeds, ECA exposure, and weather optimization opportunities.
- Identify and call out speed and route deviations to Masters and Operations, providing data-driven recommendations and ensuring follow-through to resolution.
- Optimize weather routing for every voyage, balancing navigational safety with fuel, time, and commercial efficiency considerations.
Performance Management & Claims
- Serve as the primary point of accountability for all vessel underperformance claims—identification, quantification, filing, tracking, and full recovery within timebar.
- Work with the Performance Manager to investigate underperforming vessels, analyze dashboards/metrics, identify root causes, and drive corrective action with internal and external partners.
Commercial Contract Management
- Act as PIC for commercial contracts across the fleet (deslop, demucking, towage, scrubber provisions), ensuring risks are addressed early and terms are fully enforced.
- Review deslop, demucking, and towage contracts to identify commercial exposure, coordinate recoveries, and validate cost accuracy with Procurement and Port Agency teams.
Essential Experience
- Minimum 3 years in commercial shipping, ideally in TC performance, voyage operations, fleet performance, or commercial optimization with direct exposure to live voyage management.
- Strong understanding of safe navigation principles and ability to balance commercial decisions with navigational safety.
- Experience sailing as a senior deck officer or equivalent.
- Hands-on use of digital routing and weather optimization platforms (e.g., ZeroNorth) for daily fleet monitoring, speed/route analysis, and ECA compliance.
- Proven track record managing vessel underperformance claims from identification through successful recovery.
- Ability to interpret commercial shipping contracts, including scrubber provisions, performance clauses, off-hire terms, and voyage-related operational costs (deslop, demucking, supercargo, towage).
- Proficiency with performance dashboards and voyage systems—strong intervention approach.
- Demonstrated ability to challenge Masters, owners, and Operations teams using data, with evidence of successful value recovery while upholding navigational safety.
- Experience collaborating cross-functionally with Operations, Chartering, Claims, Procurement, and Port Agency in a fast-paced shipping environment.
Desirable Experience
- Recent experience in a vessel-owning entity, tanker pool, or integrated shipping organization with exposure to commercial decision-making and fleet performance drivers.
- Experience sailing as Master.
- Exposure to LPG, CPP, or DPP tanker markets, including familiarity with product tanker operations and voyage economics.
- Understanding of port agency and procurement processes (DA/PDA review, port cost benchmarking, cost recovery).
- Strong influencing skills and partner management across technical, commercial, and operational teams, as well as external partners.
- Familiarity with risk management, compliance, and governance requirements in commercial shipping.
- Experience working across multiple regions/time zones (Singapore, UK, US preferred).
