Global Chartering & Freight Strategy Lead

AKIJ Shipping Line Ltd; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

AKIJ Shipping Line Ltd is seeking a senior shipping professional to lead end-to-end vessel chartering, from enquiry to post-fixture handover. You will source cargoes, negotiate freight and terms, benchmark rates, and advise on profitable vessel employment across global routes.

The role requires shipping/maritime education, chartering qualifications as an advantage, and strong English communication. You will coordinate with Operations, Legal, and Commercial teams in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Honors degree in Shipping and Maritime Studies, Marine or Naval Architecture, Business Administration (Supply Chain, Marketing or Finance), Economics, or Engineering.
• A postgraduate degree or a chartering or shipbroking qualification (ICS or Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers) is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end vessel chartering, from enquiry and voyage estimate to fixture, charter party signing and post-fixture handover.
• Source cargoes and negotiate freight, hire and commercial terms to secure the most profitable vessel employment.
• Benchmark charter hire and freight rates against the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) and recommend fixing decisions to the General Manager.
• Analyze freight markets, trade flows and macroeconomic trends to spot cargo and employment opportunities.
• Prepare and update voyage estimates, TCE calculations and trading positions for each fixture.
• Coordinate vessel deployment, voyage planning and logistics with the Operations and Technical teams.
• Manage bunker requisitions, RFQs, supplier negotiations and bunker contract administration.
• Draft, review and administer charter parties and contract addenda, working with Legal and Compliance to ensure accuracy.
• Monitor commercial risks, claims, demurrage and despatch, and elevate exposures early with proposed actions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with shipowners, charterers, brokers and port agents.
• Support the development and execution of the annual chartering strategy and revenue plan.
• Drive process improvements and promote sustainable, compliant shipping practices in every fixture.

Skills

Vessel chartering

Freight negotiation

BDI benchmarking

Voyage estimation

TCE calculation

Charter party mgmt

Cargo sourcing

Bunker procurement

Vessel operations

Commercial risk mgmt

Market research

MS Excel

English fluency

Education

Maritime degree

Chartering qualification (ICS/ICSBs)

Job description

AKIJ Shipping Line Ltd is seeking a senior shipping professional to lead end-to-end vessel chartering, from enquiry to post-fixture handover. You will source cargoes, negotiate freight and terms, benchmark rates, and advise on profitable vessel employment across global routes.

The role requires shipping/maritime education, chartering qualifications as an advantage, and strong English communication. You will coordinate with Operations, Legal, and Commercial teams in a fast-paced environment.