Senior Crewing Manager

Algihaz Marine Contractors; Dubai; On-site; AED 600,000 - 850,000; Full time

Job summary

Algihaz Marine Contractors in the United Arab Emirates seeks a senior Crewing leader to drive strategy, governance, and workforce planning for offshore and marine operations. You will ensure crew availability, certification compliance, and regulatory alignment across the fleet, engaging with senior stakeholders and international agencies.

The role requires extensive experience in maritime crewing, budget oversight, and a track record of building scalable crewing structures to support fleet

Qualifications

• Minimum 10–15 years’ experience in maritime crewing or marine HR.
• Proven experience leading multicultural crewing teams across multiple nationalities and regions.
• Experience developing and implementing crewing strategies and workforce planning frameworks for fleet operations.
• Experience engaging senior management and advising on crewing capacity and operational readiness.
• Budget management incl. recruitment costs and agency expenditures.
• Experience auditing third-party manning agents and ensuring compliance with international labour requirements incl. MLC.
• Strong knowledge of seafarer certification under STCW.
• Proven track record presenting crewing performance to senior leadership.
• Experience managing crewing across multiple vessels for crew availability and compliance.
• Establishing relationships with international manning agencies, clients, and regulators.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Crewing Department with strategic direction and governance across the fleet.
• Develop and implement the company’s crewing strategy aligned with fleet growth and project mobilisation.
• Standardize crewing processes across Marine, Construction, and Project teams.
• Ensure crewing readiness for all vessels and maintain compliant seafarer pools.
• Align with client crewing requirements from major operators such as Aramco and ADNOC.
• Oversee selection and performance management of manning agencies.
• Develop and execute an audit framework for manning agents ensuring MLC compliance.
• Ensure seafarers meet STCW and flag state requirements.
• Manage crewing budget and KPIs for financial control and efficiency.
• Support fleet expansion and new vessel introductions in advance of operations.
• Engage with senior leadership, presenting performance and strategic initiatives.

Skills

Strategic Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Global Team Leadership

Budget Oversight

Crewing Strategy

Workforce Planning

Governance & Compliance

STCW Knowledge

Executive Communication

Operational Excellence

Job description

Reporting to: Head of Assets & Assurance

Experience:

• Minimum 10–15 years’ experience in maritime crewing or marine HR, with significant experience supporting offshore or marine operations.
• Proven experience leading and managing multicultural crewing teams across multiple nationalities and regions.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing crewing strategies, including building crewing structures, processes, and workforce planning frameworks from the ground up to support fleet operations and expansion.
• Experience engaging and influencing senior management and executive stakeholders, providing strategic advice on crewing capacity, workforce risk, and operational readiness.
• Proven experience developing, managing, and controlling departmental budgets, including recruitment costs, crew travel, and agency expenditure.
• Experience auditing and managing third-party manning agents, ensuring compliance with international maritime labour requirements including the Maritime Labour Convention.
• Strong knowledge of seafarer certification requirements under the STCW Convention.
• Experience presenting crewing performance, workforce planning, and operational updates to senior leadership and key stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience managing crewing operations across multiple vessels, ensuring crew availability, certification compliance, and operational continuity.
• Experience establishing and maintaining relationships with international manning agencies, clients, and regulatory authorities.

Skill / Attributes:

• Strategic Leadership and Business Strategy Development
• Project and Operational Management
• Executive Presentation and Senior Stakeholder Engagement
• Relationship Management with Clients, Regulators, and Manning Partners
• Leadership of Multicultural and Global Teams
• Budget Development and Financial Oversight
• Crewing Strategy and Workforce Planning
• Audit, Governance, and Regulatory Compliance including the Maritime Labour Convention
• Strong knowledge of seafarer certification frameworks under the STCW Convention
• Strategic decision-making and problem solving in complex operational environments.

Main Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the Crewing Department, providing strategic direction, governance, and development of the crewing team to ensure efficient and compliant crewing operations across the fleet.
• Develop and implement the company’s crewing strategy, aligning workforce planning with fleet growth, project mobilisation requirements, and long-term operational objectives.
• Standardize crewing processes and procedures across the organisation, ensuring alignment between Marine, Construction, and Project teams to support efficient crew planning, mobilisation, and operational readiness.
• Ensure crewing readiness for all vessels, maintaining a competent and compliant pool of seafarers to support offshore operations and project delivery.
• Maintain alignment with key client crewing and compliance requirements, including major operators such as Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, and Qatar Energy.
• Oversee the selection, contracting, and performance management of manning agencies, establishing strong global recruitment networks and ensuring effective contractual arrangements.
• Develop and execute a structured audit framework for manning agents, ensuring compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention and company governance standards.
• Ensure all seafarers meet certification and competency requirements under the STCW Convention and applicable flag state regulations.
• Develop, own, and manage the crewing department budget and performance KPIs, ensuring financial control, operational efficiency, and accountability for delivering agreed outcomes.
• Support fleet expansion, new vessel introductions, and project mobilisation, ensuring crewing frameworks and workforce capacity are established in advance of operational requirements.
• Engage with senior leadership, presenting crewing performance, workforce planning, and strategic initiatives to support informed decision-making.
• Contribute to wider company initiatives and transformation programmes, ensuring crewing capability supports broader operational, commercial, and growth objectives.