RIVER - Corporate Compliance Officer

Viking; Basel; Hybrid; CHF 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Modern workspace

Job summary

Viking seeks a Corporate Compliance Officer to ensure emergency readiness across its river fleet and shore operations. The role negotiates safety plans, conducts training, and leads audits, travelling across Europe while working from Basel and remotely when possible.

You will collaborate with ship captains, technical teams, and Viking’s maritime training academy to maintain safety standards and drive continuous improvements.

Qualifications

• Hands-on knowledge of shipboard safety and emergency response.
• Writes clear, practical procedures that crews can follow and auditors can verify.
• Organized; manages a training program and an exercise calendar across a large fleet.
• Several years in passenger shipping or another safety-critical maritime environment with a certified SMS.
• Experience as a Safety Officer or onboard safety role.

Responsibilities

• Keep the fleet’s emergency plans, checklists and onboard teams current and workable on every ship type.
• Own the standard for safety and firefighting equipment; ensure inspections and repairs.
• Assess fire safety, evacuation and safe access; plan and run joint exercises with authorities.
• Own the yearly emergency preparedness training program with the maritime training academy.
• Keep weekly onboard drills effective; observe, evaluate and report quality.
• Own the content and evaluation of the annual Safety Day; coach staff to run drills.
• Develop digital training material and onboard emergency material; keep it consistent with procedures.
• Write and update safety procedures; train crews on changes.
• Carry out internal audits on board and in offices against ISO 45001/14001; verify audit quality.
• Analyze root causes and follow corrective actions; support post-incident improvements.

Skills

Shipboard safety

Procedures writing

Training program management

Education

Nautical/Maritime degree

ISO 45001/14001 auditor training

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

Viking (NYSE: VIK) is a global leader in experiential travel with a fleet of more than 100 ships, exploring 21 rivers, five oceans and all seven continents. Designed for curious travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Executive Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers experiences For The Thinking Person™. Viking has more than 450 awards to its name, including being rated #1 for Rivers and #1 for Oceans five years in a row byCondé Nast Traveler and the 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking is also rated a “World’s Best” byTravel + Leisure—no other travel company has simultaneously received such honors by both publications.

Please note that we can unfortunately only accept applicants who are eligible to work in Switzerland or are in possession of a valid work permit. Please do only apply for the position if you comply with those conditions.

Role Description

• The Corporate Compliance Officer reports to the Compliance Manager, Nautical Compliance, and makes sure that Viking’s river fleet, growing to about 90 ships and 1,500 crew members, is ready for an emergency on every day of the season.
• This role keeps the emergency plans, procedures and safety equipment standards current and practical, and runs the yearly emergency preparedness training and the joint exercises with fire brigades, rescue services and local authorities.
• On board, the Corporate Compliance Officer acts as an independent observer and internal auditor, checking that what is written in the office is what actually happens on the ship, and turns these observations into practical improvements that are followed up until they work.
• The role works closely with the captains, the Corporate Captains (Viking’s fleet captains, who each supervise a group of ships), the technical department and Viking’s own maritime training academy, while running the ship stays with the ship’s command: this role sets the standard, trains, checks and helps fix.
• This is a field-based corporate role: about 70% of the time is spent traveling to the ships, harbors and stakeholders across Europe; the remaining time is divided between the Basel office and working from home. The working-time model is explained during the selection process.

The role also supports Viking’s operations in Egypt by transferring knowledge on emergency preparedness to the local contact person.

Key Responsibilities

Emergency preparedness

• Keep the fleet’s emergency plans, checklists and onboard emergency teams current, legally compliant and workable on every ship type; have them ready before a new ship or a new river enters service.
• Own the standard for safety and firefighting equipment; check on board that equipment is inspected and in order, and follow up repairs with the technical department.
• Assess fire safety, evacuation and safe access in the winter lay‑up harbors and the main embarkation ports; plan and run joint exercises with fire brigades, rescue services and authorities, and follow up the lessons learned.

Training, drills & Safety Day

• Own the yearly emergency preparedness training program, including the safety content of the season start training, together with Viking’s maritime training academy.
• Keep the weekly onboard emergency drills effective: observe and evaluate drills, improve the scenarios, and report drill quality per ship and for the fleet.
• Own the content and the evaluation of the annual Safety Day; coach captains, officers and onboard safety leads so they run good drills themselves.
• Develop digital training material and onboard emergency material, and keep it consistent with the procedures.

Procedures, audits & improvement

• Write and update safety procedures and checklists from onboard practice; test them on board before release and train the crews on what changes.
• Carry out independent internal audits on board, in the offices and in the winter harbors against ISO 45001 and ISO 14001; check the quality of the ship audits done by the Corporate Captains.
• Analyze the root causes of recurring gaps with the Compliance Manager, propose practical solutions, and follow corrective actions on board until they are closed.
• Support crews on board after incidents, verify that the agreed improvements are in place, and support the external certification audits.

Key Qualifications

Leadership and Functional Skills

• Hands‑on knowledge of shipboard safety, emergency response and firefighting; able to run and evaluate a drill and to teach others to run one.
• Writes clear, practical procedures that crews can follow and auditors can verify.
• Organized; manages a training program, an exercise calendar and many stakeholders across a large fleet.

Professional Experience

• Several years in passenger shipping or another safety‑critical maritime environment with a certified safety management system.
• Experience as a Safety Officer or in an equivalent onboard safety role.

Soft Skills

• Objective and observant; sees the gap, finds the cause and helps design a solution that works on board.
• Credible with crews and office alike; a trainer who explains why, not only what.
• Calm, reliable and independent while traveling.

Other Skills And Requirements

• English at business level; German or French at business level.
• Proficient in Microsoft 365; comfortable creating digital training material.
• Travel up to 80%; driver’s license B.

Measurable Goals

• Every ship has current, workable emergency plans and procedures, including new ships and new rivers before they enter service.
• Drills and the Safety Day run well on every ship, with their quality measured and reported.
• Training and joint exercises with emergency services delivered as planned, with lessons learned followed up.
• Gaps between procedures and practice found early and closed with practical solutions; no major findings at external audits in the areas owned.

EDUCATION

• Degree in nautical science, maritime studies, safety engineering or a related field, or equivalent professional formation.
• Internal auditor qualification for ISO 45001 and ISO 14001, or the willingness to obtain it in the first year.

Nice-to-have Qualifications

• Inland waterway or river cruise experience.
• Other languages spoken in the fleet.

Culture & Benefits

• Fast-growing and dynamic environment, a modern workspace, flexible working hours.