Head of Human Resources / Crewing (m/f/d)

TT-Line GmbH & Co. KG; Lübeck; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Strategic role

International environment

Broad scope for impact

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

TT-Line is seeking a senior HR/Crewing leader to drive the strategic and operational aspects of crew management. You will oversee seagoing personnel, lead a diverse HR/Crewing team and align workforce plans with fleet deployment and route network.

The role requires strong negotiation, stakeholder management and a hands-on leadership style to ensure compliant, cost-efficient crew solutions across international maritime operations.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in shipping, maritime HR or crewing management.
• Strong knowledge of crew planning systems and seafarer recruitment.
• Experience with collective bargaining, unions and international employment models.
• Excellent leadership, negotiation and communication skills.
• Ability to balance strategic aims with operational requirements.
• Business-fluent written and spoken English.

Responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for HR and Crewing incl. seagoing personnel.
• Develop and implement future-oriented HR/Crewing strategy.
• Lead and professionalise the HR/Crewing team with KPIs and processes.
• Strategic workforce planning for nautical, technical and hotel functions.
• Crew planning, rotations, travel, certificates and training records.
• Negotiate and monitor CBAs, contracts and relationships with unions.
• Budget responsibility for personnel and crewing costs.
• Report to Management Board and collaborate with multiple departments.
• Develop crew welfare, leadership and employer-branding initiatives.

Skills

Leadership experience

Crew planning knowledge

Negotiation skills

Communication skills

Strategic thinking

Maritime industry understanding

Tools

Crew management systems

Job description

TT-Line has been the bridge across the Baltic Sea for over 60 years—connecting Germany, Poland, Lithuania, and Sweden with reliable, high-quality, and environmentally conscious ferry services. With nine modern Ro-Pax ferries, we carry nearly 1 million guests and over 500,000 freight units each year. Our team of more than 900 employees from 33 nations is proud to shape the future of sustainable sea transport.

Tasks

The area of responsibility includes:

• Overall responsibility for Human Resources and Crewing incl. our seagoing personnel and the reliable manning of our fleet
• Development and implementation of a future-oriented HR and Crewing strategy aligned with fleet deployment, route network, growth and operational reliability
• Leadership, development and professionalisation of the HR/Crewing team, including clear structures, KPIs, processes, reporting and digital tools
• Strategic workforce planning, recruitment, selection, retention and succession planning for nautical, technical, hotel/catering and other shipboard functions
• Responsibility for crew planning, rotations, reliefs, travel, certificates, medicals, training records and audit-ready documentation in accordance with MLC, STCW, flag-state and safe-manning requirements
• Negotiation, management and monitoring of collective bargaining agreements, crewing/manning contracts, service agreements and relationships with maritime unions, crewing agencies and external partners
• Budget responsibility for personnel and crewing costs, forecasts, reporting and continuous improvement of cost, quality, compliance and crew availability
• Reporting directly to Management Board and working closely with Ship Management, Technical, Nautical, Operations, Finance and external stakeholders
• Development of crew welfare, performance management, leadership, training and employer-branding initiatives to strengthen TT-Line as an attractive maritime employer

Requirements

To be expected:

• Leadership experience in shipping, maritime HR, crewing, manning or fleet personnel management
• Strong knowledge of crew planning, crew management systems, manning agencies, seafarer recruitment and the international crewing market
• Sound knowledge of maritime labour regulations and standards, in particular MLC 2006, STCW, flag-state/safe-manning requirements and audit/compliance processes
• Experience with collective bargaining agreements, ITF/IBF or comparable maritime CBA structures, crewing contracts, union/stakeholder negotiations and international employment models
• Excellent leadership, negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to manage complex structures, conflicting priorities and time-critical operational issues
• Entrepreneurial mindset, high level of integrity, resilience, hands‑on mentality and the ability to combine strategic thinking with operational excellence
• Business‑fluent written and spoken English is required

Benefits

We offer:

• Management role with high strategic relevance and direct influence on fleet reliability, crew performance and company success
• Employment in a strategically important function with broad scope for impact and development
• International working environment with modern ferries, diverse teams and a strong market position in the Baltic Sea
• Short decision‑making paths, entrepreneurial scope and the opportunity to professionalise and further develop a key function
• A dynamic and committed team with a friendly atmosphere and strong team spirit
• Subject‑specific training and development opportunities

This is a management position reporting directly to the Management Board „Geschäftsführer”. The role carries substantial responsibility for the people, processes and partnerships that ensure the safe, compliant and reliable operation of our fleet. As a trusted strategic partner you will shape the HR and Crewing function and ensure that TT-Line has the right crew, capabilities and structures for its current operations and future development.

You can look forward to an interesting, varied and challenging management position in a successful and growing shipping company. We are looking for an experienced, trustworthy and resilient leader with HR/Crewing expertise, strong judgement and the ability to act as a credible partner to the Management Board, crews and external stakeholders.