Operations Manager

JR United Kingdom; Addlestone; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading travel group seeks a Senior Operations Manager for Marine Onboarding in Addlestone. This role involves building a new team, overseeing onboarding processes, and ensuring compliance with maritime regulations. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in operations and strong leadership skills. The position offers a competitive salary and benefits.

Benefits

Pension

Healthcare

Free Holidays

Discounted Travel Opportunities

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in crew management or operations.
• Strong knowledge of maritime regulations (MLC, STCW).

Responsibilities

• Developing and leading the strategic direction for marine onboarding.
• Overseeing the end-to-end onboarding process and compliance checks.
• Managing escalated cases involving visas and crew changes.

Skills

Leadership

Problem-Solving

Communication

Analytical Skills

Stakeholder Management

Job description

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Senior Operations Manager - Marine Onboarding

Addlestone - Hybrid

Are you an experienced Operations professional looking for a role where you can contribute to building a new team for EMEA supporting the rapid growth of an internationally recognized travel group?

We Do Group is supporting one of the world's largest travel businesses as they establish new EMEA operations teams based near Addlestone, UK.

This is a new role leading maritime crew onboarding teams across EMEA and APAC for a complex global business.

Wish List

• 10+ years of experience in crew management, onboarding, or operations, preferably within the cruise or maritime industry
• Proven leadership in managing global teams and high-volume onboarding operations
• Strong knowledge of maritime regulations (MLC, STCW, flag state requirements) and their impact on crew onboarding and deployment
• Exceptional problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills focused on operational efficiency and compliance
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, capable of collaborating across land-based and shipboard teams
• Ability to handle high-pressure, time-sensitive situations such as crew changes, medical emergencies, or compliance issues

The Role

The Senior Operations Manager - Marine Onboarding will be responsible for:

• Developing and leading the strategic direction for marine onboarding, aligned with operational KPIs
• Leading and developing a team of marine onboarding specialists and documentation coordinators, fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Overseeing the end-to-end onboarding process, including documentation verification, medical clearances, visas, work permits, and compliance checks, ensuring adherence to maritime regulations (e.g., MLC, STCW)
• Ensuring accurate, efficient processing of crew documentation in line with company policies, port requirements, and flag state regulations
• Collaborating with Marine Operations, Scheduling, Compliance, and HR teams on crew movement, workforce planning, and ship deployment needs
• Driving onboarding efficiency through data insights, process optimization, and technology enhancements
• Managing escalated cases involving visas, medical evaluations, background checks, and last-minute crew changes to support ship operations
• Standardizing onboarding policies and procedures fleet-wide, aligned with regulatory and corporate standards
• Acting as a liaison with flag states, port authorities, recruitment partners, and regulatory agencies to address compliance and industry best practices

Your Profile

We seek an experienced, managerial operations professional with strong leadership, high energy, and emotional intelligence.

You should be passionate about delivering exceptional service in a fast-paced, compliant environment.

Experience in the maritime industry is advantageous, but relevant experience in high-certification industries such as oil & gas, aviation, hospitality, logistics, or distribution is also valuable.

Salary & Benefits

£80,000 - £90,000 annually plus bonus and comprehensive benefits including pension, healthcare, free holidays, and discounted travel opportunities.

The role initially requires in-office presence 4 days per week. The office is accessible via public transport and offers onsite parking.