Operations Manager

JR United Kingdom; Guildford; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading travel group seeks a Senior Operations Manager for their new maritime onboarding team in Guildford. This role involves developing operational strategies and leading a team to ensure compliance and efficiency in crew onboarding across EMEA and APAC. Candidates should possess extensive operations management experience, ideally in maritime, and demonstrate strong problem-solving and stakeholder management skills. The role offers a salary between £80,000 and £90,000, hybrid work options, and excellent benefits.

Benefits

Pension

Healthcare

Free holidays

Discounted travel opportunities

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in crew management or operations in maritime or similar industries.
• Strong knowledge of maritime regulations (MLC, STCW).
• Excellent communication and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop marine onboarding teams across EMEA and APAC.
• Oversee onboarding processes including documentation and compliance checks.
• Collaborate with HR teams and manage escalated cases efficiently.

Skills

Crew management

Operational efficiency

Compliance

Problem-solving

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 in their UK HQ near Addlestone.

This is a new role leading the 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 track record in leading global teams and managing complex, 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, with a focus on operational efficiency and compliance
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate across land-based and shipboard teams
• Ability to manage high-pressure, time-sensitive situations such as crew changes, medical emergencies, or compliance escalations

The Role

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

• Developing and leading the strategic direction for marine onboarding, ensuring alignment with KPIs
• Leading and developing a team of marine onboarding specialists and documentation coordinators, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Overseeing end-to-end onboarding processes, including documentation verification, medical clearances, visa/work permit processing, 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, and flag state regulations
• Collaborating with Marine Operations, Scheduling, Compliance, and HR teams to align crew movement, workforce planning, and ship deployment needs
• Driving improvements in onboarding efficiency through data insights, process optimization, and technology
• Managing escalated cases involving visa issues, medical evaluations, background checks, and last-minute crew changes to support ship operations
• Standardizing onboarding policies and procedures across the fleet to meet regulatory and corporate compliance
• Serving 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 high energy and emotional intelligence, capable of leading in a fast-paced, compliance-driven environment.

Experience in the maritime industry is advantageous, but relevant experience in industries like oil & gas, aviation, hospitality, logistics, or distribution—especially those with high certification and compliance requirements—will also be considered.

Salary & Benefits

£80,000 - £90,000 per annum plus bonus and excellent benefits including pension, healthcare, free holidays, and discounted travel opportunities.

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