Senior Crude Ship Operator

ConocoPhillips; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

ConocoPhillips is seeking a Ship Operator to oversee the safe, efficient, and commercially optimized execution of Crude & LPG voyages for time-chartered and spot vessels. You will coordinate voyage management, scheduling, and performance with internal stakeholders and external partners, ensuring regulatory compliance and accurate reporting.

The role requires strong leadership, a proactive mindset, and the ability to influence outcomes across diverse teams.

Job description

Welcome to ConocoPhillips, where innovation and excellence create a platform for opportunity and growth. Come realize your full potential here.

Who We Are

We are one of the world’s largest independent exploration and production companies, based on proved reserves and production of liquids and natural gas. With operations and activities in 13 countries, we explore for, develop, and produce crude oil and natural gas globally. We are challenged with an important job to safely find and deliver energy to the world. Our employees are critical to our success, and with them we power civilization.

We’re grounded by our SPIRIT Values – safety, people, integrity, responsibility, innovation, and teamwork. These values position us to deliver strong performance in a dynamic business – but not at all costs. We believe it’s not just what we do – it’s how we do it – that sets us apart.

Fostering an Inclusive Work Environment

To deliver superior performance, we create an environment that respects the contributions and differences of every individual. Wherever possible, we use these differences to drive competitive business advantage, personal growth and, ultimately, create business success.

Job Summary

The Job Opportunity

This role supports the Commercial team which is tasked with optimizing our global equity positions and supporting our Joint Venture projects as well as the global crude marketing portfolio. Commercial team activities include developing new markets to support current and future production, sourcing supplies, originating receiving terminal usage rights and term sales, and trading cargos. Ship Operator core activities include pre-voyage, post voyage, and active voyage management for chartered tankers.

Position Summary

The Ship Operator is responsible for the safe, efficient, and commercially optimized execution of Crude & LPG voyages. This role manages the day-to-day operations of time-chartered and spot vessels, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations, regulatory standards, and company policies. The operator serves as the key liaison between internal stakeholders and external partners including shipowners, terminals, brokers, and port agents. This position requires a confident and capable leader who can take ownership of complex operations, make sound decisions under pressure, and guide others with clarity and authority. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong leadership skills, a proactive mindset, and the ability to influence outcomes across diverse teams and stakeholders. The ship operator provides technical and commercial marine expertise to all ConocoPhillips business units, operations and projects by evaluating and proposing solutions to commercial marine challenges.

The Ship Operator is responsible for the voyage coordination, vessel scheduling, and related commercial activities for the support of tankers for ConocoPhillips worldwide. This position is also responsible for supporting a wide range of marine related projects by utilizing maritime field experience to provide technical expertise to global operations, projects and joint ventures.

The role is also accountable for data integrity across voyage systems, emissions and regulatory reporting readiness, and the effective management of claims, agents, and third‑party performance.

Position Overview

Key Responsibilities

Voyage Management

• Ensure successful voyage execution. This includes development & issuance of voyage orders, daily voyage status and reporting, bunker and fuel planning, effective communications with service providers, agent nomination, voyage documentation management, IMOS data integrity, IMOS/Veslink data integrity, timely completion of voyage cost allocations (VCAs), process hire, freight and port cost invoices, capture and allocate off-hire events, voyage file management, incident reporting and monitoring, and Owner performance management
• Maintain accurate voyage costs in IMOS and reconcile transfers to ETRM/ERP with Finance.
• Coordinate with terminals and port agents to manage berthing schedules, cargo documentation, and operational readiness.
• Examine vessel routing based on weather, fuel efficiency, cargo requirements and geopolitical considerations to ensure safe and cost-effective cargo delivery.
• Develop and demonstrate in-depth working knowledge of IMOS and related system integrations to ensure accurate voyage planning, execution, and reporting across commercial and operational workflows.
• Plan and execute marine fuel bunkering operations in coordination with suppliers and vessel masters.
• Accountable for crude and performance claims and claim related calculations.
• Collaborate with finance and chartering teams to ensure accurate financial reporting.
• Lead laytime calculations and demurrage negotiations; validate SOF integrity, berth/port definitions.
• Manage charterparty compliance (NOR validity, speed/consumption, pumping, heating, shifting/ice/interruption clauses), off‑hire capture, liquidated damages, and performance claims; coordinate with P&I/H&M/War regarding relevant risks.
• Oversee bunker planning and procurement; fuel quality standards, sampling, and fuel quality/quantity claims.
• Agree commercial speed and routing recommendations with the Master/owner, subject to safety requirements to balance TCE, CII targets, and EU ETS cost exposure; utilize AIS/port analytics to forecast congestion and schedule risk.
• Maintain owner and agent performance dashboards with KPIs.

Operational and Technical Management

• Demonstrate an understanding of the various types of reliquefication systems, containment systems, main engines, ship designs, etc. and be capable of articulating how they impact operational efficiency to a non-technical audience.
• Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the inter-relationships across cargo tank pressure management, fuel consumption at various speed requirements, cool-down & pressure reduction requirements prior to cargo transfer, forced vs. natural boil-off, Gas Combustion Unit usage, and be able to explain in detail how these impact the cost of a voyage as well as providing guidance as to the most efficient operational choices.
• Demonstrate an understanding of ship navigation including, voyage planning, weather routing, Vessel traffic separation schemes, congested areas, High Risk Areas, etc. and be able to explain in detail how these impact the cost of a voyage
• Support cargo handling procedures including tank preparation, loading, discharge operations, crude oil washing, custody transfer and measurement protocols
• Monitor and report on tank pressures, temperatures, and reliquefication system performance.