Senior Marine & Port Operations Leader

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Ltd; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life Assurance

Maternity/Paternity pay

Discounted holidays and cruises

Job summary

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is seeking a Head of Marine Operations to lead the marine, port and itinerary delivery for our vessel operations.

This shoreside role requires close collaboration with shipboard teams, the Product and Commercial functions, and regulatory stakeholders to ensure safe, compliant and guest-focused operations. The successful candidate will bring extensive maritime leadership experience, a proven ability to manage complex operational change and a commitment to delivering

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of sea-going experience as a Captain or Staff Captain on large cruise vessels.
• At least 5 years of senior shoreside management experience in itinerary planning, marine logistics, or port agency oversight.
• Hold a valid Master Unlimited Certificate of Competency (CoC), with a current STCW certification.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and working with shipboard leadership and shoreside partners.
• Strong understanding of shipboard operations, port call execution, navigation safety, and risk management.
• Strong commercial awareness, budget discipline, and ability to balance safety, compliance, and guest experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead FOCL’s marine operations function with governance, safety and continuous improvement.
• Establish and maintain marine operating standards reflecting regulatory obligations and best practices.
• Provide leadership to the Maritime Standards Lead across fleet.
• Support Safety Management System content for on-board operations.
• Lead port operations to ensure safe, efficient port calls and turnarounds.
• Coordinate itinerary planning with Product, Commercial, Destination Services and shipboard teams.
• Oversee berth planning and port schedules and operator readiness for each call.
• Balance safety, compliance, guest experience and commercial requirements in decisions.
• Lead the duty operations system for out-of-hours oversight and escalation.
• Build and lead a capable Marine and Port Operations team with clear roles.

Skills

Leadership

Maritime operations

Port operations

Budget discipline

Stakeholder communication

Regulatory compliance

Disruption response

Education

Master Unlimited CoC

STCW certification

Job description

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is seeking a Head of Marine Operations to lead the marine, port and itinerary delivery for our vessel operations.

This shoreside role requires close collaboration with shipboard teams, the Product and Commercial functions, and regulatory stakeholders to ensure safe, compliant and guest-focused operations. The successful candidate will bring extensive maritime leadership experience, a proven ability to manage complex operational change and a commitment to delivering