Deputy Harbour Master

Dublin Port; Leinster; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Dublin Port seeks a senior maritime leader to act as Duty Harbour Master, overseeing regulatory compliance, vessel movements, and incident management within Ireland’s premier port. The role requires strategic leadership, on‑call availability, and extensive maritime CIC responsibilities.

You will lead a team in a high‑risk, 24/7 environment, ensuring safety, resilience and alignment with the Masterplan 2040 and EU regulations. Strong communication with regulators is essential.

Qualifications

• STCW II/2 Master Certificate valid for service in the Irish Mercantile Marine.
• Significant experience as Ship’s Master or Harbour Master leadership.
• Expert knowledge of pilotage, ship handling and marine risk management.
• Experience leading operational teams in a 24/7 environment.
• Strong ability to interpret and apply maritime legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Experience in investigations, report writing and implementing corrective actions.

Responsibilities

• Act as Duty Harbour Master on call, exercising delegated statutory powers.
• Regulate and be responsible for the safe movement of all vessels within the Port’s jurisdiction.
• Oversee vessel traffic management through port systems and berthing coordination.
• Provide oversight of pilotage, towage and port craft operations.
• Lead marine emergency response, pollution response and incident management.
• Maintain the Harbour Master Plan and support audits, inspections and continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Maritime risk management

Regulatory compliance

Decision making

Communication

On-call operations

Education

STCW II/2 Unlimited Master Mariner’s Certificate of Competency

Third-level maritime safety/management qualification

Job description

Overview

The Harbour Master Team comprises of the Harbour Master, two Deputy Harbour Masters and two Assistant Harbour Masters. The Deputy Harbour Master is a senior marine management role, providing operational leadership, regulatory oversight and emergency response capability, while contributing to strategic development, resilience and succession planning in line with Dublin Port Company’s Masterplan 2040 and ever evolving national and EU regulatory requirements. The role involves day‑to‑day operational management, strategic leadership and participation in an on‑call rota as Duty Harbour Master.

Why Join Us?

Dublin Port Company is a State‑owned commercial entity with responsibility for the development and operation of Dublin Port. As Ireland’s largest freight and passenger port, we handle nearly 50% of national trade. Dublin Port operates in a highly competitive environment, providing essential national infrastructure as a Tier 1 port under National Ports Policy and part of the EU TEN‑T Core Network. Located at the heart of Dublin City and connected to the nation via a world‑class route to market system, we are central to Ireland’s economic and logistical ecosystem. We are currently progressing our Masterplan towards 2040, with significant investment in infrastructure, sustainability, and digital transformation.

Key Responsibilities

Statutory & Operational Authority

• Act as Duty Harbour Master when on call, exercising delegated statutory powers under the Harbours Acts.
• Act as Harbour Master in the absence of the Harbour Master, with full authority and accountability.
• Regulate and be responsible for the safe movement of all commercial and leisure vessels within the Port’s jurisdiction.
• Issue and enforce Harbour Bye‑Laws, Notices to Mariners and operational directions.

Marine Operations & Safety

• Oversee vessel traffic management through VTS and associated port systems.
• Manage berthing, un‑berthing and berth allocation in coordination with marine and terminal stakeholders.
• Provide oversight of pilotage, towage and port craft operations.
• Ensure compliance with Dangerous Substances legislation, including Oil Jetty operations.
• In conjunction with the Harbour Master, lead marine emergency response, pollution response and incident management.
• Ensure marine elements of the Dublin Port Emergency Management Plan are maintained, exercised and reviewed.

Governance, Compliance & Regulation

• Ensure compliance with:
• ISPO (International Standard for Maritime Pilot Organisations).
• IALA standards and guidance, including VTS governance.
• EU Critical Entity Resilience (CER) Directive.
• Port Reception Facilities (PRF) Directive.
• ISPS Code and associated port facility security obligations.
• Maintain effective liaison with the Marine Survey Office (MSO) and other regulatory authorities.
• Support audits, inspections, investigations and continuous improvement activities.

Leadership & People Management

• Lead, coach and mentor teams to promote a strong safety culture, operational excellence and staff wellbeing.
• Support workforce planning, succession development and competence assurance.
• Participate in informal and formal industrial relations processes as required.

Strategic Contribution

• Support the Harbour Master in ensuring the Harbour Function remains fit for purpose in line with Masterplan 2040.
• Contribute to service development, system improvements and organisational change.
• Support inter‑departmental collaboration across Engineering, Operations, IT, HR and Commercial functions.

On‑Call Responsibilities

• The Deputy Harbour Master participates in a 1‑in‑4 on‑call rota, alongside the second Deputy Harbour Master and the two Assistant Harbour Masters. On‑call duties include availability outside normal working hours to manage marine operations, incidents and emergencies affecting critical national infrastructure.

Essential

Qualifications and Experience

• STCW II/2 Unlimited Master Mariner’s Certificate of Competency, valid for service in the Irish Mercantile Marine.
• Significant experience as a Ship’s Master or within a Harbour Master / Senior Marine management team.
• Expert knowledge of pilotage, PECs, ship handling and marine risk management.
• Demonstrable leadership experience managing operational teams in a 24/7 environment.
• Strong ability to interpret and apply maritime legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Experience in investigations, report writing and implementing corrective actions.
• Strong communication, judgement and decision‑making skills.

Desirable

• Third‑level qualifications in a relevant maritime, management or safety discipline.
• Experience with safety management systems, auditing and compliance frameworks.

Key Competencies / Personal Skills & Attributes

• Safety Leadership
• Risk Management
• Stakeholder Management: Identify stakeholders impacted by decisions, take steps to keep interested parties engaged while managing expectations on outcomes.
• Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Objectively analyse and evaluate available data, points of view, needs of stakeholders and potential solutions before recommending relevant actions or decisions.
• Influence & Persuasion: Adapt the content style and message or tone of communications to suit the audience to gain agreement to proposals and ideas using effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Communicate with Impact: Use various communication media to convey information, ideas, and insights in ways that maximise understanding of key messages; possess good written and verbal communication skills.

Personal Attributes

• Ethical, resilient and professionally courageous.
• Calm and assured when managing complex operational risk.
• Approachable, fair and compassionate.
• Confident engaging with senior management, regulators and frontline teams.
• Proactive, solutions‑focused and adaptable.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Dublin Port Company is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to creating a workplace that promotes diversity and inclusion, and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.