Senior Catering Crew Manager

V.Group; Manila; On-site; PHP 600,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

V.Group, a global leader in ship management and marine services, seeks a skilled specialist to own and develop the catering crew pool, driving improved onboard performance and client satisfaction.

You will forecast demand, match crew to vessels, assess training needs, and drive career progression with emphasis on cost control, menu planning, and victualing management across ShipSure-based processes.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in catering, hospitality, or food operations (preferably ship catering).
• Experience in crewing, marine HR, or workforce planning.
• Knowledge of food cost control, menu planning, and victualing management.
• Experience in assessing crew performance and identifying development needs.

Responsibilities

• Own catering crew pool management and recruitment alignment with candidate pipeline visibility and suitability.
• Forecast demand, review rotation plans, and assign crew for optimal fit and continuity.
• Develop crew through appraisals and training, defining career pathways (e.g., Messman, Cook).
• Integrate Oceanic training into crewing processes and record outcomes in ShipSure.
• Monitor pool strength and performance, drive continuous improvement in planning and catering standards.

Skills

Crew management

Workforce planning

Catering operations

Menu planning

Victualing management

Budgeting awareness

Tools

ShipSure

Job description

Location Country Philippines
Work Location Manila
Who are V? As a global leader in ship management and marine services, we add value to a vessel’s operations. Operating around the clock and around the world, V. gives every client the quality and efficiency they need in every sector. Covering crew management and recruitment, quality ship management and technical services, together with supporting management and commercial services, V. has an unrivalled industry knowledge with performance assured. Our values, We Care, We Collaborate, We Challenge, We are Consistent, We Commit and Deliver, are at the heart of everything we do and they support our strategy of Investing in Talent. We are always interested in making contact with talented individuals - people who will demonstrate our values and deliver great service, for internal and external stakeholders.Overall Purpose of The Job

• Create and own the pool of competent catering crew directly driving improved catering performance onboard, crew and customer satisfaction while enabling a strong budgetary and dietary compliance. Take accountability as relationship owner representing V.Group.

Key Responsibilities And Tasks

• Own catering crew pool management and recruitment alignment by maintaining full visibility of candidate pipeline and active catering crew pool, screening and shortlisting candidates based on culinary competency, vessel experience, and client requirements, and ensuring readiness for planning and deployment.
• Take responsibility for and conduct workforce planning and crew-to-vessel matching by forecasting demand and, reviewing rotation plans, and assigning crew based on performance history, and customer compatibility to ensure optimal fit and continuity.
• Drive structured crew development and progression by assessing appraisals, feedback, and debrief inputs, identifying training needs and promotion readiness, and defining clear career pathways (e.g., Messman Cook Chief Cook).
• Own training planning and integration of Oceanic - in the crewing processes by identifying candidates for training programs, aligning training schedules and capacity with Oceanic, ensuring all training needs and outcomes are recorded in ShipSure, and embedding training into actual deployment decisions.
• Monitor pool strength and performance outcomes by tracking key indicators (e.g., bench strength, retention, victualing budget performance, crew feedback), evaluating post-training impact, and driving continuous improvement in planning, development, and catering standards, thereby driving continued and consistent quality levels.

What can I expect in return? V. Group can offer you a market leading salary and benefits package, in addition to significant opportunities for career growth and personal development. This a great opportunity to join a true leader in the maritime sector - a company that has exciting plans for future growth.Essential

• Strong experience in catering, hospitality, or food operations (preferably with ship catering background)
• Experience in crewing, marine HR, or workforce planning
• Practical knowledge of food cost control, menu planning, and victualing management
• Experience in assessing crew performance and identifying development needs
• Strong planning, coordination, and decision-making skills
• Understanding of end-to-end crew lifecycle (assessment, training, deployment)

Desirable

• Previous shipboard leadership experience (e.g., Chief Cook, Chief Steward)
• Experience working with training providers or competency frameworks
• Exposure to process improvement / operational excellence initiatives
• Familiarity with systems such as ShipSure or similar crew management platforms
• Good communication, reporting, and data interpretation skills