Business Development Chartering Manager

Jobtailor

Houston (TX)

On-site

USD 110,000 - 140,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Jobtailor in Houston, TX seeks a strategic leader to drive maritime government contracting initiatives, chartering operations, and growth from the field. You will collaborate with the President and executives on planning, forecasting, and bid strategy while guiding market research and AI-assisted analysis.

The role involves managing bids for MSC, MARAD, and USTRANSCOM and coordinating with finance, operations, and legal teams to ensure compliant, timely execution.

Qualifications

BS in Business Management or Maritime field; MBA preferred.
Experience in vessel chartering, shipbroking, or commercial operations.
Familiarity with U.S. government maritime contracting.
Strong financial planning and Excel skills; ability to build voyage estimates and P&L models.
Excellent written and verbal communication; capable of presentations.

Responsibilities

Support strategic planning, goal setting, and forecasting of sales targets and growth.
Prospect markets, identify leads, and pursue government and commercial opportunities.
Own bid/proposal process from identification to submission; draft proposals and lead meetings.
Provide P&L analysis, voyage estimates, and post-fixture reviews.
Coordinate with operations, legal, and finance; ensure contract compliance.
Utilize AI tools to speed up research, reporting, and proposals.
Monitor markets, freight rates, and vessel positions to inform strategy.
Negotiate charter party terms and build relationships with brokers and counterparties.

Skills

Strategic planning

Forecasting

Market research

Financial analysis

AI tools proficiency

Proposal drafting

Negotiation

Relationship building

Presentation skills

Data analysis

Education

BS in Business Management

MBA preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Maritime Market Data Platforms

AI Tools

Job description

Assist the company President and other executives with strategic planning, goal setting, and forecasting of sales targets and growth projections.
Prospect and research target markets, identify leads, and pursue new business opportunities across government (MSC, MARAD, USTRANSCOM) and commercial maritime segments.
Take direct ownership of the bid/proposal process for government and commercial opportunities — from opportunity identification through proposal submission — including drafting proposals, preparing sales presentations, and leading sales meetings.
Support the Finance team in the annual operating budget and forecast processes.
Evaluate strategic options and provide advice to leadership with regard to new business and bid structuring.
Analyze and interpret data to provide accurate, useful, and timely reports, using AI tools where helpful to work through data faster.
Act as liaison between the business and accounting shared services group.
Identify business process improvement opportunities and develop solution options.
Proactively bring forward AI tools and applications that could help the team research markets, draft proposals, or streamline reporting.
Ad hoc reporting and analysis.
Maintain strong working knowledge of U.S. government contracting, particularly MSC, MARAD, and USTRANSCOM frameworks and how they apply to Patriot's contracts.
Stay up-to-date on industry developments and competitors.
Serve as the commercial chartering lead for Patriot's owned vessels, including shallow draft product tankers, managing voyage and time charter fixtures from inquiry through completion.
Negotiate charter party terms, freight/hire rates, laytime, demurrage, and off-hire matters directly with charterers, brokers, and counterparties.
Build and maintain relationships with brokers, charterers, and commercial counterparties across the coastal and shallow draft tanker trades.
Monitor freight markets, bunker prices, vessel positions, and competing tonnage to inform fixture strategy and vessel positioning, using AI and market data tools to speed up research and analysis.
Coordinate with vessel operations, technical, and legal teams to ensure smooth voyage execution, vetting/inspection readiness, and contract compliance.
Track and resolve commercial disputes (e.g., billing, demurrage, off-hire) in coordination with legal counsel and operations.
Prepare voyage estimates, P&L analysis, and post-fixture reviews to support pricing and chartering decisions.

Requirements

BS. in Business Management, Maritime Business/Transportation, or similar field; MBA preferred.
Prior experience in vessel chartering, shipbroking, or commercial vessel operations strongly preferred.
Familiarity with U.S. government maritime contracting (MSC, MARAD, USTRANSCOM) strongly preferred.
Strong financial planning & Excel background; comfort building voyage estimates and P&L models.
Strong analytical background with strict attention to detail.
Comfortable using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) as part of everyday work; curiosity to learn new tools and apply them to research, analysis, and reporting.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to make effective presentations and convey reporting to stakeholders.
The ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex documents, including charter parties and government contracts.
Proficient using Microsoft Office applications; familiarity with maritime market data platforms (e.g., Kpler, Clarksons) a plus.
Ability to prioritize tasks, perform detailed execution of tasks, and adapt to a changing environment.
Strong business acumen and comfort operating across both government contracting and commercial chartering environments.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in vessel chartering and U.S. government maritime contracting, with strong analytical skills and proficiency in financial planning and reporting. Capable of leveraging AI tools for market research and proposal drafting while maintaining effective communication with stakeholders.

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