Maritime Container Yard Planner - Navis N4/XPS Expert

Darwin Recruitment; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Darwin Recruitment is seeking a Container Yard Planner for a maritime terminal in Philadelphia, offering a challenging planning role in a fast-paced port environment. You will develop yard plans, coordinate Navis N4 and XPS workflows, and align yard operations with vessel schedules.

The ideal candidate has 2–3 years in container yard planning, hands-on Navis N4/XPS experience, and strong analytical and communication skills to optimize cargo flow and minimize rehandles.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in container yard planning or terminal planning within a maritime container terminal.
• Hands-on experience with Navis N4 and XPS is essential.
• Direct experience working within a seaport container terminal handling vessel operations.
• Strong understanding of container yard layouts, stacking strategies, and container positioning.
• Knowledge of vessel discharge and loading operations, including the coordination of import and export containers.
• Understanding of container movements between the vessel, yard, gate, and rail operations.
• Ability to optimize yard space, minimize rehandles, and maintain efficient container flow.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and terminal operating systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain container yard plans to support vessel loading and discharge operations at the maritime terminal.
• Utilize Navis N4 and XPS to plan, monitor, and coordinate container positioning and movements throughout the terminal.
• Ensure import containers are efficiently positioned for discharge, storage, and subsequent truck or rail collection.
• Plan export container locations to support vessel loading sequences and ensure cargo is available when required.
• Coordinate container stacking arrangements based on vessel schedules, cargo type, destination, and operational priorities.
• Optimize yard capacity and space utilization while minimizing unnecessary container rehandles and equipment movements.
• Work closely with vessel planners to align yard arrangements with vessel stowage plans and loading requirements.
• Coordinate with quay crane teams, yard supervisors, and equipment operators to support efficient vessel turnaround times.
• Monitor yard congestion, capacity constraints, and container availability, implementing adjustments where necessary.
• Identify and resolve discrepancies between system-recorded container locations and actual yard positions.
• Respond to changes in vessel schedules, cargo volumes, operational priorities, and equipment availability.
• Support efficient coordination between vessel, yard, gate, and rail operations.
• Maintain accurate container records and ensure planning information is updated within terminal operating systems.
• Monitor operational performance and identify opportunities to improve yard productivity and reduce delays.

Skills

Container yard planning

Vessel operations

Analytical thinking

Communication

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Tools

Navis N4

XPS

Microsoft Office

Job description

Darwin Recruitment is seeking a Container Yard Planner for a maritime terminal in Philadelphia, offering a challenging planning role in a fast-paced port environment. You will develop yard plans, coordinate Navis N4 and XPS workflows, and align yard operations with vessel schedules.

The ideal candidate has 2–3 years in container yard planning, hands-on Navis N4/XPS experience, and strong analytical and communication skills to optimize cargo flow and minimize rehandles.