Trading and Vessel Operator

Role Overview
 

The Trading & Vessel Operator is responsible for delivering seamless, effective service across the entire trade lifecycle, from contract conclusion to cash collection, while ensuring the optimal and efficient operation of the time-chartered vessel fleet.

Key Responsibilities

This role combines commercial execution and operational management, focusing on:

• Executing trades administration (for bulk carriers, containers, and multimodal transportation) with business partners (customers, suppliers, ship owners/brokers).
  

• Ensuring all commitments (cargo, shipping, and multimodal transportation) are fulfilled and escalating potential performance issues to internal stakeholders (Traders, Shipping, Supply Chain, Legal, and Management).

• Managing day-to-day operations of time-charted vessels, including monitoring performance against charter party terms, optimizing transportation costs, and issuing voyage instructions.

• Ensuring integrity, timeliness, and quality of information flows, including accurate and timely recording in IMOS to facilitate proper Financial Closure and Performance Management.

• Anticipating, mitigating, and resolving trade and voyage incidents/risks under the guidance of the Trading and Chartering teams.

• The overall focus is on maximizing efficiency, ensuring operational readiness, and maintaining accurate records.

Required Skills & Qualifications 

1. Vessel Operations & Performance

• Manage the day-to-day operating of the fleet of time-chartered vessels, closely monitoring performance as per agreed Charter Party terms.

• Prepare and issue voyage instructions to the vessel Master in accordance with the recap of main terms agreed/charter party.

• Execute, implement, and supervise any commercial contracts/time charters performed by vessels under Holcim Shipping Pte Ltd, ensuring the highest possible voyage result.

• Work closely with the Chartering and Senior Chartering Managers, providing support with voyage estimates/freight simulations and optimization studies.

• Coordinate with Head Owners on matters relating to underperformance, off-hire, technical issues, and voyage optimization.

• Organize and plan on-hire/off-hire surveys and any other marine cargo/damage surveys as required.

• Appoint a weather routing company and analyze post-voyage performance reports if the vessel has underperformed.

     2. Trade Execution & Logistics 

• Drive supply chain schedules and daily updates directly with all stakeholders (suppliers, customers, ship owners/brokers, port agents, freight forwarders/logistics providers).

• Ensure nomination and timely acceptance of the vessel in close coordination with the Chartering Managers/Shipping department.

• Obtain, issue documentary/ shipping instructions, customs documentation, and inventory documentation, and organize surveyors/ inspection when required.

• Maximize cargo lift by checking the deadweight calculations of vessels.

• Analyze shipping cargo documents, control and follow claims.

      3. Financial & Administrative Control 

• Timely record, update, and maintain system inputs accurately into IMOS, including delivery/redelivery, bunker fuels purchases and consumptions, and port fees accruals.
  

• Perform the Month End Closing activities in IMOS to ensure proper Financial Closure and provide P&L reports for sign-off of monthly results.
  

• Work closely with the Accounting & Controlling Department to support the reconciliation of IMOS and SAP, specifically concerning receivables/payables, vessel operations, and bunker fuels.
  

• Initiate cash in – cash out processes at a transactional level upstream from Finance.
  

• Coordination & Appointment of Singapore based agents via DIABOS and arrange payments of proforma & final port DA’s via IMOS.
  

• Review PDAS/FDAS submitted on Diabos and compare with historic data to ensure competitive fees.
  

• Ensure timely disbursements are arranged in coordination with the Chartering Managers/Accounting/SAP team.
  

• Prepare reports, statistics for the Team Leaders, Traders or other internal stakeholders when required.
  

• Share internally any market/business intelligence collected through daily interaction with customers and suppliers.
  

• Collect and forward customer inquiries to the relevant Trader.
  
  

      4. Risk, Claims, and Compliance

• Isolate and resolve disputes relating to the voyage to their best ability.
  

• Is responsible for the issuance and control of all laytime calculations and claims with ship owners, suppliers, and customers.
  

• Prepare/follow-up laytime calculations, freight invoices, final charter hire statements, and cargo/hire/freight claims according to the charter party.
  

• Perform the controls required as per the Inter Control requirements of HT&S and the Group (ICS), and work closely with the Internal Control Department.
  

• Work closely with the HS&E Department to obtain monthly near miss and incident reports and report them into the iCare system.
  

• Respond to urgent/emergency situations with immediate reporting to the Chartering Manager or Senior Chartering Manager, and support crisis management teams.
  

• Adhere to the Holcim Code of Business Conduct, Trading Policy and Shipping Directive and all relevant Holcim policies.
  

• Protection of the Holcim Group reputation and brand value for relevant seaborne trading activities.
  

• Anticipation, mitigation and resolution of trade incidents under the Trading team’s guidance, providing suggestions on mitigations strategies.
  

• Alerts to Team Leader and/or Traders/Charterers in case of material risk (e.g., missing LC, claims), deviance from the delegation of authority or any risk of breach of applicable Policies, in line with Holcim’s segregation of duties
  

• Strict compliance with the Operation Operating model (process, tools etc).
  
  

Required Skills & Qualifications  

Experience:

• Minimum 3 - 5 years of working experience in trading,

• Shipping, freight forwarding, and supply chain logistics and operations. (A minimum of 2 years in the related field is required).

Knowledge and skills: 

• Very good knowledge and demonstrable experience using the shipping software “IMOS” for voyage planning, P&L management, and centralized voyage instructions, including resolving issues related to “IMOS Business Rules”.
  

• Solid understanding of international seaborne trading, maritime regulations, and logistics.
  

• Detailed working knowledge of dry bulk operations, particularly with Handy/Supramax trades, general ship knowledge, cargo operations, and voyage performance.
  

• Knowledge of Laytime calculations is a must.
  

• Good knowledge of commercial shipping (Vessel Operations, Charter Parties, Bills of Lading, Marine Claims, and Insurance).
  

• Knowledge of multimodal transportation/handling, customs documentation, and inventory documentation (handling DAP or DDP trades).
  

• Knowledge of Trade Finance tools (letter of credit, documentary collection, payment terms and payment instruments).
  

• Negotiation skills for Bunker stemming.
  

• Good knowledge of IMSBC Code.
  

• Mature, stable, and disciplined personality, with attention to detail and execution risk.
  

• Multitasking and sense of priority while keeping a cool head—street-smart, resilient, and persuasive to achieve objectives in a sometimes-conflictual environment.
  
  

Education/ Qualification:

• Degree/Diploma in Shipping and Maritime or Commercial degree in international trading, shipping, logistic, freight forwarding, or equivalent education/experience.

Languages:  

• Excellent English, written and spoken.
  

• Mastery of at least 1 additional  language (Mandarin or Hindi) is highly preferred.
  
  

Holcim is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We support equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of race, national origin, gender, sexuality, disability, or age.