Shipping Operator

Role overview

The Shipping Operator acts as a link between internal teams and outside parties such as ship owners, vessel crews, port agents, and third-party charterers. The position is responsible for making sure cargo moves safely, efficiently, and without disruption on chartered-in vessels, while also supporting shipping matters for vessels chartered out to third parties.

Along with the operational side of the job, the role involves keeping voyage routes, voyage arrangements, and related costs accurately recorded in shipping systems. The position may also include handling non-demurrage claims for chartered-in or chartered-out vessels. It is a demanding, fast-moving role that supports global operations across multiple time zones.

Responsibilities

• Work with the chartering team to obtain port restrictions and cost details, and coordinate vessel screening with terminals and ports.
• Advise chartering and trading teams on tank cleaning processes and contamination exposure.
• Carry out vessel screening in line with Mercuria’s vetting standards.
• Prepare and send voyage instructions to vessels.
• Develop stowage plans, including multi-grade cargo arrangements, and recommend the most effective operating approach.
• Improve cargo stowage planning and bunker calculations.
• Optimize vessel routing based on speed and consumption curves, weather conditions, arrival requirements, and related factors.
• Organize ship-to-ship transfers.
• Coordinate bunkering for the time-chartered fleet.
• Arrange and negotiate shipping-related agreements such as agency, towage, mooring, and STS contracts.
• Provide early-stage legal support for trading and shipping matters.
• Negotiate LOI wording and contribute to drafting charter party clauses.
• Update IMOS records, manage P&L accountability, and contribute to system development and ETRM integration.
• Perform regular system reconciliations.
• Review estimate-versus-actual voyage costs and suggest ways to improve operational efficiency.

Experience and knowledge required

• At least 3 to 5 years of relevant shipping experience involving DPP or CPP cargoes.
• A practical, self-driven, well-organized, and collaborative working style.
• Voyage experience as a navigating officer at management level, supported by shore-based experience in a trading or shipping company.
• Exposure to legal matters or strong involvement in claims under voyage or time-charter agreements.
• Experience using the IMOS shipping system is helpful but not compulsory.
• Readiness to handle VLCC, Suezmax, Aframax, LR, and MR vessel sizes.
• Good understanding of standard tanker and dry voyage/time-charter forms, FFAs, and basic freight and bunker risk management methods.
• Strong spoken and written English skills; Mandarin and/or Cantonese would be an advantage.
• Comfortable using common business and operational IT tools.

Additional information

The work environment is energetic, varied, and challenging. The role supports shipping activity across worldwide operations that run continuously and span multiple time zones.