Fleet Personnel Officer
Fleet Personnel (otherwise known at HR Marine or Crew Manning), involves the administration and management of seafarers’ employment. Fleet Personnel Officers are responsible for the recruitment, selection and planning of competent marine crew. As shipping is a global industry, you would be working with people from all over the world on a daily basis.
What do Fleet Personnel Officers do?: Fleet Personnel Officers will usually be responsible for around 4 – 6 ships, and must ensure that they have properly qualified seafarers on board at all times. Different types of ships will require different skills and qualifications, so you will learn all of the requirements needed to make sure your ship and its crew sail safely with whatever cargo they are carrying around the world.
Day-to-day Tasks
- dealing directly with our personnel onboard and ashore, port agents and manning agents
- arranging travel for personnel joining and leaving vessels
- ensuring personnel comply with all legal and industry-required regulations in respect of training, certification, travel and medicals
- updating the personnel database in a timely and accurate manner
Skills & Knowledge
- communication skills: excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential for engaging with seafarers, manning agencies, port agents and numerous other stakeholders
- interpersonal skills: the ability to build a rapport, establish relationships, and interact professionally with a diverse range of individuals, many of whom will not have English as their first language
- motivated and resilient: Fleet Personnel is a demanding, 24/7 job, so a high level of motivation, resilience, and the ability to thrive under pressure is essential
- team player: must be able to work within a team
- attention to detail: Fleet Personnel involves managing a lot of documentation and keeping accurate records
- tech-savvy: comfortable in using different types of software, and able to quickly learn bespoke applications
- ethical conduct and confidentiality: you will be required to handle and securely manage sensitive personal data
- time management: working with several time zones and moving staff around the world, sometimes at very short notice, means you must be able to prioritise your time and tasks effectively
Industry qualifications
Each employer will have their own specific requirements for qualifications, however formal qualifications are not necessarily the most important factor an employer would look for in a Fleet Personnel Officer. If you can successfully demonstrate the above skills at an interview, this may take priority over academic grades.