Port Captain

Foss Maritime • Tacoma, WA

16h • $119,962 - $179,943 • Onsite

About The Position

The Port Captain will supervise and direct all offshore marine employees, interface with customers, marine and shoreside employees, vendors, pilots, and regulatory officials. This role is responsible for developing, implementing, and enforcing policies and procedures, including hiring, crewing, promotions, and personnel placement. The Port Captain will also direct training for marine personnel, supervise the performance of vessel personnel, audit vessel logs, approve overtime, and assist with the utilization and scheduling of tugs and barges. Additionally, this role initiates corrective/disciplinary actions, supervises personnel involved in field projects (special shipments, salvage operations), and ensures vessel compliance with the pro-forma schedule, communicating it to appropriate parties. The Port Captain ensures compliance with company SOPs, regulatory, licensing, and training requirements, investigates and reports marine incidents, and ensures compliance with safety policies, maintenance, and training programs. They conduct regular inspections of tugs and barges, comply with the Preventative Maintenance Program, and adhere to Federal, State, and Local regulations including USCG, EPA, ISM, ABS, OSHA, and OSPR. Administrative duties include preparing budgets, managing vessel supply and crew costs, preparing Towing and/or Operations Plans for ISO compliance, supervising vessel modifications, rigging, and supply, interpreting and administering government regulations, assisting in labor contract negotiation and implementation, communicating regional goals, providing leadership to achieve company Core Values, Mission, and Safety Vision, processing employee evaluations, and directing/motivating employees for maximum performance. This role also involves leadership for "SpeakUp", encouraging a safe and ethical culture, and managing all employment matters including recruiting, training, development, promotion, discipline, and termination, while complying with all HR policies. The Port Captain must demonstrate high ethical standards, delegate effectively, and possess knowledge of business management principles, repair/replacement costs, labor law, contract negotiation, and functional direction to Deck Officers and Customer Service Representatives.

Requirements

• Must have a strong maritime background with a thorough understanding of the day-to-day operations of vessels, their limits, their capabilities and both internal characteristics and external factors influencing them. Must also understand the individual roles, interactions and responsibilities of crewmembers manning the vessels.
• Ability to interpret, administer and insure compliance with government regulations related to vessel manning, construction, maintenance & repair, safety, training, navigation, work rules, emergency response, licensing and towing operations.
• Should understand at a minimum, basic cost accounting, budgeting, forecasting and financial planning processes to effectively manage multiple budgets on a routine basis. Good organizational and planning skills are essential.
• Must possess strong written and oral communicative skills to draft business letters, develop reports, present oral presentations, create policies & procedures and write repair specifications.
• Should have good interpersonal skills to work well with customers, peers, superiors, subordinates, competitors and the general public. Should also have a strong appreciation for and be sensitive to the needs of our customers recognizing that the Company is a specialty service provider.
• Must be a team player but at the same time be willing to exercise authority when required. A coach-type management style is most effective. Strong decision making and problem solving abilities are a must. Should have good negotiating skills to deal with regulators, customers, vendors and labor unions.
• Must be flexible and receptive to change. Must have ability to deviate from established routines on short notice and be able to recognize the level of importance of new assignments. Must be able to prioritize tasks accordingly to meet deadlines without sacrificing operational quality. Must be able to delegate effectively. Must be accurate in completion of assignments. Must be dedicated and loyal.
• Must have reasonable sensory skills in order to maintain USCG license including color vision, depth perception, hand/eye coordination and hearing; and be proficient in the English language.
• Ability to communicate effectively with dispatchers and all levels and personalities. Must be able to work effectively under stress and provide strong supervision in emergency response situations. Participates in negotiations with labor unions, customers and vendors. Provides direct supervision of other managers and subordinates on a day-to-day basis. Works closely with customers, peers, competitors, government officials and vendors. Should have good team building skills and ability to motivate others. Must effectively process sensitive and confidential information. Regularly coordinates activities with members of other departments.
• Telephones, calculators, computers, copiers, fax machines, radios, navigation equipment, including radar, GPS and autopilot.
• Proficient in computer skills and software such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and all applicable enterprise business platforms.
• Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university, preference given to those from a maritime academy, is required or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Must have five years as a tugboat captain or shoreside management experience.
• Must possess a valid USCG Masters License or Mates License at a minimum.

Nice To Haves

• preference given to those from a maritime academy
• Ocean towing is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Directs and supervises all offshore marine employees.
• Interfaces with customers, marine & shoreside employees, vendors, pilots, and regulatory officials.
• Develops, implements and enforces policies and procedures.
• Responsible for hiring, crewing, promotions, personnel placement. Directs training as pertains to marine personnel.
• Supervises responsibilities and performance of vessel personnel.
• Audits vessel logs and approves overtime.
• Assists with utilization and scheduling of tugs and barges in fleet.
• Initiates appropriate corrective and/or disciplinary action.
• Supervises personnel involved in field projects including special shipments and salvage operations.
• Responsible for vessel compliance with the pro-forma schedule, communication of schedule to appropriate parties.
• Ensures compliance with company SOP's, regulatory, licensing, and training requirements.
• Investigates and reports the causes and effects of marine incidents.
• Ensures compliance of company safety policies, maintenance and training programs.
• Conducts regular inspections of tugs and barges to ensure compliance with company SMS.
• Complies with company Preventative Maintenance Program.
• Complies with applicable Federal, State and Local regulations, including, but not limited to: USCG, EPA, ISM, ABS, OSHA and OSPR.
• Prepares budgets and manages vessel's supply and crew costs.
• Prepares Towing and/or Operations Plans for ISO compliance.
• Supervises vessel modifications, rigging and supply.
• Interprets and administers government regulations.
• Assists in negotiation and implementation of labor contracts.
• Effectively communicates regional goals and objectives.
• Provides direction and leadership to achieve company Core Values, Mission and Safety Vision.
• Processes employee evaluations in a timely manner.
• Directs, motivates and develops employees for maximum performance.
• Performs special duties and other projects as assigned.
• Adheres to all company policies.
• Accomplishes all tasks as appropriately assigned or requested.
• Be a leader for "SpeakUp", including encouraging peers and staff to exhibit a safe and ethical culture.
• Responsible for all matters of employment including recruiting, training, development, promotion, discipline and termination.
• Understands and complies with Foss' Affirmative Action Plan, EEO, Non-Discrimination, Harassment, and all other HR policies and procedures.
• Provides direction and leadership to achieve company Core Values, Mission and Safety Vision.
• Processes employee evaluations in a timely manner.
• Directs, motivates and develops employees for maximum performance.
• Must have extensive knowledge of offshore towing operations and harbor ship assist work.
• Must have experience working on twin screw and tractor tugs.
• Planning and forecasting skills relative to business trends, vessel management, and cost projections.
• Ability to demonstrate high ethical standards of honesty and integrity to lead by example.
• Ability to delegate and empower employees to achieve business goals and operational standards.
• Knowledge of business management principles and practices.
• Knowledge of repair and replacement costs essential to effective cost control.
• Knowledge of labor law, contract negotiation, and implementation of labor contracts.
• Must be able to provide functional direction to Deck Officers in charge of company vessels.
• Provide direction to Customer Service Representatives in the scheduling of vessel crews.
• Must have the ability to coordinate the efficient use of vessel and shoreside assets between geographic areas and activities.
• Ability to assist in cost planning, reporting, and operational expenditures in the region.
• Must be able to gain an intimate familiarity with company lines of business, reporting and monitoring of financial performance.
• Ability to understand and interpret laws and regulations as they apply to the maritime business.
• Must be able to build and maintain effective working relationships with regulatory agencies including, but not limited to, U.S. Coast Guard, ABS, OSHA, OSPR and other local, state and federal agencies.

Benefits

• medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Life insurance equal to two times annual base salary.
• Accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
• Long term disability insurance.
• 401k program with a 4% match, vested immediately.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Business travel assistance program.
• Other voluntary benefits are available for purchase via payroll deduction at group rates.
• Vacation - Foss appreciates how hard employees work and recognizes the importance of providing time for rest and relaxation. In this position you will accrue 10 days of vacation a year with a maximum accrual of 160 hours. Accrued vacation will be vested and available for use after successfully completing six (6) months of service.
• Nine (9) paid holidays with two (2) additional floating holidays available after six (6) months of service.
• Full time employees will accrue ninety-six (96) hours of sick leave per year, up to a maximum of 1,040 hours.
• Bereavement Leave - three (3) paid days off for a death in the immediate family, or five (5) days off if travel greater than 500 miles is required.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• All other benefits as required by state law.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager