Sr Port Engineer

Young Brothers, LLC•Honolulu, HI

About The Position

The Young Brothers Port Engineer directs and oversees the operational readiness, technical maintenance, and regulatory compliance of the tug fleet across all of the company’s inter-island operations with full accountability for vessel maintenance and repair budgets for the 8-vessel tug fleet valued at more than $100M. Related to the fleet, the engineer will manage the performance of all marine personnel assigned to the vessels serving in an engineering capacity. In addition, this individual sets and enforces the safety culture for all personnel working aboard company vessels and serves as the lead technical authority for equipment inspections, vessel surveys, repairs, dry-dockings, and yard periods. The Port Engineer is regularly called upon to support vessels and their crews. Finally, the port engineer will manage a team of mechanics and engineers within the YB organization. Capital expenditure planning (approximately $10 million over an average 5 year period) as well as budget management and oversight are important components of the port engineer’s job with annual regulatory and maintenance expenditures totaling $2.5-3M.

Requirements

Knowledge of each vessel and its system with respect to vessel maintenance history, machinery and electrical equipment manufacturing standards based on practical experience and technical knowledge.
Develop, maintain and refine a regulatory strategy for the company and the fleet.
Enterprise-level financial planning: builds, owns, and is accountable for annual capital and maintenance budgets across the fleet.
Engineering expertise to support fleet planning and replacement strategies for the company.
Strong mathematical skills and ability to prepare an operating budget for vessels.
Strong maritime background with a thorough understanding of vessel operations and equipment capabilities/limitations within the geographic scope of those operations.
Manage marine personnel and their interactions with the vessels as they perform work in various environmental conditions.
Ability to interpret, administer and ensure compliance with company policies and governmental regulations related to vessel manning, construction, maintenance and repair, safety, training, work rules, emergency response, and towing operations.
Possess an understanding of basic finance and cost accounting, suitable for budget forecasting and financial planning processes.
Strong communication skills in order to draft business correspondence, technical reports, surveys, policies, procedures, and repair specifications.
Interpersonal skills to work well with customers, peers, company executives, competitors, and the general public.
A team player willing to exercise authority and make independent decisions.
Strong problem-solving abilities are required.
Must have good negotiating skills to deal with regulators, customers, vendors, and marine personnel.
Mentor engineers to prepare for future engineering needs and roles.
Capable of recognizing the level of importance of new assignments and prioritizing them accordingly to meet all work deadlines without sacrificing operational quality.
Ability to communicate, in English, across all lines on written, spoken and hearing.
Proficient engineering knowledge of vessels and related equipment.
Knowledge of marine labor contracts and work rules.
Able to analyze, solve problems, reason and make decisions regarding the repair of vessels.
Good eye/hand coordination and know how to use all tools and equipment associated with vessel maintenance and repair.
Able to work within given timeframes.
Able to use routine office equipment such as telephone, copy machine, calculator, computer, and programs: Word, Excel, MS Project, Outlook, SAP, BMS, database, LAN).
High school education is desirable and preference given to those with maritime academy or college degree.
3-5 years as a tugboat engineer or shoreside management/ocean towing is preferred.
Must possess a valid USCG engineer's license or Designated Duty Engineer (DDE) license.

Responsibilities

Develops and reviews planned maintenance program for vessels.
Independently evaluates and authorizes corrective action on emergency/casualty repairs.
Analyzes problems via communication while a vessel is at sea or in a remote location.
Monitors all engineering work-in-progress for planned and unplanned maintenance and repairs.
Interfaces with appropriate operations personnel, advising of action to be taken such as shutting down a vessel, continuing or discontinuing its operation.
Exercises final authority over repair methods, scheduling and cost approval.
Trains engineers with regard to vessel systems, repairs, and regulatory compliance.
Evaluates and initiates proper corrective action to eliminate additional expenses to maintenance and repair budget.
Serves as the company’s primary liaison and accountable party for USCG and ABS inspections, load line annual surveys, special, intermediate surveys and other regulatory requirements.
Responsible for the remedy and repair of all deficiencies, operational and administrative.
Holds direct accountability for fleet-wide safety compliance with the engineering team; decisions in this role directly affect regulatory standing and safety of life at sea.
Conducts safety meetings, generally one-on-one, with vessel engineers.
Performs safety checks on all vessels, initiates any necessary corrective actions.
Oversees safety policies, procedures and precautions for receiving and transferring of fuel.
Promotes safe work practices with all company employees and vendors working on company vessels.
Directly supervises a minimum of 12 engineers and 8 shoreside engineers/mechanics with indirect oversight for all assistant engineers.
Responsible for all matters of employment including recruiting, training, development, promotion, discipline and termination.
Provides direction and leadership to achieve company Core Values, Mission and Safety Vision as well as specific goals and objectives relevant to both marine operations and the company at large.
Processes employee evaluations in a timely manner.
Directs, motivates and develops employees for maximum performance.
Maintains personal proficiency in related engineering field through formal training and reviews related technical publications on an ongoing basis.
Prepares annual maintenance/repair and capital budget for vessels.
Handles personnel functions such as hiring, training, dispatching, disciplining, terminating ocean vessel engineers, as necessary.
Evaluates and surveys damages for insurance claims, providing allegations as to cause and effect of damage.
Consults with Risk Manager on matters relating to vessel casualties and estimated repair costs.
Supervises emergency repairs to vessels whenever they are operating.
Arranges for shipyard services, materials and inspections by regulatory groups, federal, state and local.
Trains crew to perform required tasks to maintain regulatory compliance including, but not limited to: USCG, EPA, ISM, ABS, OSHA.
Understands and complies with Young Brothers Affirmative Action Plan, EEO, Non-Discrimination, Harassment, and all other HR policies and procedures.
Performs special duties and other projects as assigned.
Adheres to all company policies.
Develops and maintains strong vendor and OEM relationships which are required for yearly negotiations.
Works with other YB departments and colleagues daily to ensure the health and success of the tugs and their crews.
Identifies and achieves critical KPIs often with the support and partnership of internal and external partners.