Reports to Director Marine Operations
Overview:
We are looking for a dynamic Senior Manager - Stowage Planning to lead and develop our regional stowage planning function. This role is responsible for ensuring safe, efficient, and optimized vessel operations across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
As a senior leader, you will drive consistency, collaboration, and operational excellence, while accelerating the use of automation, AI, and digital planning tools. You will also act as a vital link between regional execution and global direction, working closely with the Global Stowage Center of Excellence and peer regions to align standards, share best practices, and deliver a harmonized way of working worldwide.
This position requires a forward-thinking leader with strong decision-making skills, the ability to challenge the status quo, and a passion for building and empowering a high-performing, future-ready team.
Responsibilities:
• Lead and develop the regional stowage planning team, ensuring performance, engagement, and consistent execution.
• Deliver safe, efficient, and optimized stowage plans that maximize vessel utilization and minimize cost.
• Drive adoption of automation, AI, and digital tools into daily operations, embedding new capabilities and smarter decision-making.
• Act as an escalation point for complex operational issues and provide strategic direction in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with scheduling, cargo ops, port ops, and trade management to ensure seamless execution.
• Coordinate closely with the Global Stowage CoE and peer regions to align processes, share best practices, and continuously improve.
• Set clear KPIs, monitor performance, and foster a culture of continuous learning, accountability, and improvement.
Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in any field (preference for Maritime Studies, Logistics, or related disciplines).
• 10+ years of experience in a shipping line or port operations environment, with exposure to stowage planning.
• Proven leadership experience managing diverse operational or planning teams, ideally in shipping, logistics, or port operations.
• Strong track record of driving change, embedding new systems, and leading transformation initiatives.
• Practical exposure to automation, AI, and digitalization in planning or operations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and collaboration skills, with experience working across regions and global functions.
• Strong analytical mindset and data-driven decision-making capability.
• Fluent in English; additional regional languages are a plus.
• Willing to travel globally to support business objectives.
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