Travel Desk Lead - Offshore

Vacancy No VN16198

Employment Type Permanent

Location Country Poland

Work Location Gdynia

Who are V? As a global leader in ship management and marine services, we add value to a vessel’s operations. Operating around the clock and around the world, V. gives every client the quality and efficiency they need in every sector. Covering crew management and recruitment, quality ship management and technical services, together with supporting management and commercial services, V. has an unrivalled industry knowledge with performance assured. Our values, We Care, We Collaborate, We Challenge, We are Consistent, We Commit and Deliver, are at the heart of everything we do and they support our strategy of Investing in Talent. We are always interested in making contact with talented individuals - people who will demonstrate our values and deliver great service, for internal and external stakeholders.

Overall Purpose of The Job

• The Travel Desk Lead provides operational leadership for the global Travel Desk Offshore function, leading the Travel Desk Offshore Coordinators to ensure the timely, efficient, and cost-effective execution of end-to-end crew change operations across the offshore fleet.
• The role is responsible for driving operational excellence through effective stakeholder management, standardized processes, performance management, and continuous improvement, while serving as the primary operational escalation point to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery aligned with business objectives and crew change budgets.

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the Travel Desk Offshore Coordinators, ensuring the timely, accurate, and cost-effective execution of end-to-end crew change operations across the global offshore fleet.
• Coordinate team capacity, allocate workloads, and prioritize operational activities to ensure service levels, crew change schedules, and business priorities are consistently achieved.
• Act as the functional Subject Matter Expert (SME) for crew change planning and travel coordination, ensuring the consistent application of standardized, simplified, and digitalized processes, procedures, and governance across the global operation.
• Provide operational leadership, coaching, mentoring, and technical guidance to Travel Desk Offshore Coordinators, fostering a high-performing, customer-focused, and continuously improving team.
• Monitor team performance against agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), quality standards, and productivity targets, driving performance improvements and addressing operational gaps.
• Review and oversee complex crew change plans, travel arrangements, operational exceptions, and high-risk cases, providing direction to ensure efficient execution while remaining within approved crew change budgets.
• Serve as the primary operational escalation point (L1/L2) for complex crew change and travel-related issues, ensuring timely resolution and escalating significant business risks to the Travel Desk Offshore Operations Manager where appropriate.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with key global stakeholders, including Fleet Managers, Crew Management Partners, Regional Crew Management Partners, Masters, port agents, travel providers, and other internal functions, ensuring alignment, collaboration, and consistent delivery of crew change services.
• Represent the Travel Desk Offshore function in operational meetings with stakeholders, providing expert advice, addressing operational challenges, and driving collaborative solutions to improve service delivery.
• Ensure compliance with established crew change, travel, and operational procedures, identifying process gaps and recommending improvements to enhance operational efficiency, customer experience, and governance.
• Support the implementation of new processes, systems, digital solutions, and continuous improvement initiatives, driving consistent adoption across the Travel Desk Offshore team.
• Monitor crew change travel costs and expenditure, identifying opportunities to improve cost efficiency while maintaining operational effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and service quality.
• Analyse operational performance, prepare management reports, and provide insights on trends, risks, service performance, and improvement opportunities to support informed decision-making.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, capability development, succession planning, and performance management of Travel Desk Offshore Coordinators, ensuring the team possesses the skills required to meet current and future business needs.
• Foster effective communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing across the Travel Desk Offshore function and with internal and external stakeholders to promote operational excellence and a consistent customer experience.
• Deputize for the Travel Desk Offshore Operations Manager, as required, ensuring continuity of leadership, decision-making, and operational service delivery.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned by management.

What can I expect in return? V. Group can offer you a market leading salary and benefits package, in addition to significant opportunities for career growth and personal development. This a great opportunity to join a true leader in the maritime sector - a company that has exciting plans for future growth.

Essential

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Maritime Studies, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, or a related discipline. Equivalent relevant industry experience will also be considered.
• Minimum of 10 years' experience in the maritime industry, including significant experience in crew management, crew logistics, travel operations, or end-to-end crew change coordination, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership or team lead capacity.
• Proven experience leading operational teams within a global or multi-regional environment, with the ability to coach, develop, and drive high performance.
• Strong knowledge of end-to-end crew change planning, travel coordination, crew logistics, maritime operations, and applicable industry regulations and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience managing operational performance through Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and quality standards.
• Proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders,
• Experience managing operational escalations, resolving complex issues, and making sound decisions in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.
• Strong understanding of cost management principles, with the ability to balance operational efficiency, budget control, and service delivery.
• Demonstrated experience supporting process standardization, governance, continuous improvement, and the implementation of new systems or digital solutions.
• Excellent leadership, people management, coaching, and mentoring skills, with the ability to motivate teams and foster collaboration across diverse cultures and geographies.
• Highly developed analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to interpret operational data and identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and build credibility across all organizational levels.
• Strong customer focus with a proactive approach to delivering high-quality service and achieving operational excellence.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, perform effectively under pressure, and meet demanding operational deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and operational systems relevant to crew management, travel coordination, and reporting.

Desirable

• Sailing and maritime experience, having served onboard in a Junior Officer rank or equivalent capacity.

Applications Close Date