Technical Director – Ship Management
Location: Hamminkeln or Duisburg
Company: Polaris Group - Shipping Division
The Role
Polaris Group is seeking an experienced Technical Director – Ship Management to establish and lead our new in-house ship management organisation in Germany.
This is a key leadership position with a clear entrepreneurial mandate: to build a professional ship management platform from the ground up and progressively bring the technical management of our owned fleet in-house.
The successful candidate will take responsibility for establishing the organisation, systems, procedures, technical standards and team required to operate a safe, reliable, cost-efficient and scalable ship management company.
We are particularly interested in candidates with a strong seagoing background, ideally a former Master Mariner / Captain, combined with substantial shore-based experience in technical or fleet management.
Experience with RoRo, PCTC, RoPax or similar vessel types would be highly advantageous.
Key Responsibilities
Establish the Ship Management Company
- Lead the establishment of Polaris's in-house ship management organisation in Germany.
- Develop the organisational structure, responsibilities, processes and reporting lines for the new company.
- Build the technical management organisation and recruit the required shore-based team.
- Determine which functions should initially be performed in-house and which should be outsourced.
- Establish relationships with classification societies, flag states, suppliers, shipyards, crewing partners and other maritime service providers.
- Support the establishment of the required regulatory framework, including ISM, ISPS, Safety Management System and Document of Compliance (DOC).
- Develop a scalable ship-management platform capable of supporting the continued expansion of the Polaris fleet.
Technical & Fleet Management
- Assume overall responsibility for the technical performance and condition of vessels under management.
- Establish vessel-specific annual OPEX and CAPEX budgets and maintain strong cost control.
- Implement professional planned maintenance and fleet-management systems.
- Establish technical KPIs and regular vessel performance reporting.
- Oversee maintenance, repairs, breakdowns and major technical projects.
- Plan and manage dry-dockings, special surveys and major upgrades.
- Ensure vessels remain compliant with class, flag and statutory requirements.
- Establish technical procurement, spare-parts and inventory processes.
- Develop long-term maintenance and lifecycle strategies for each vessel.
- Conduct regular vessel inspections and ensure deficiencies are followed through to completion.
Vessel Takeovers & New Acquisitions
- Lead the technical takeover of vessels transitioning from third-party managers into Polaris management.
- Participate in technical due diligence for potential vessel acquisitions.
- Review vessel condition, maintenance history, class records and upcoming CAPEX requirements.
- Develop takeover plans, budgets and timelines.
- Coordinate handovers with sellers, existing ship managers, class and flag authorities.
- Ensure operational continuity throughout management transitions.
Safety, Compliance & Marine Operations
- Establish a strong safety and compliance culture throughout the fleet.
- Ensure compliance with ISM, ISPS, SOLAS, MARPOL and applicable flag/class requirements.
- Establish appropriate QHSE, DPA and marine-management functions.
- Oversee incident investigation, corrective actions and lessons learned.
- Ensure vessels are prepared for PSC, flag-state, class and customer inspections.
- Establish emergency-response procedures and shore-side support.
Organisation & Leadership
- Recruit, develop and lead Technical Superintendents, Marine Superintendents and other ship-management personnel.
- Establish clear responsibilities between vessels, shore management and Group management.
- Build a practical, hands-on and performance-oriented technical culture.
- Develop succession plans and ensure the organisation can scale as additional vessels enter the fleet.
- Work closely with the commercial, finance, insurance and senior management teams.
Candidate Profile
We are looking for an experienced maritime professional who combines practical seagoing knowledge with senior shore-based management experience.
Ideally, you will have:
- Maritime education and relevant professional qualifications.
- Significant seagoing experience, ideally having sailed as Master / Captain.
- Alternatively, a senior engineering background such as Chief Engineer combined with substantial fleet-management experience.
- At least 10–15 years of relevant maritime experience, including significant shore-based responsibility.
- Previous experience as Technical Director, Fleet Director, Fleet Manager, Marine Superintendent, Technical Superintendent or equivalent.
- Demonstrable experience managing the technical performance of multiple vessels.
- Strong knowledge of ISM, ISPS, SOLAS, MARPOL, class and flag-state requirements.
- Experience with vessel takeovers, dry-dockings, special surveys and major technical projects.
- Strong understanding of vessel OPEX/CAPEX and technical budget management.
- Experience with RoRo, PCTC, RoPax or comparable tonnage is highly desirable.
- Experience establishing or significantly developing a ship-management organisation would be a major advantage.
- Strong leadership and team-building capabilities.
- Commercial mindset and disciplined approach to cost management.
- Fluent English; German is advantageous but not essential.
The Opportunity
This is not a traditional Technical Director position within an established organisation.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to build Polaris's ship management company from the ground up and establish the technical standards, organisation, systems and culture that will support the Group's growing owned fleet.
The role offers significant autonomy, direct access to the shareholder and senior management, and the opportunity to become a central member of the Group's maritime leadership team.
For the right candidate, this represents an opportunity to create and lead a ship-management platform rather than simply inherit one.
