Dry Bulk Operations & Chartering Executive

Freight Force Shipping LLC, part of the Waterlink Group of Companies, operates as an international dry bulk chartering and cargo trading desk specializing in regional and cross-regional dry bulk movements. The desk focuses on fixing Handysize through Supramax vessels for export trades involving bulk and bagged cement, clinker, rice, coal, and other dry bulk commodities. Trading routes cover East Africa, the Indian Ocean Islands, the Gulf, and the Far East. We are seeking an experienced Dry Bulk Operations / Post-Fixture professional to join our team and oversee the commercial and operational lifecycle of our fixtures, ensuring contract compliance and maximizing voyage profitability.

Key Responsibilities

Pre-Fixture Operations:
- Develop and audit detailed voyage estimations, including bunker consumption by grade, port costs through Proforma Disbursement Accounts (PDAs), loading and discharging terms, and validate Time Charter Equivalent (TCE) against Baltic Exchange benchmarks.
- Conduct vessel technical vetting by reviewing vessel questionnaires (Q88), class and statutory certificates, P&I and Hull & Machinery coverage, and RightShip safety profiles to ensure compliance with cargo and regulatory requirements.
- Review fixture recaps and analyze Charter Party and Rider clauses meticulously to identify commercial risks or conflicting terms before finalizing contracts.

Post-Fixture Operations & Voyage Management:
- Prepare and issue comprehensive Voyage Instructions to vessel masters in line with agreed charter party terms.
- Appoint and brief port agents worldwide, auditing Estimated and Final Disbursement Accounts (EDAs/FDAs) against official port tariffs to optimize costs.
- Manage cargo documentation and clearance processes, including vessel nominations, Notice of Readiness (NOR) tendering, Statements of Facts (SOF), Mate’s Receipts, Bills of Lading, Letters of Indemnity (LOIs), draft surveys, and hatch sealing.
- Monitor vessel performance daily through noon reports, assessing speed, bunker consumption, and port cargo handling rates to mitigate operational delays.
- Calculate laytime statements, prepare demurrage and despatch claims, defend commercial positions against counterclaims, and manage final voyage settlements. Full fluency in standard laytime exceptions and clauses (SHINC, SHEX, SSHEX, PWWD, IUATUTC) is essential.

Required Qualifications
- 2 to 5 years of focused experience in dry bulk vessel operations, post-fixture management, or within an exporter's commercial shipping desk.
- Advanced knowledge of laytime calculations and dispute resolution; candidates will be tested on calculating a live demurrage claim from raw SOF and Charter Party extracts during the interview.
- Strong understanding of dry cargo contractual frameworks, including GENCON, voyage and time charter party structures, deadfreight, liens, and port delivery terms such as FIOST, FIO, FILO, and Liner Terms.
- In-depth knowledge of Subcontinent maritime infrastructure, especially operational realities, draft restrictions, and handling rates for bulk and bagged cargoes at Karachi Port and Port Qasim.
- Excellent numerical and analytical skills, with proficiency in Excel for data modeling and voyage profit and loss (P&L) calculations.
- Professional English communication skills, both verbal and written, to manage relationships with international owners, managers, and charterers across multiple time zones. Flexibility to respond to critical vessel needs outside standard office hours is required.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits
- Seagoing experience as a Deck Officer or a university degree in Maritime Studies is advantageous.
- Familiarity with maritime software platforms such as Signal Ocean, Veson IMOS, Dataloy, or Danaos.
- Direct experience handling bulk cement, clinker, coal, or rice cargoes.

This role offers direct engagement with premium shipowners, international charterers, and competitive brokers across key maritime hubs including Dubai, Athens, Istanbul, and Singapore. The position features an agile, flat reporting structure with direct access to the desk principal, providing significant opportunities for career advancement into senior commercial management or chartering roles.