Trainee at Nordic Tankers

Being a part of the operation department means that you as a person need to be structured, self-supporting, and independent. During your traineeship as an operator, you will achieve great knowledge within the general shipping business, and learn about terms and conditions and how to act correctly when agents, charterers or captains need assistance, which in the end will provide you with the necessary tools to be ready for your own operation.

After ending your two years as a trainee, you will get the responsibility for the operation of your "own vessels", which includes working as a contact person between the charterers and the vessel and having the responsibility for bringing all necessary information's to each party. 

Every day you will be in contact with all departments of your company, agents and charterers all around the world. As an operator, you will have to be ready to answer all questions concerning your vessels. Your daily tasks would most likely include:  

• Preparation of vessel position updates for forwarding to charterers at a daily basis.
• Preparation of lay time and off-hire statements on completion of each voyage.
• Establishment of contact with charterers and owners with regards to vetting inspections required by various ports being called.
• Supervision with agency appointments, arrangement of advance payments from charterers and final settlements thereafter on completion of each voyage.
• Responsibility for ensuring that the vessel's voyage is performed as per charter party.
• Responsible for ensuring optimal bunkering and quick turnaround in ports.
• Follow-up on the vessel's operations / schedules and the implementation of company procedures in coordination with ship's agents, stowage planners, ship's command and other line's departments.

The chartering department is responsible for keeping the vessels employed, which means that you will be in charge of finding the right and best paying cargoes for the vessels. In order to do so, you always have to be well-prepared for the challenges to come. Basically, you have to think that you will be able to fix any vessel with the right cargo at the right rate. You have to be optimistic and hold a strong belief that your outlined goals will be achieved. At a first glance, it might sound straight forward, but it isn't always that easy.

There are a number of different areas you have to be familiar with when you work in shipping e.g. the size of the vessels, the number of tanks, the coating of the tanks, the last cargoes onboard the ships and the legal terms and individual rates. Furthermore, you have to be aware of the special conditions applicable to trade in summer or winter areas and the information relating to the vessels' max intake, their lengths and drafts and the various port facilities.

All this may seem quite confusing, but eventually you will adopt the special vocabulary of the shipping industry.

The most frequent business set-up: First, the Charterer distributes the cargo to a broker, who will be the contact person through the following negotiation and in the closing itself. All communication is handled through e-mails, phone calls and - less frequently - face-to-face with business partners. Eventually, the negotiation comes to an end. An agreement on cargo, terms and price is reached with the charterer. Finally, the agreement is closed, and in the business this is called "lifting subs". The voyage can begin.

Being part of the technical department you will get to see a lot of different groups with different responsibilities:

Marine HR: The goal is to attract, recruit and retain well-educated and competent seafarers in all positions. Marine HR is constantly developing strategies to enhance the organisational development, competence development of seafarers, retention management and the general welfare on board. Nordic Tankers Marine wants to be an attractive long-term employer committed to personal development of the individual. Nordic Tankers Marine wants to encourage promotion of highest safety and performance standards.

SQE & Vetting: They are in charge of handling safety, quality and health issues including maintenance of the Company Safety Management System (SMS). Marine QA handles all vetting processes and thereby assists the entire organization in performing all operations in accordance with applicable regulations of the tanker industry. Marine QA is focusing on having the best and safest practices in the shipping industry, but is also bound to develop next practices.

Corporate Compliance: They need to ensure full compliance with environmental rules and regulations and setting standards on improved environmental performance. 

Vessel Groups & Purchase: Two vessel groups that are providing technical support/fleet management to the entire fleet within daily technical operation, overall vessel maintenance, inspections, dry dock planning and execution. The purchase department, in close cooperation with the vessel groups, buys and delivers genuine spares at the best price possible. Focus is on providing the best possible professional support with the vessel in center without compromising safety.

Marine Project Group: They are providing second level technical project support to vessel groups and support regarding new buildings, rules and regulations, saving initiatives, suppliers etc. to NTM management and Nordic Tankers A/S. 

In corporate accounting, all invoices - among other things - related to the vessel's technical operating costs are controlled, processed and booked. Also comparisons between actual costs and budgetted costs are prepared for the technical superintendents, so they can follow up on the vessels they are responsible for.