Our client is strengthening and expanding its ship-repair capabilities. They are seeking an experienced Drydocking Manager to lead active repair projects while developing the people, systems and infrastructure required to support the yard’s long-term growth.

This is a hands-on builder-operator role, not simply a scheduling or maintenance position. The successful candidate will bring experience from a structured, high-performing shipyard and adapt proven international practices to a growing operation.

The role

The Drydocking Manager will have end-to-end responsibility for the safe planning and execution of docking and undocking operations, the delivery of ship-repair projects, and the progressive development of the yard’s technical and operational capabilities.

The position will oversee operations, project planning, estimating, production, quality, QHSSE, procurement, subcontractors, maintenance and client coordination. The successful candidate will be expected to improve project execution, strengthen commercial controls and develop a capable local team.

Key responsibilities

• Direct the complete docking cycle, including vessel-data validation, docking conferences, block-plan review, dock preparation, vessel entry, landing, dewatering, inspection, refloating and undocking.
  
• Ensure that every docking operation is supported by an approved and independently checked technical package.
  
• Maintain rigorous safety controls for confined spaces, hot work, lifting, electrical isolation, work at height, underwater work and other high-risk activities.
  
• Exercise stop-work authority whenever personnel, vessel, environmental or asset integrity could be compromised.
  
• Convert contracted scopes into detailed schedules, manpower plans, material requirements, subcontracting strategies, inspection plans and production targets.
  
• Coordinate multidisciplinary repair work covering structural steel, propulsion and machinery, piping, electrical systems, blasting and coating, outfitting, testing and commissioning.
  
• Manage concurrent projects while protecting safety, delivery schedules, quality and profitability.
  
• Control labour productivity, overtime, subcontractor performance, material usage, rework, project costs and forecast margins.
  
• Implement disciplined change-order and variation-control processes to prevent uncontrolled work and margin erosion.
  
• Support estimating, contract reviews, bid decisions, technical proposals and client presentations.
  
• Assess current yard capacity, workflows, equipment reliability, skills coverage and operational constraints.
  
• Develop and execute a phased three-year growth roadmap covering people, systems, assets, capital investment and new repair capabilities.
  
• Establish scalable systems for estimating, project planning, job costing, document control, quality records, production reporting and project closeout.
  
• Build a clear organizational structure and competency framework for supervisors, planners, engineers, inspectors and skilled trades.
  
• Recruit, coach and develop local personnel while transferring knowledge and reducing dependency on individual employees.
  
• Maintain compliance with applicable class-society rules, flag and port-state requirements, statutory conventions, approved drawings, client specifications and relevant ISO systems.
  
• Strengthen preventive maintenance and readiness standards for the drydock, pumps, valves, generators, cranes, lifting equipment, electrical systems and emergency assets.
  
• Provide clear reporting on safety, progress, schedule variance, costs, margin, quality, client decisions, asset status and operational risks.

Requirements

• At least 12 years of progressively responsible experience in ship repair and drydocking, including a minimum of five years leading a significant operational area, multiple projects or a drydock/repair-yard function.
  
• Substantial experience within a larger, structured shipyard undertaking classed vessel repairs and managing multiple projects.
  
• Direct leadership experience across complex docking and repair periods involving several technical disciplines.
  
• Demonstrable success improving areas such as safety, turnaround time, throughput, labour productivity, gross margin, rework, asset reliability, customer retention or workforce capability.
  
• Strong knowledge of docking risks, vessel and dock interfaces, production planning, class requirements, quality controls, estimating, job costing and variation management.
  
• Experience leading supervisors, tradespeople, engineers, planners, inspectors, subcontractors and suppliers in a safety-critical environment.
  
• A degree or recognized technical qualification in naval architecture, marine engineering, mechanical engineering, ship construction or a related discipline. Exceptional shipyard experience supported by relevant marine certification may also be considered.
  
• Strong written and spoken English, good digital literacy and the ability to prepare clear operational, commercial and executive-level reports.
  

Preferred experience

• Formal Dockmaster or drydock-operations training.
  
• Professional experience as a naval architect, marine engineer, chief engineer or master mariner with significant docking responsibility.
  
• Experience working within an IACS-class environment and with ISO 9001, ISO 45001 or environmental management systems.
  
• Qualifications in project management, QHSSE, continuous improvement, commercial management or asset management.
  
• Experience transferring systems and operational capabilities from an established shipyard into a growing or resource-constrained operation.
  
• Experience preparing capital-investment plans, facility layouts, shipyard-expansion proposals or new-service business cases.
  
• Previous experience working internationally with multicultural teams, vessel owners and technical stakeholders.
  

Benefits