Technical Director – Ship Management

Overview

Polaris Group seeks a seasoned Technical Director to establish and lead a new in-house ship management division in Germany, based in Hamminkeln or Duisburg. This leadership role carries an entrepreneurial mandate to build a professional ship management company from inception and transition the technical management of Polaris's fleet in-house. The role requires creating the organisation, systems, procedures, technical benchmarks, and team to ensure safe, reliable, cost-efficient, and scalable ship operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the creation of Polaris's internal ship management entity, structuring teams, defining roles, processes, and reporting frameworks.
• Recruit and assemble the shore-based technical management team and decide on functions to retain or outsource initially.
• Forge partnerships with classification societies, flag states, suppliers, shipyards, crewing services, and other maritime providers.
• Implement necessary regulatory systems such as ISM, ISPS, Safety Management Systems, and Documents of Compliance.
• Design a scalable platform accommodating fleet growth.
• Manage technical and fleet performance, establishing vessel-specific OPEX and CAPEX budgets and maintaining stringent cost control.
• Develop and execute planned maintenance and fleet management strategies, including setting technical KPIs and conducting performance reviews.
• Oversee maintenance activities, repairs, incident management, dry-dockings, special surveys, upgrades, and ensure statutory compliance.
• Lead technical takeovers of vessels transitioning from third-party management, including due diligence, condition reviews, budget planning, and coordination with stakeholders.
• Drive a culture of safety and compliance adhering to ISM, ISPS, SOLAS, MARPOL, and applicable flag/state requirements.
• Establish QHSE, Designated Person Ashore, and marine management functions, manage incident investigations, and emergency response procedures.
• Recruit and develop technical superintendents, marine superintendents, and other ship management staff, fostering a performance-driven culture and succession planning.
• Collaborate closely with commercial, finance, insurance, and executive teams.

Candidate Profile

• Relevant maritime education and professional qualifications.
• Extensive seagoing background, ideally as a Master Mariner or Captain, or senior engineering leadership such as a Chief Engineer with strong fleet management experience.
• 10 to 15 years of relevant maritime experience including substantial shore-based technical leadership roles.
• Demonstrable expertise in managing technical performance across multiple vessels and experience with technical budget planning.
• Proficient knowledge of maritime safety and compliance standards including ISM, ISPS, SOLAS, MARPOL, class and flag-state regulations.
• Familiarity with RoRo, PCTC, RoPax, or similar vessel types is highly preferred.
• Previous experience in a Technical Director, Fleet Director, Fleet Manager, Marine Superintendent, or equivalent role.
• Experience in establishing or significantly developing ship management organisations is a notable advantage.
• Strong leadership skills and commercial acumen with a disciplined cost management approach.
• Fluency in English required; German language skills beneficial but not mandatory.

Additional Information

This position provides the unique chance to build and lead Polaris’s ship management operation from the ground up rather than inheriting an existing structure. It offers significant autonomy, direct engagement with ownership and senior leadership, and a central role in the company’s maritime leadership team.