Svitzer – on behalf of Batangas Bay Towage Inc – is seeking a HR & Crewing Specialist for its operations in Batangas to ensuring full compliance with country labour laws, flag state regulations, company policies and procedures, ensuring the safe and effective management of employees and vessel crew.

What you can look forward to

Offering uninterrupted marine solutions requires not only the best equipment but also the best people. At Batangas Bay Towage Inc and Svitzer our shared ambition is to attract and continuously develop the industry’s best craftspeople. Both at sea and on land - worldwide, wherever our customers do business. We are driven by skilled, professional and dedicated people and we work together as one company to provide safe, reliable and efficient services to our customers. We support and develop our people’s skills and capabilities and we care for the development of both teams and individuals. To best serve our customers, we strive to ensure the right people and the best teams for the job, every time.

What you will do

Your key responsibilities will include:

HR:

• Administer the full employee lifecycle for BBTI including recruitment, onboarding / offboarding process, leave management, compensation & benefits administration, payroll, annual salary review, performance management & growth, employee engagement, employment documentation and record-keeping, HR system data entry & updates, policy implementation and governance.

• Ensure all HR processes and activities run efficiently and effectively to support employees and leaders, in full compliance with internal and external governance requirements.

• Accurately administer and maintain employment documentation and data, including staffing, recruitment, training, leaves of absence, payroll, employment contracts, etc. ensuring all records re up-to-date and verified.

• Execute timely and precise payroll processing, ensuring compliance with company policies and legal requirements.

• Ensure compliance with HR policies and procedures, company rules, local laws and regulations

• Perform HR compliance checks and audit controls, ensuring alignment with internal and external governance standards.

• Actively promote and ensure that the Company’s values and purpose are reflected and lived throughout the organisation.

• Build strong relationships with leaders and colleagues, fostering a culture of trust, collaboration and open communication.

• Support leaders to ensure all conduct and activities align with the Company’s values, safety management system and regulations.

• Support leaders to cultivate a performance leadership culture in BBTI as a competitive advantage and a differentiator for our customers, employees and shareholders.

• Support leaders in ensuring meaningful engagement with employee relations activities, and where required participate in collective bargaining and dispute resolution where necessary.

• Assist local management to undertake thorough investigations of complex cases related to performance management, disciplinary procedures, misconduct, and grievance resolution.

• Participate in the HR elements of commercial growth projects, from tender formation to new business implementation

• Liaise with relevant government departments and agencies, maintaining accurate records and documentation for all government-related transactions

• Keep up-to-date with changes in local laws and regulations, ensuring HR practices remain current and compliant.

• Coordinate with Region HR stakeholders to ensure internal SLA terms and conditions are met.

• Provide regular feedback to Region HR on all HR matters.

• Actively participate in the Region HR Community to align country HR activities with broader regional strategies and goals.

Crewing:

• Ensure the safe, efficient and compliant provision of marine crew to vessels in the designated fleet

• Execute crew planning in accordance with Safe Manning as per Class and Flag regulations, and Operational Manning as per operational activities and client requirements

• Ensure that vessels are manned according to legal requirements and Company’s standards for relevant operational activities

• Continuously monitor and maintain a high level of crew skill and expertise across the fleet

• Coordinate the selection and recruitment of all seafarers using Class Marker, executing recruitment and search processes targeting best quality seafarers who meet the required qualifications, medical fitness, and competency standards.

• Promote crewing and operational excellence by ensuring timely, reliable and safe service to our customers, including crew standards, seamless crew change, optimizing crew costs and identifying cost saving opportunities.

• Prepare and arrange all necessary crew documentation and logistics, including contracts, joining letters, guarantee letters, visas, work permits, port pass, seaman’s pass, hotels and air tickets for all crew movements as required.

• Ensure compliance with international maritime laws, flag state documentation and endorsements, staying informed of any changes or new developments in Flag State and local operations laws

• Monitor crew STCW certificate compliance and track expiration dates to ensure continued compliance.

• Effectively use and ensure compliance with Svitzer’s Safety Management System (HMS)

• Utilize Crew Inspector and Workday for input and maintenance of crew database and up-to-date record of all crew information, medical and training records, certification details

• Process crew payroll inputs, and ensure the seafarers are paid timely and precisely

• Maintain a focus on crew wellbeing and ensuring all crew personnel are communicated to, engaged, and managed appropriately.

• Ensure seafarers are trained as required standards (STCW, OVMSA etc.)

• Ensure that performance appraisals of all Officers and Ratings is coordinated with the relevant manager and recorded in Crew Inspector and Workday.

• Address and resolve seafarer individual and collective issues raised, partnering with onshore management and vessel masters to resolve any issues.

• Assist in developing and improving crewing procedures and work practices

• Assist in evaluating manning agents (where used) to make sure they are compliant with MLC and IMO standards.

• Provide crewing inputs on business development / new tender projects, ensuring that all relevant Class and Flag requirements are met by the fleet in connection with new business opportunities.

• Assist in compiling annual crewing budget/ROFO and monthly deviation analysis

• Assist in crisis management as and when required in situations that impact BBTI or the Company globally and/or regionally.

• Coordinate with Region Crewing stakeholders to ensure internal SLA terms and conditions are met.

• Provide regular feedback to Region Crewing on all Crewing matters.

• Actively participate in the Region Crewing Community to align country crewing activities with broader regional strategies and goals.

Who we are looking for

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• University degree or equivalent in human resources management, crew management, business administration or related field

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in a similar role, ideally in the maritime industry.

• Knowledge of the maritime industry standards and flag state requirements is an advantage

• Solid understanding of HR practices

• In-depth knowledge of Philippines Labour law and government regulations and procedures

• Experience with Philippines Government agencies compliance requirements (BIR, SSS, etc.)

• Proficient in drafting employment terms and contracts and navigating employment laws

• Experience in executing payroll

• Proficient in MS Office applications

• Excellent English communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to engage at all organisational levels.

As a person you are described as having:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• Strong stakeholder management, particularly in a cross functional and matrixed environment

• Ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders (both internal and external)

• Empathetic, culturally aware, and highly ethical.

• Capable of handling confidential information

• A trusted advisor that leads by example, embodying the company values.

• Strong organisational skills with attention to detail

• Ability to work independently, prioritise tasks, and manage multiple deadlines effectively.

• Ability to work professionally in a hybrid set up (onsite/in office, WFH, field work e.g. Government Office liaison)

Building a Diverse Workplace

In Svitzer we value the diversity of our talent and will always strive to recruit the best person for the job – we value diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs. We are proud of our diversity and see it as a genuine source of strength for building high performing teams.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that members from some under-represented groups are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet every single qualification. At Svitzer we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles, and we are excited about hearing from you!

How to Apply

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