Woodward Group of Companies is seeking to appoint a General Manager / Managing Director to join their Coastal Shipping division of the group.

The Woodward Group of Companies provides vital marine transportation links in Newfoundland and Labrador as well as in Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic.  It operates seven vessels including a five vessel tanker fleet and a combination passenger and freight vessel and a smaller Ro-Ro freight ship.  They require a seasoned GM/MD to ensure the provision of safe and efficient services to their diverse customer base.

Based in Lewisporte, Newfoundland and reporting directly to the Owners and Vice-Presidents, the GM/MD will be responsible for providing technical, regulatory and marine support and direction to the vessel Officers, as well as to function as senior consultant to shipboard management personnel providing the advice necessary to solve key problems and operate efficiently and effectively.  The provision of qualified and competent staffing and staff levels as well as the smooth introduction of vessels in and out of service is required.  Other key elements to operational success will be this individual’s ability to analyze and provide feedback on operating budgets through monthly variance reporting as well as their participation in annual budget preparations.

The successful candidate will have significant marine experience and training with minimum of 10 years experience in shore operations as a Marine Superintendent or Port Captain or similar leadership role.  They will be well versed in working with Classification Society Rules and Government regulations pertaining to tanker and to passenger ferry operations along with DNV auditing experience and vetting requirements.  In particular, the position requires significant direct managerial experience in the management of tankers and passenger ferries at a senior executive level, including responsibility for budget preparation oversight, monitoring actual results against budgets and reporting those results to owners and senior managers. Other skill sets would include previous experience and knowledge in dry-docking, refit specifications and overall maintenance and repairs.

This will require someone who not only has the ‘hands on’ management experience of running such an operation with both technical and commercial staff, but someone who is able to look at the business as a whole, from full P&L responsibility to identifying what the business could look like in the future with the right leadership and vision; so an entrepreneur/businessperson who will take control and responsibility.

As an experienced leader, he/she will possess excellent communication skills, lead by example and continuously set the bar higher to improve standards and processes.  This will be demonstrated by the individual’s ability to manage people, projects, budgets and change.  Individuals with a combination of similar skills and experience in the marine industry will be considered for the position.