Overview
Holcim Trading (HT) is the trading arm of Holcim Group, the world leader in the building materials industry. HT is specialized to meet the needs of customers and suppliers around the world through a unique product and service portfolio provided from offices in Zurich, Singapore and Miami.
HT delivers solutions for the seaborne import and export needs of cementitious materials, gypsum, solid fuels and other dry bulk goods. Teams of dedicated specialists manage a diverse network of seaborne logistics, operating bulk carrier vessels and specialized cement carriers. HT is a leading international trader, meeting the needs of the cement/construction industry worldwide.
For our office in Miami we are looking for a:
Chartering Manager Americas
Responsibilities
Charter in/out vessels (cement, clinker, gypsum, slag, fly ash + solid fuels i.e. petcoke & coal)
- Negotiate freight rates and C/P for contract of affreightment / Spot fixtures and Time Charters for bulkers and PCC in and out, according to budget & terms of sale/purchase and according to the needs of the trading Department
- Establish a good network of brokers, freight forwarders and liner agents, formalize requests from the traders and analyze our broker's offer, for all shipments as and when required
- Manage relationships within a regional network of ship owners and ship brokers for all shipping activities
- Participate in the budget process and provide freight rates for CIF/CFR sales, including the shipping plans for the Indian Ocean / Mediterranean terminals
- Establish and follow up on freight exposure (percentage of freight cover vs budget of sales with risk) for the regions under his responsibility. Recommend and implement chartering and bunker hedging strategy including contracts of affreightment to the Head of Shipping & Operations
- For spot shipments, negotiate and make recommendations to the Head of Region (APAC).
- Strictly enforce Group Shipping Directive / Insurance Policies and provide support to internal customers in Holcim Trading and Holcim Business Units
- Manage all claims and insurance matters including C/P disputes for the trades under his responsibility
- Report periodically as specified, on market developments and market intelligence on the bulk market (Supra/ Handy)
Quotations
Provide freight offers, quotations, estimates or market trends/forecast to trading and strategy departments for:
- Budget purpose
- Potential sales / tender
- Strategic Review
- New Projects
- Risk of import
- Estimation of competition
Get involved in new project development and any market development opportunities identified.
Operations
- Support operations team in all claims matters / disputes / CP terms and conditions)
- Liaise with Lawyers / P&I clubs in respect to shipping/chartering issues
- Advise / guide/ instruct operation team when needed (contract terms, laytime, operations)
- Deal with shipping/chartering issue (ex. claims from owners, stevedore damage, and cancellation of contract / Charter Party) in close cooperation with lawyers / Protection & Indemnity Club
Reporting
- Quarterly reports for Business Units which include freight market evolution, market outlook, coverage strategy, performance of current COA.
Check and control Contracts and Charter Parties
- Work closely with the Head of Shipping & Operations to negotiate, collect any outstanding due, check and control Charter Parties
Conduct market research in the dry bulk sector and market intelligence
- Gather market intelligence on competition, cargoes on the market, market reports
- Inform management, trading & strategy departments accordingly
Taking positions on freight to generate a P&L
- Analyze TC levels in order to evaluate taking a position versus VC
- Analyze freight market in order to evaluate taking short or long positions in freight
- Taking positions on freight following Risk Management procedure
Education/Qualifications
- Strong commercial and operational background.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in a dry/bulk cargo chartering environment.
- The candidate will have strong all round operational experience in the handling and transportation of general cargo and dry bulk materials, with extensive experience in chartering. The ideal candidate could be from a similar trading company or Operator.
- An advance qualification in shipping or chartering at degree level is preferred.
Knowledge & Skills
- Good knowledge in Chartering, Vessel Operations, Shipping Markets, Charter Parties and some knowledge of Ship management
- Good knowledge of ship construction / ship stability
- Good knowledge of cargo handling systems, cargo stowage & planning and vessel vetting
- Good knowledge of ISM Code, SOLAS, IMSBC Code and other international conventions
- Good analytical skills
- Able to provide assistance
Travel requirements: Occasional travelling to business partner’s site to resolve business issues.
Language Requirements
Proficient in written and spoken English and able to communicate well (Spanish is a plus)