PURPOSE OF POSITION

To provide a total planning and control service by coordinating, controlling and planning the activities associated with cargo handling operations on any vessel nominated or park control nominated to his care.  As such, the Planner will undertake a central role between the customers, ship’s command and terminal operations in the gathering and dissemination of all information to do with the cargo handling operations of nominated vessels and to meet customer and terminal requirements at all times.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Maritime Studies, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field
• Minimum of 3–5 years’ experience in port operations, cargo planning, stevedoring, or terminal operations
• Working knowledge of vessel planning, cargo handling procedures, and port/terminal operations systems
• Experience coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including vessel agents, ship crews, and terminal personnel
• Familiarity with safety regulations, port standards, and operational best practices within a marine or port environment

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Computer literate with proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• The ability to prioritize work
• Initiative to improve processes

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Essential duties include but are not limited to:

• Planners must bear in mind at all times that they are the principle communication point between all the parties involved in the operation of a vessel call and in particular that they are the principal contact and intercommunication point with the customer, their crews, employees and agents regarding vessel operations.
• Planners in conduct, availability, commitment and appearance should therefore seek to represent the best interest of the Company and their customers within the port and ensure that their requirements and problems are fully communicated to and attended by the terminal’s operational staff.
• On being nominated to particular vessels to establish, maintain and promote effective communications with the vessel operator and their agents.  To ensure that all operational parameters are established as early as possible and that this information is disseminated to appropriate terminal staff.
• To liaise with Terminal Management and Senior Staff and, at all times, to be aware of planned or current status of operations on vessels and to ensure, as directed by Management, the vessel operators and their agents are kept informed of planned and current terminal operations.
• To ensure that while nominated vessels are active, terminal staff, vessel command, vessel operators and planning colleagues are aware of the contact procedure to the vessel planner and to provide the appropriate level of availability.
• To assimilate, coordinate, verify and plan an effective discharge operation to expedite accurate discharge cycles.
• By use of hard copy ship’s documents, or by electronic facility, to establish the discharge operation, including levels of imports, ROB positions, line breakdown by units and to identify any special requirements, i.e. reefers, oog, breakbulk, hazardous, direct delivery, etc.
• As early as practicable to inform and Management of import levels and special requirements.
• By close liaison with the appropriate area of terminal operations to ensure that all special service requirements and other customer needs are attended to.
• By direct or delegated responsibility to ensure that wherever practicable, all import discrepancies are verified prior to the start of discharge operations, e.g., manifest and number queries, recap discrepancies, COD’s, etc.
• By compiling all the information available to the department, to produce discharge plans, sequence lists, etc., that allows all operational staff to undertake the discharge operation in an efficient, accurate and informative manner.
• By direct liaison with Management and other operational staff, ensure that all discharge operations are proceeding to plan and that all changes, discrepancies or inquiries are dealt with in a professional, efficient and effective manner and that customers and their agents are kept fully informed of progress, discrepancies and any changes.
• To ensure that the discharge operation is fully reported and accounted for to customers and their agents in terms of Final Outturns, TOR’s, and departure reports which fully complies with contractual and customer requirements.
• To assimilate, coordinate, verify and plan an effective loading operation to expedite accurate loading cycles.
• By use of hard copy documents or electronic facilities to establish the loading operation including levels of exports, ROB positions, line breakdown by units and to identify any special requirements, i.e. reefers, OOG, breakbulk, hazardous, special stows, etc.
• By liaison and cooperation with control staff to ensure that practical measures are actioned to resolve invalid, inappropriate or erroneous yard details to maximize the efficiency of export flows from yard to vessel.
• By direct involvement with customers, agents or any appropriate persons, continuously strive to obtain the maximum and most accurate level of information available as soon as practicable.  To ensure that all such information is included and/or disseminated to the appropriate level of terminal operational staff.
• By using all available information including the arrival configuration of cargo on board vessels i.e. ROB, to consider in detail the viability of export operations and to analyze potential problem areas.  To establish the optimum export operation including necessary provisions required during operation including necessary provisions required during operations, e.g., OOG positioning, breakbulk positioning and safety for lashing operations, crane cycle speeds, hazardous segregation, reefer stows, lashing arrangements, etc.
• In conjunction with the above, to establish potential options for overcoming likely problem areas so that remedial alternative operations are immediately available should problems arise.
• Prior to export operations to ensure that Management, Control (when applicable) and Senior Planner are briefed on the overall operational plan and any likely problem areas envisaged.
• By direct or delegated involvement to ensure that all export executive information is valid, verified and accurate and to ensure that all discrepancies are investigated and resolved.
• By compiling all information available and taking into account available ship working resources, to prepare, plan and distribute accurate export documentation that allows operational staff to expedite the loading operation in an efficient, accurate and informed manner.
• To ensure at all times that appropriate measures are taken to deal with operational problems in a professional and efficient manner, for example, ‘not heres’, 8ft tanks, etc.
• By discussion with vessel command, to ensure that they are fully briefed, including the provision of appropriate documents on the planned export load operation, to ensure that any reasonable request by the vessel is dealt with in a professional manner and that any associated changes in cargo working are accounted for within the operational plan.
• Prior to, during and following the completion of the load operations, to ensure by direct liaison with Management and other operational staff, that all loading operations are proceeding to plan and that all changes, discrepancies or enquiries are dealt with in a professional, efficient and effective manner and that customers and their agents are kept fully informed of progress, discrepancies and changes that have taken place.
• At the earliest practicable time to provide the vessel’s command with completed and accurate ship’s documentation that fully complies with the vessel operator’s and/or Master’s stowage instructions and any stability and stress information and required calculations are delivered.
• Prior to and during cargo operations, particularly where export executive information, arrivals or clearances have not been finalized, to provide vessel’s command and vessel operators with such provisional information that can be obtained for, e.g. weight plans and estimates, hazardous/OOG/reefer lists, etc.
• In direct liaison with control, to ensure that the export operation is fully reported and accounted for to customers and their agents in terms of Final Loadlists, TOR’s, and departure reports which fully complies with contract and which fully complies with contract and customer requirements.
• Planners must, at all times, promote the utmost professionalism in all elements of Management, operational staff, customers, their agents and vessel’s command, to provide effective, efficient and controlled vessel operations.
• By combining all the requirements of imports, export, restows, hazardous, special stows, customer contract requirements and vessel characteristics with the known terminal resources and facilities, to provide an overall operational plan for the vessel call which expedites the movement of the cargo and the vessel through the Freeport Container Port
• To analyze vessel and cargo configurations, consider the effects of the likely cargo operation, to examine potential problem areas and establish options available during operations to overcome these problems.
• At all times, to monitor operations on vessels and to establish and maintain effective communications between all parties and, in particular, the customer and their agents as to the planned work and progress on particular vessels.
• To provide the principle line of contact with the vessel command and to ensure that any vessel under the control of a planner is met on or near arrival.
• At all times to seek to maximize the efficiency of the overall operational plan with particular regard to the speedy and accurate flow of cargo on and off vessels.
• To monitor both favorable and adverse effects of cargo operations on particular vessels and, or services.  To record and report these effects and factors that influences them.  By close liaison with customers and Management to seek remedies or alternative measures to overcome or minimize these adverse effects.
• Ship Planners, by their professionalism, ability, conduct and commitment to the best interests of the Company, terminal and customers should in every way possible conduct their undertaking in a manner to achieve the highest profile in teamwork and the promotion of the Planning Department and Company as a whole.
• By self-motivation and the use of formal training to develop personnel skills and general awareness of terminal operations.
• To participate in the training, development and experience of other staff.
• To promote good customer relationships with customers and their agents.
• To promote the development of alternative systems and procedures that benefit terminal and customer operations including operational and customer statistical analysis.
• To represent the terminal and or the department at customer meetings.
• To assist or deputise for Management during absences or secondment.
• To develop teamwork by obtaining or providing cross assistance between planners to benefit terminal operations and to promote a general strengthening of the department by the exchange of knowledge and experience.
• To develop professional and harmonious teamwork between the Planning Department and other operations areas, in particularly Quay Superintendents.
• In accordance with prevailing policies determined by Port Management, allocate park space to customers in order to maximize port efficiency. In doing so, anticipate potential problems e.g. high traffic volumes, and make appropriate decisions to avoid poor utilization of resources.
• Continually review allocate areas using, but not limited to the following criteria:
• Transshipments – taking into account, quantity, and type of operation (ship-to-ship transshipments, berthing within hours or days each other).
• Exports – including historical information, customer forecasts on throughput and vessel planning information regarding crane working programs, stowage, etc.
• Imports – including historical information, customer forecasts and vessel planning information.
• Use all information and systems available to continuously review each individual allocation. Identify housekeeping requirements and ensure that this is prioritized in accordance with Terminal Management instructions.
• Maintain an accurate overview of all park and shipping activities in order to provide management with accurate progress updates.
• Ensure that each day, a list is compiled for all vessels expected, their berth location and yard areas to be used.
• Ensure that all throughput statistics requested by management are accurately completed with out delay.
• Ensure that a comprehensive briefing is given including detailed handover notes.
• Maintain a sufficient working knowledge of hazardous cargo/substances and its relevant legislation to enable cargo to be correctly allocated within the available park space.
• Maintain knowledge of all new technology and systems regarding yard control. Be effective in utilizing such systems to their full capacity. Ensure that the use of these systems continuously improves the standard of service provided. Be involved in ways progressing new technology so that yard management becomes more efficient.
• Be to participate in the training of self and others in order to continually improve the standard of customer service provided.

PERFORMS OTHER RELATED DUTIES AS REQUIRED AND ASSIGNED

COMPANY’S EXPECTATION OF EMPLOYEE

• Adheres to Company Policy and Procedures
• Acts as a role model within and outside the Company
• Performs duties as workload necessitates
• Maintains a positive and respectful attitude
• Communicates regularly with the Planning Manager
• Demonstrates flexible and efficient time management and ability to prioritize workload
• Consistently reports to work on time prepared to perform duties of position
• Meets Department productivity standards

SAFETY CONDUCT

Employees are reminded of their legal duties to co-operate with the company taking reasonable care of him or herself and any other person who might be affected by their acts or omissions.  In addition employees are responsible to report to their employer any equipment defects, hazards or unsafe acts that might cause an accident and result in injury.