Project Manager - Aquaculture & Fishing

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About Us

At Damen Aquaculture & Fishing, we are dedicated to designing and delivering innovative vessels for the aquaculture and fishing industries. As a specialised product group within Damen Shipyards, we operate from Stellendam, the Netherlands, serving customers around the world.

Our portfolio includes aquaculture support vessels and fishing vessels that are developed in close collaboration with our clients and built at Damen shipyards worldwide. Designed to perform reliably in demanding environments, our vessels are supported throughout their lifecycle with expert service and maintenance.

As part of the Damen Group, we contribute to sustainable, efficient, and future-ready maritime solutions. With a strong focus on customer needs, technical excellence, and teamwork, we offer an ocean of possibilities for ambitious maritime professionals.

The Role

As Project Manager, you take overall responsibility for international newbuild vessel projects within Damen’s Aquaculture & Fishing portfolio, from contract handover through construction, sea trials and delivery to agreed close-out. You are the central point of contact for the customer, the building yard, suppliers and the project team, and you are accountable for delivering each vessel safely, on time, within budget and in line with the contract.

You lead the project team and make sure that design, vendor data, system integration, procurement and production come together in one coherent, buildable and commercially sound project.

With a completed bachelor’s or master’s degree in Naval Architecture, Business Administration or Mechanical Engineering, you combine technical understanding with commercial insight. You can challenge choices, manage risks and drive decision-making across disciplines.

 

Key Accountabilities

You are accountable for the delivery of each newbuild vessel project, covering scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk and customer satisfaction, ensuring that our standardised, repeatable vessel designs are delivered as safe, efficient and buildable vessels.

In addition, your responsibilities include:

• Deliver the project from contract handover through construction, sea trials, delivery and warranty to agreed close-out.
• Manage the Project Manager Engineering, setting clear targets so that engineering scope, schedule, budget and deliverables support the project plan.
• Report on progress, forecasts, risks and decisions to the Project Board, and escalate issues in a timely manner.
• Translate the contract, specification and customer requirements into a controlled project scope, plan and budget, and safeguard the contract baseline.
• Coordinate with the Product Group, the building yard, procurement, planning, production and quality.
• Build constructive relationships with the customer, classification societies and authorities throughout construction and trials.
• Manage the commercial and financial aspects of the project, including budget, cost control, cash flow, payment milestones, variation orders, claims and contractual risks.
• Manage project risks, opportunities, deviations and change requests, including assessment of their impact on cost, schedule, performance and the contract.
• Together with procurement and engineering, steer supplier and subcontractor selection, vendor data, procurement progress and timely delivery of key equipment.
• Coordinate construction at international build locations and partner yards, and ensure compliance with HSEQ, class, flag-state and Damen standards and processes.
• Capture lessons learned, improve standardisation and strengthen project delivery across the Aquaculture & Fishing portfolio.

 

Skills & Experience

As Project Manager, you combine leadership with a solid technical understanding of vessel design and shipbuilding. You work independently, take responsibility and have a practical, hands-on mentality. You are proactive, structured and quality-minded.

In addition, you bring:

• A completed bachelor’s or master’s degree in Naval Architecture, Business Administration or Mechanical Engineering.
• Proven experience as project manager of complex newbuild vessel or comparable technical projects, preferably in shipbuilding, workboats, offshore, fishing or aquaculture.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary project teams and engineering managers.
• Sufficient understanding of the vessel design and engineering process, including naval architecture, systems integration and vendor data, to challenge technical choices and assess their impact on cost and schedule.
• Strong commercial and contractual skills, including budget and cash-flow control, variation orders, claims and risk management.
• Strong project control skills, including planning, progress measurement, forecasting, change management and reporting.
• Experience working with international customers, shipyards, suppliers and classification societies, and the ability to lead discussions with them.
• A stand-alone, decisive and hands-on approach, with strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Professional proficiency in English; Dutch or Norwegian is an advantage.
• Willingness to travel internationally to customers, suppliers and building locations.

What We Offer

At Damen Aquaculture & Fishing, you will join an ambitious and growing team within a dynamic international environment. We offer excellent opportunities for professional development and a rewarding career in the maritime industry.

In addition, what can you expect:

• A technology-driven workplace focused on innovation and maritime excellence.
• A competitive salary aligned with your experience and expertise.
• Profit-sharing and a pension contribution.
• A minimum of 25 vacation days and 13 additional ADV days.
• Extensive opportunities for professional and personal development through the Damen Academy.
• A travel allowance.
• The opportunity to contribute to innovative and sustainable vessel designs that make a difference worldwide.
• A collaborative and informal working culture in which your ideas and initiative are valued.

 

What success looks like

• The vessel is delivered safely, on time, within budget and in line with the contract and specification, to a satisfied customer.
• The project team works from one controlled scope, schedule, budget and technical baseline.
• The Project Board receives transparent and reliable reporting, and risks and deviations are escalated early.
• Engineering, procurement, supplier data and production are aligned, so construction proceeds without avoidable delays.
• Changes and variation orders are assessed and agreed with the customer before execution, protecting the margin and the contract position.
• Trusted relationships with customers, yards, suppliers and class, and lessons learned that feed back into our standardised vessel designs.

 

Recruiter:

Ine van der Meer - Grootenboer

Email:

[email protected]

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