Marine Operations Specialist

About the Role

We are looking for a knowledgeable and versatile Marine Operations Specialist to join our team at KTB Marine ( www.ktbmarine.com), a marine operations and supply chain consultancy with a strong niche position in the maritime ecosystem.

This is a role for someone who brings genuine depth in maritime operations — whether from a port, terminal, vessel, or commercial shipping background — combined with the analytical capability and communication skills to translate that expertise into client-facing work. You are not a narrow technical specialist. You are a maritime generalist: someone who understands how the industry works across its moving parts, engages credibly across operational and commercial topics, and can produce structured, polished materials for professional audiences.

Your work will span several areas: supporting the development of marine operations frameworks and policies for client terminal projects; providing research and analytical support on maritime and supply chain topics; contributing shipbroking administrative and operational support; and adding meaningfully to KTB Marine's collective maritime knowledge base as we grow our service offerings.

Because we are a small organization, your contributions will be visible from day one. You will work directly with the CEO and senior team, with genuine room to grow as the firm scales.

Key Responsibilities

Marine Operations Support

• Support the development of marine operations policies, procedures, and frameworks for client terminal and port projects — including vessel arrival and departure protocols, berth management, safety and environmental procedures, and operational standards
• Conduct marine operations research and analysis on topics spanning port and terminal operations, vessel types and characteristics, cargo handling, regulatory requirements, and industry best practice
• Support the assessment and development of marine operations capability for clients undergoing growth, transition, or transformation
• Contribute to the development of client-facing reports, presentations, and recommendations that communicate marine operations findings clearly and credibly

Shipbroking & Commercial Support

• Provide administrative and operational support for shipbroking activities, including vessel research, voyage estimation support, fixture documentation, and market monitoring
• Conduct outreach to shipowners, operators, and charterers to source and track vessel availability for active and pipeline projects.
• Monitor freight market developments, vessel availability, and relevant industry news, and synthesize findings into concise internal briefings
• Support the preparation of charterparty documentation and correspondence as required
• Develop and maintain internal reference materials related to vessel types, trade lanes, port characteristics, and commercial maritime operations

Research & Analysis

• Conduct industry research across maritime, logistics, supply chain, and port and terminal sectors to support client engagements, internal strategy, and thought leadership initiatives
• Synthesize research findings into clear, structured formats suitable for client or executive audiences
• Support the development of white papers, reports, and other materials that position KTB Marine as a credible voice in the maritime space

Client-Facing Materials & Presentations

• Contribute to the development of high-quality PowerPoint presentations and reports for client engagements, incorporating maritime domain knowledge alongside analytical and visual rigour
• Translate technical marine operations content into language and formats accessible to non-specialist audiences
• Support the preparation of proposals and pitch materials that draw on maritime expertise to differentiate KTB Marine's offering

Internal Knowledge Development

• Contribute actively to KTB Marine's collective maritime knowledge base — documenting operational frameworks, building reference materials, and sharing expertise across the team
• Support the onboarding and education of team members on maritime topics as the organization grows

What We're Looking For

Experience

• 2–5 years of experience in a maritime operations, port or terminal operations, ship management, chartering, or commercial shipping environment
• Demonstrable familiarity with the operational realities of the maritime industry — how vessels, ports, terminals, and supply chains actually function
• Experience producing written materials — reports, procedures, briefings, or correspondence — to a professional standard
• Exposure to or involvement in shipbroking, chartering, or freight market activity is a meaningful advantage
• Background in or exposure to client-facing work, consulting support, or structured analytical tasks is strongly preferred

Skills & Competencies

• Solid working knowledge of maritime operations, including at least one of: port and terminal operations, vessel operations, dry or liquid bulk shipping, tanker operations, or commercial chartering
• Strong written English communication — able to produce clear, well-structured, professional documents and correspondence
• Proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel — able to produce organized, professional materials and conduct structured analysis
• Ability to conduct and synthesize research independently, producing concise outputs from complex or technical source material
• Genuine analytical capability — comfortable working with data, drawing reasoned conclusions, and presenting findings clearly
• Familiarity with maritime regulations, industry bodies, and standard commercial documentation (charterparties, bills of lading, port documentation) is a plus

Attributes

• A genuine passion for the maritime industry and curiosity about how it is evolving
• A generalist mindset — interested in the breadth of the industry rather than deeply siloed in one technical domain
• Strong attention to detail, particularly around accuracy of maritime and commercial information
• Self-directed and organized — able to manage multiple tasks and priorities without constant oversight
• Collaborative and communicative, with the professionalism to work effectively across a small, senior team
• Comfortable in a remote-first, internationally distributed work environment
  

A Note on Background & Geography

We are open to candidates from a range of maritime backgrounds and geographies. What matters most is genuine operational knowledge of the industry, strong written English, and the analytical and communication skills to apply that knowledge in a professional services context.

Candidates with backgrounds in port agency, ship management, maritime administration, freight forwarding, or related commercial maritime roles are encouraged to apply. We are equally interested in candidates who have developed maritime expertise through academic or regulatory environments, provided they can demonstrate practical operational understanding.

Time Zone Working Hours: Toronto time

Why Join KTB Marine

KTB Marine is growing across multiple service lines — shipbroking, marine operations consulting, terminal support, and digital solutions — and we are building the team and expertise to match our ambitions. As a Marine Operations Specialist, you will play a genuine role in expanding what we can credibly offer and deliver to our clients, with direct access to leadership and real room to grow with the organization.

What We Offer

• 100% remote — work from wherever you are based
• 15 days paid vacation
• Canadian public holidays
• Direct access to leadership and meaningful involvement in company direction