Head of Human Resources / Crewing (m/f/d)

TT-Line is one of the leading ferry companies in the Baltic Sea, using modern ferries between Germany, Poland, Lithuania and Sweden. TT-Line carries over 1,000,000 passengers and more than 500,000 freight units annually on its 4 routes, making it the market leader in southern Sweden traffic. TT-Line currently employs around 900 people on board and in the land offices in Travemünde, Rostock, Trelleborg, Karlshamn, Świnoujście / Szczecin and Klaipėda.

For our headquarters in Travemünde (Germany), we are looking for a:

Head of Human Resources / Crewing (m/f/d)

This is a management position reporting directly to the Management Board „Geschäftsführer”. The role carries substantial responsibility for the people, processes and partnerships that ensure the safe, compliant and reliable operation of our fleet. As a trusted strategic partner you will shape the HR and Crewing function and ensure that TT-Line has the right crew, capabilities and structures for its current operations and future development.

• Overall responsibility for Human Resources and Crewing incl. our seagoing personnel and the reliable manning of our fleet
• Development and implementation of a future-oriented HR and Crewing strategy aligned with fleet deployment, route network, growth and operational reliability
• Leadership, development and professionalisation of the HR/Crewing team, including clear structures, KPIs, processes, reporting and digital tools
• Strategic workforce planning, recruitment, selection, retention and succession planning for nautical, technical, hotel/catering and other shipboard functions
• Responsibility for crew planning, rotations, reliefs, travel, certificates, medicals, training records and audit-ready documentation in accordance with MLC, STCW, flag-state and safe-manning requirements
• Negotiation, management and monitoring of collective bargaining agreements, crewing/manning contracts, service agreements and relationships with maritime unions, crewing agencies and external partners
• Budget responsibility for personnel and crewing costs, forecasts, reporting and continuous improvement of cost, quality, compliance and crew availability
• Reporting directly to Management Board and working closely with Ship Management, Technical, Nautical, Operations, Finance and external stakeholders
• Development of crew welfare, performance management, leadership, training and employer-branding initiatives to strengthen TT-Line as an attractive maritime employer

• Leadership experience in shipping, maritime HR, crewing, manning or fleet personnel management
• Strong knowledge of crew planning, crew management systems, manning agencies, seafarer recruitment and the international crewing market
• Sound knowledge of maritime labour regulations and standards, in particular MLC 2006, STCW, flag-state/safe-manning requirements and audit/compliance processes
• Experience with collective bargaining agreements, ITF/IBF or comparable maritime CBA structures, crewing contracts, union/stakeholder negotiations and international employment models
• Excellent leadership, negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to manage complex structures, conflicting priorities and time-critical operational issues
• Entrepreneurial mindset, high level of integrity, resilience, hands-on mentality and the ability to combine strategic thinking with operational excellence
• Business-fluent written and spoken English is required

• Management role with high strategic relevance and direct influence on fleet reliability, crew performance and company success
• Employment in a strategically important function with broad scope for impact and development
• International working environment with modern ferries, diverse teams and a strong market position in the Baltic Sea
• Short decision-making paths, entrepreneurial scope and the opportunity to professionalise and further develop a key function
• A dynamic and committed team with a friendly atmosphere and strong team spirit
• Subject-specific training and development opportunities

You can look forward to an interesting, varied and challenging management position in a successful and growing shipping company. We are looking for an experienced, trustworthy and resilient leader with HR/Crewing expertise, strong judgement and the ability to act as a credible partner to the Management Board, crews and external stakeholders.