Location: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with regular travel to the company's Red Sea branches and Arabian Gulf operations
Salary: Circa £150,000 per annum (or Saudi Riyal equivalent)
Start: Q1 to Q2 2027, subject to notice period
Contract: Permanent, full-time Saudi employment contract
Package: To be confirmed. Expected to include housing, transport, annual flights, medical cover and relocation support for the successful candidate and family
Reporting to: The Chief Executive Officer, with close contact with the Managing Director
Open to all nationalities. Saudi nationals are strongly encouraged to apply in line with Saudisation. Fluent English is essential and Arabic is a strong advantage.
Role Summary
MOR Talent Boutique is delighted to be partnering with one of Saudi Arabia's longest-established family-owned maritime and logistics companies on the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer.
Over nearly four decades the company has grown into a trusted name in ship agency, customs clearance, ship chandlery and supply, logistics and yacht services, with branches across the Kingdom's major Red Sea ports and service to key Arabian Gulf terminals. It holds long-standing partnerships with national energy companies and ISO 9001 certification.
The company is entering a period of growth driven by the Kingdom's investment in ports, logistics and giga-projects under Vision 2030. The owning family is appointing a Chief Executive Officer and a Chief Operating Officer to lead this next chapter.
The COO will run the company's day-to-day operations across all ports and service lines. They will make sure every vessel call, clearance and delivery is handled to the standard the company's clients expect, and build the systems, people and processes needed to scale. This is a hands-on leadership role for an operator who is as comfortable on the quayside as in the boardroom.
Responsibilities
Port & Agency Operations
- Lead all ship agency, husbandry, chandlery and supply, and yacht services operations across the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf branches
- Ensure vessels are handled quickly, safely and accurately, with clear communication to owners, masters and charterers 24/7
- Set and monitor service standards and KPIs for every branch, and step in to resolve escalations personally
- Plan resources, staffing and equipment to meet demand, including peaks from project cargo and giga-project activity
Customs, Logistics & Supply Chain
- Oversee customs clearance, documentation, cargo handling, inland haulage and warehousing
- Build strong working relationships with Mawani, ZATCA, port operators, terminals and local authorities
- Manage suppliers, subcontractors and transport partners on cost, quality and reliability
Key Client Delivery
- Ensure flawless delivery for strategic energy and industrial clients, meeting their vendor, contractor and HSE requirements
- Support the CEO on tenders by building realistic, compliant operating plans and pricing inputs
- Run regular service reviews with major clients and act on feedback
HSE, Quality & Compliance
- Own health, safety and environmental performance across all sites and operations
- Maintain ISO 9001 certification and industry memberships, and prepare for audits by clients and authorities
- Ensure full compliance with Saudi maritime, customs, labour and HSE regulations
People & Saudisation
- Lead branch managers and operations teams, building clear structures, accountability and a strong service culture
- Recruit, train and develop Saudi talent, supporting Nitaqat compliance and building a pipeline of future operations leaders
- Introduce training, performance management and succession planning across operations
Systems, Process & Performance
- Standardise processes across branches and introduce modern operating, tracking and reporting systems
- Drive digitalisation of agency, clearance and logistics workflows to improve speed, visibility and accuracy
- Manage operating budgets, control costs and improve margin, reporting performance to the CEO and the family
Experience & Skills
- 12+ years in ship agency, port operations, marine logistics, freight forwarding or offshore marine services
- At least 5 years in a senior operations leadership role managing multiple sites or branches
- Hands-on knowledge of port calls, ship agency, customs clearance and cargo operations
- Experience in Saudi Arabia or the wider GCC strongly preferred, ideally with working knowledge of Mawani and ZATCA processes
- Experience delivering to national oil companies or major energy clients, including their HSE and contractor standards, is a strong advantage
- A track record of improving operational performance, systems and cost control
- Experience with ISO 9001, HSE management systems and client audits
- A seagoing background, such as Master Mariner or Chief Engineer, or a degree in maritime studies, logistics or engineering, is an advantage
- Fluent English is essential. Arabic is a strong advantage
Personal Attributes
The successful candidate will be a calm, decisive and highly organised operator who leads from the front and is respected by crews, port staff and clients alike. They will be practical and detail-focused without losing sight of the bigger picture, and will set high standards while bringing people with them. They will be culturally fluent, comfortable working closely with a family-owned business and a new CEO, and committed to developing the next generation of Saudi talent.
This is an outstanding opportunity to shape the operations of a respected Saudi maritime business through a period of significant growth.