All roles/Shoreside/Yacht New Build Project Manager
Shoreside
Yacht New Build Project Manager
You manage a superyacht build for the owner, from signed contract to delivery, keeping the shipyard on specification, on budget and on schedule so the owner gets the yacht they paid for.
- Department
- Shoreside
- Reports to
- Owner's Representative or Director of Projects at the management company
- Yacht size
- Shore based, builds of 40m to 150m+
- Contract
- Permanent, shore based, or fixed term per build
- Starting pay
- €90,000 a year
What the job is
You represent the buyer during a build that can run three to five years and cost hundreds of millions. The shipyard has its own project manager. You sit on the other side of the table, checking that what is built matches the contract, the general arrangement and the technical specification. You are often based at the yard, in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy or Turkey, with a small site team of surveyors and specialists reporting to you.
Most of the work is paper and people. You review drawings, approve or reject change orders, track the build schedule against payment milestones and keep a defects list that never quite stops growing. You chair weekly progress meetings with the yard, the designer and the interior outfitter. You report to the owner's representative in plain terms: what is late, what it will cost and what decision is needed from the owner by when.
The job ends with sea trials, flag and class inspections, and delivery, where you sign off the yacht and hand it to the captain and crew. A good project manager protects the owner from cost creep and the crew from a yacht that is hard to run. Many come from senior engineering or captain roles at sea, so they know where a badly placed valve or an unreachable filter will cause trouble for years.
What makes a good one
- Reading technical specifications and drawings
- Contract and change order control
- Budget and schedule tracking
- Firm negotiation with shipyards
- Clear reporting to owners
A day in the life
- 07:30Walk the hull before the yard shifts settle in. Check progress in the engine room and crew mess against last week's photos and note anything new for the defects list.
- 08:30Inbox and document control. Review two revised drawings from the yard's engineering office and send comments on a stair detail that clashes with a fire door.
- 10:00Weekly progress meeting with the yard project manager, the naval architect and the interior outfitter. Agree actions on three late items and record who owns each one.
- 12:00Lunch in the yard canteen with the build captain, who has spotted that the tender garage door hydraulics leave no room for servicing.
- 13:00Assess a change order for an upgraded gym and AV package. Check the yard's price against your own estimate and push back on the labour hours.
- 14:30Witness a factory acceptance test on the stabiliser system with the class surveyor and sign the test report.
- 16:00Update the cost tracker and the schedule, then flag a two week slip on the paint programme that will affect the next payment milestone.
- 17:30Write the weekly report to the owner's representative: progress, budget position, risks and two decisions the owner needs to make this month.
- 18:30Call the interior designer in London about stone samples for the master bathroom before closing the laptop.
Pay by country
Annual gross salary for a full time, shore based project manager on large superyacht builds. Many roles sit at Dutch, German or Italian yards and pay similar figures. Fixed term build contracts often add accommodation, travel and a completion bonus. No charter tips.
- France and Monaco
- €90,000 – 140,000
- Spain
- €70,000 – 110,000
- Italy
- €75,000 – 115,000
- United Kingdom
- £75,000 – 120,000
- USA (Florida)
- US$120,000 – 180,000
- Caribbean
- US$100,000 – 150,000
- UAE
- AED 400,000 – 650,000
- Australia
- A$140,000 – 200,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$130,000 – 185,000
Required
- Naval architecture or marine engineering degree, or senior MCA sea-going ticket
- Proven superyacht new build or major refit experience
- Knowledge of class and flag requirements
- Right to work in the office country
Recommended
- APM Project Management Qualification
- PRINCE2 Practitioner
- PMP (Project Management Professional)
- NEBOSH General Certificate
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
Visas
- Right to work where the office or yard is based
- Schengen for yard visits in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy
- US B1/B2 for business travel to Florida suppliers and shows
Where it leads
- Chief Engineer
- Yacht Project Manager
- Yacht Refit Manager
- Yacht New Build Project Manager
- Owner's Representative
- Technical Yacht Manager
- Fleet Manager
Yacht New Build Project Manager jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Can I move into this role from working at sea?
Yes, and many do. Chief engineers and captains with build or big refit experience are often hired because they know how a yacht will be used, though you will need to get comfortable with contracts, budgets and formal reporting.
Do I have to live at the shipyard?
For most of a build, yes, or close to it. Expect long periods in places like the Netherlands, Germany or Italy, with travel to suppliers and the owner's team.
Who do I actually work for, the yard or the owner?
The owner, usually through a management company or owner's representative. The yard has its own project manager, and part of your job is holding them to the contract.