All roles/Shoreside/Yacht Project Manager
Shoreside
Yacht Project Manager
A Yacht Project Manager plans and runs refits, repairs and upgrades from specification to redelivery, keeping the work on time, on budget and to class standard so the yacht is ready for its season.
- Department
- Shoreside
- Reports to
- Technical Director or Owner's Representative
- Yacht size
- 40m to 150m+
- Contract
- Permanent, shore based, or fixed term per project
- Starting pay
- €70,000 a year
What the job is
A Yacht Project Manager runs a defined piece of work on a yacht from scope to sign off: a refit, a major repair, a class survey, an interior refurbishment or a systems upgrade. You write the specification, get quotes from yards and contractors, set the budget and the programme, then manage it day to day until the yacht leaves the yard on time and the owner pays what was agreed. Most work for a management company, a shipyard or directly for an owner.
The job sits between the captain, the chief engineer, the owner's office and the yard. You hold weekly progress meetings, chase subcontractors, approve or push back on variation orders and keep a clear record of every change. Class societies such as Lloyd's Register, DNV and RINA, and the flag state, survey much of the work, so you plan inspections into the schedule and close out the paperwork before redelivery. Money is half the role: forecasts, invoices and cost to complete.
Most project managers come from the engine room or the bridge. A former chief engineer or captain who has lived through two or three yard periods knows where refits go wrong. Others arrive from naval architecture, shipbuilding or marine surveying. Expect long spells on site in Barcelona, La Ciotat, Viareggio, Palma, the Netherlands or Fort Lauderdale. The office is wherever the yacht is, and a six month refit is a normal assignment.
What makes a good one
- Writing clear refit specifications
- Budget control and cost forecasting
- Negotiating with yards and contractors
- Working knowledge of class and flag rules
- Calm leadership under deadline pressure
A day in the life
- 07:30Walk the yacht with the chief engineer before the trades arrive. Check the overnight paint work on the hull and note anything that has slipped since yesterday.
- 08:30Daily coordination meeting in the yard office with the yard project lead, the captain and the main subcontractors. Agree today's priorities and who needs access to which spaces.
- 10:00Meet the class surveyor in the engine room to witness a shaft seal inspection. Record the result and update the survey tracker.
- 11:30Review two variation orders from the joinery contractor. Approve one, send the other back asking for a breakdown of labour hours.
- 13:00Lunch at the yard canteen with the interior manager to run through the soft furnishings delivery and where it will be stored until the guest areas are clean.
- 14:00Update the cost to complete spreadsheet and the Gantt chart. Flag a five day delay on the stabiliser overhaul to the owner's office.
- 15:30Call the Dutch supplier about the replacement watermaker membranes and confirm shipping dates against the sea trial window.
- 17:00Write the weekly progress report for the owner's representative with photos, spend against budget and the three biggest risks.
- 18:30Final walk round with the bosun to check the yacht is secure, fire watches are in place and hot work permits are closed for the night.
Pay by country
Annual gross salary for a shore based project manager on refits and major works for 40m to 100m yachts. Senior and new build roles pay more. Fixed term contractors often bill a day rate of €500 – 900 plus travel and accommodation. No charter tips.
- France and Monaco
- €70,000 – 110,000
- Spain
- €55,000 – 85,000
- Italy
- €55,000 – 90,000
- United Kingdom
- £60,000 – 95,000
- USA (Florida)
- US$95,000 – 150,000
- Caribbean
- US$80,000 – 120,000
- UAE
- AED 300,000 – 480,000
- Australia
- A$120,000 – 170,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$110,000 – 150,000
Required
- Senior seagoing ticket or marine engineering degree
- Two or more refits or builds managed or led
- Strong written English
- Full driving licence
Recommended
- MCA Chief Engineer (Yacht) Y1 or Master (Yacht) 3000gt
- PRINCE2 Practitioner
- APM Project Management Qualification
- PMP
- NEBOSH General Certificate
- STCW Basic Safety Training
Visas
- Right to work in the EU (Schengen) for Mediterranean and North European yards
- Right to work in the UK for UK based management companies
- US work authorisation for Florida based roles
- Business visas for yard visits in Turkey, the UAE and elsewhere
Where it leads
Yacht Project Manager jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need to have worked on yachts to become a Yacht Project Manager?
Not strictly, but most people hired have. Shipbuilding and commercial marine project managers do get in, provided they learn the finish standards and owner expectations that set yachts apart.
Is this an office job or will I live in a shipyard?
During a project you will be on site most days, often for months away from home. Between projects you work from the company office on specifications, tenders and reports.
How does the pay compare to being a chief engineer?
Gross salaries are similar to a chief engineer on a mid sized yacht, but you pay income tax ashore and lose free food and accommodation. In return you get regular hours, a home life between projects and a clear route into technical management.