Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Yacht Program Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The Yacht Program Assistant is a shore-based or hybrid operations professional who supports yacht operations teams, fleet managers, and captains by coordinating logistics, managing documentation and compliance, tracking maintenance and budgets, and acting as a primary point of contact for crew, vendors, and guests. This role requires strong administrative, organizational, and interpersonal capabilities combined with working knowledge of maritime operations, charter protocols, and vendor networks to ensure yachts operate safely, efficiently, and profitably.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Deckhand, Steward/Stewardess, or Junior Crew member transitioning ashore
Operations Assistant or Administrative Assistant in maritime, hospitality, or logistics
Charter Broker Assistant or Reservations Coordinator

Advancement To:

Yacht Program Manager / Fleet Coordinator
Shore Operations Manager or Fleet Operations Manager
Charter Operations Manager or Yacht Manager

Lateral Moves:

Charter Broker / Sales Coordinator
Procurement Specialist (yacht supply & provisioning)
Crew Coordinator / Crew Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate multi-leg yacht itineraries and port calls by liaising with captains, agents, marinas, port authorities, customs and immigration to secure permits, clearances, berths, and pilotage while optimizing route costs and schedules.
Manage crew logistics including work contract tracking, visa and travel arrangements, flight bookings, crew rotation calendars, onboarding/offboarding paperwork, STCW and medical certification records to ensure legal compliance and minimal crew downtime.
Oversee provisioning and inventory control by producing detailed provisioning lists, ordering supplies and perishables, tracking stock levels across multiple vessels, reconciling invoices, and coordinating delivery windows that align with arrival and departure plans.
Administer maintenance schedules and service coordination by tracking planned maintenance, arranging technical inspections, coordinating shipyard or service engineer visits, raising and following up on work orders, and maintaining equipment/service history logs in the fleet management system.
Act as the administrative focal point for charter operations: prepare and distribute charter contracts, standard operating procedures, guest itineraries, guest preference profiles, briefing packs for captains and crew, and post-charter reconciliation and reporting.
Maintain accurate financial records related to yacht operations including purchase orders, vendor invoices, expense reporting, petty cash reconciliation, budget tracking for refits and operational periods, and support month-end close activities.
Serve as the primary vendor and supplier point of contact for procurement, negotiating terms, obtaining competitive quotes, managing delivery schedules, monitoring service-level agreements (SLAs), and maintaining up-to-date vendor contact and pricing databases.
Prepare, review, and maintain all regulatory and statutory documentation for each yacht — including flag-state certificates, class surveys, insurance paperwork, and safety equipment logs — and coordinate with flag/inspection authorities to ensure continuous compliance.
Monitor and report operational KPIs such as fuel consumption, engine hours, maintenance costs, charter revenue vs. budget, and guest satisfaction, producing weekly and monthly dashboards for program managers and ownership.
Coordinate emergency response logistics and support incident management by escalating issues to the captain and shore management, arranging urgent parts or specialist technicians, and documenting incident reports and outcomes for compliance and continuous improvement.
Support refit and project management activities by preparing scope-of-work packages, tracking change orders, maintaining project timelines and budgets, and coordinating communications between shipyard teams, technical superintendents, designers, and owners.
Maintain and update digital systems and databases (fleet management software, CRM, procurement tools, and shared drives) ensuring data accuracy, version control of technical documents, and easy retrieval of certificates, manuals and supplier records.
Facilitate guest services and hospitality handoffs by compiling guest briefing documents, dietary and medical requirement records, and guest gear/toy inventories while ensuring privacy and high-touch communication before, during, and after charters.
Coordinate tender, toys and logistics planning including yacht-to-shore transfers, marina reservations, crew transport, fuel bunkering, and arranging specialty services such as helicopter transfers, private dining or special events.
Lead weekly operational coordination calls with captains, chief engineers, purser/stewardess leads and shore support to review schedules, outstanding actions, maintenance plan adjustments, provisioning windows and any open compliance items.
Perform periodic audits of on-board inventories, safety equipment and documentation to verify record accuracy, flag gaps or expirations, and generate action lists with target completion dates for shore teams and vessel staff.
Draft, distribute and archive standard operating procedures (SOPs), checklists and templates for common operational workflows including handover packs, incident forms, supplier appointment templates and charter close-out checklists to standardize operations across the fleet.
Manage yacht insurance and warranty administration by preparing documentation for claims, coordinating surveyor visits, collecting repair estimates, and liaising with insurers and technical teams to expedite resolutions.
Coordinate environmental compliance and waste management procedures by ensuring proper handling and documentation of garbage, oil residues and controlled substances, tracking MARPOL and local environmental policy adherence during port calls.
Provide high-quality administrative support including email and calendar management for the yacht operations team, drafting correspondence to owners and stakeholders, organizing travel arrangements for shore staff, and maintaining confidential personnel and financial records.
Support tender negotiations and contracts for subcontracted services (chandlery, technical services, crew training, housekeeping) and manage the onboarding process for new suppliers including vetting, referencing and compliance checks.
Create and maintain comprehensive post-voyage and post-charter reports that consolidate operational issues, guest feedback, maintenance hits, and cost variance analyses to support continuous improvement and owner reporting.
Coordinate training and certification schedules for crew by liaising with training providers, scheduling courses (safety, hospitality, technical), tracking training completions and maintaining certification expiry calendars.
Act as ambassador for the yacht program when interacting with owners, charter clients, marina staff and external stakeholders, ensuring a professional image and prompt resolution of client queries or operational discrepancies.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Assist with ad-hoc projects such as sustainability initiatives, carbon tracking for voyages and implementing digital paperless workflows across the fleet.
Support marketing and sales teams with operational data and logistics input for charter listings, availability calendars and feature sheets.
Conduct vendor performance reviews and assist procurement with supplier re-evaluations and tender processes.
Assist in periodic risk assessments and prepare mitigation plans for operational and reputational risks associated with voyages and charters.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Yacht operations coordination and port call planning experience with familiarity of marina, berth and pilotage booking processes.
Knowledge of maritime documentation and compliance: flag-state certificates, class renewals, SOLAS/ISM basics, MARPOL and customs/immigration procedures.
Proficiency with fleet/maintenance management software (e.g., ShipNet, BASSnet, Q88, CAMS, ManagerPlus) and CRM systems used for charter operations.
Strong inventory and provisioning management skills; experience using inventory systems, generating purchase orders and managing cold-chain logistics for perishables.
Financial administration skills: purchase order processing, invoice reconciliation, budget monitoring, and basic accounting principles.
Familiarity with voyage planning tools, route optimization considerations, and basic fuel management calculations.
Experience drafting and maintaining SOPs, checklists, project scopes and charter documentation.
Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel for pivot tables, lookups and reporting), Google Workspace, and digital file management systems.
Experience coordinating shipyard works, refit schedules, and interacting effectively with technical superintendents and marine engineers.
Working knowledge of crew compliance tools and ability to manage crew contracts, visas, travel logistics and certification records.

Soft Skills

Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple yachts, deadlines, and priorities simultaneously.
Strong interpersonal communication and stakeholder management skills for effective engagement with owners, captains, crew, vendors and agents.
Problem-solving and critical thinking under pressure—comfortable handling unexpected operational issues and emergencies.
High attention to detail and accuracy when handling documentation, certificates and financial records.
Customer-facing professionalism and commitment to a hospitality standard that supports guest satisfaction.
Team player attitude with ability to work cross-functionally across shore teams and on-board personnel.
Cultural sensitivity and discretion when dealing with high-net-worth individuals, VIP guests and confidential owner information.
Adaptability and flexibility to work irregular hours and support operations across multiple time zones.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent; strong administrative or hospitality training.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Maritime Studies, Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Logistics & Supply Chain, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Maritime Studies / Nautical Science
Hospitality Management / Hotel & Tourism
Business Administration / Management
Logistics & Supply Chain Management
Marine Engineering (technical operations familiarity)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–5 years in yacht operations, charter support, maritime administration, or related hospitality/logistics roles.

Preferred:

2–4 years’ direct experience supporting yacht or small commercial vessel operations, charter management or shore-based fleet coordination.
Experience working with high-net-worth clients, charter guests or within luxury hospitality is highly desirable.
Familiarity with international travel logistics, visas and customs procedures, and basic seafaring certification requirements (STCW awareness) preferred.