BOARDING OFFICER
WHAT IT IS

When a ship calls at a port, several tasks must be done. Boarding Officers are onsite operations personnel with knowledge of the workings of a particular port where ship owners may not have an office or staff. They help to coordinate anything a ship needs while it is in the port.
Boarding Officers work in ship agencies, which are the first point of contact for vessels arriving into port. It represents foreign principals in handling all matters relating to callings of their ships and cargo work in Singapore, such as declaration to various government agencies for port clearance, cargo documentation and invoicing.
Boarding Officers board vessels at anchorage or at berth so as to:
- Handle vessels' arrival/departure formalities
- Care for the vessel’s husbandry needs
- Work with principals (i.e. shipowners or operators) in matters related to ship callings (in Singapore)
Boarding Officers earn a monthly salary of about $2,400 to $3,500.
Source: Data from industry surveys conducted by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The data reflects the indicative monthly basic pay and excludes fixed bonuses, variable bonuses, overtime pay and allowances. Actual salaries may differ due to market conditions and company/organisation policies.
WHAT IS REQUIRED
- A diploma of any discipline
- Good negotiation and communication skills
- Good interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships with people of all levels
- Ability to work under intense pressure
CAREER PROSPECTS

FEATURE STORY

Khamis bin Saad Manager of Agency & Operations
From office boy to his role now as Manager of Agency & Operations at Oxalis Shipping, a lot has changed for Khamis bin Saad over the past 42 years but he is still loving every moment of it! What has his career been like?
Find out more about his maritime journey here.

Mervin Yeo Tze Kang Ship Agent (Operations)
Mr Mervin Yeo Tze Kang shares about the need to be forward thinking, as a key trait towards success as a Ship Agent (Operations) at Meridian Port Agencies Pte Ltd.
At the end of the day, he believes that issues can be readily taken care of simply by thinking ahead to analyse problems that may arise. “In doing so, you will be able to ensure that everything goes smoothly – which is what it takes to succeed in Operations,” he says.
Read more about his maritime journey here.
FIND OUT MORE
Ship Agencies - Singapore Maritime Services Guide
SkillsFuture - Skills Framework for Sea Transport