Port management is a necessary position required to keep ports organized, supervised, and functioning. There are numerous types of business interactions that occur at active ports, which usually requires a team of port employees to ensure that all transactions run smoothly. Ports often house cargo, ships, rental spaces, warehouses, and loading docks. There various functions of port management include overseeing all commercial and technical components of the shipping industry. This business is highly competitive, and the number of employees often depends on the location, size, and accessibility of the port.
Some of the duties in port management may include cooperating with other ports, coordinating deliveries with ships, overseeing port development, advertising and promoting the port, and enforcing security and environmental protection initiatives. Most ports have technological data systems, which are often shared with neighboring inlets. Shipping and port management is a career choice that often requires a degree in related studies. Coursework may include quantitative methods and market analysis, maritime logistics, port planning and pricing, and commercial law.
Most countries have a port management agreement handbook that includes policies, laws, and regulations that each port must agree to follow. Property management is a large portion of the job, which includes standards and responsibilities, security and insurance, valuation of aquatic land, and classifications of use. Port management agreements usually span over a 20-30 year period depending on the jurisdiction, and are subject to changes and renewal. Managers must ensure that there are no financial obligations tied to the local jurisdiction, and all remediations are dealt with directly by the port.
Managers are often hired by both private and public port authorities, and the general tasks typically include negotiating contracts, managing budgets, recruiting and training staff, and financial planning. There are port manager certification programs that can benefit employees and are usually offered at local port authorities. Specific qualifications are usually required for this type of program. Once in the program there are several seminars that must be attended, which may include harbors, navigation, environment, public relations, security, and maritime economic development.
Additional courses in port leasing may be helpful because port managers are often responsible for renting property to third parties, and there are legal intricacies that managers must be fully aware of. Insurance and security requirements of leases are extremely important, and violations generally result in termination of the lease, which is then transferred automatically back to the local government.