Category Manager - Towage

ABOUT MARCURA

Marcura connects the critical workflows that keep global shipping moving, from port spend management and procurement to compliance and financial transactions. Combining AI-driven automation and human expertise, Marcura solutions eliminate repetitive manual work while turning fragmented data into decision-ready intelligence. Marcura products — DA-Desk, PortLog, Claims, ShipServ, VesselMan, MarTrust and Brightwell Navigator — handle over 200,000 port calls and $17 billion in payments annually, supporting vessels that transport one-third of global seaborne commodities.

The company also ensures over 150,000 seafarers across cruise and commercial segments get paid every month. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Dubai, Marcura serves 950+ shipping companies worldwide through a team of 1,000+ maritime specialists.

Website: www.marcura.com

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Towage Category Manager owns PortsDirect’s towage supplier agreements and the growth of the contracted towage network across a global supplier base. The role secures terms that are competitive for the volume PortsDirect can credibly bring, makes sure suppliers deliver the service they have agreed, and extends coverage into priority ports where no suitable agreement exists today. It is the single accountable owner of towage contract competitiveness: where an agreement fails a fair, like-for-like market comparison, the role identifies it, understands why and leads the fix.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the commercial performance, renewal and improvement of all PortsDirect towage provider agreements.
• Build a port-by-port sourcing plan using customer demand, addressable volume, existing coverage, alternative suppliers and gaps in the network.
• Expand the contracted network into priority ports currently outside scope, concentrating on agreements that customers are likely to use.
• Negotiate pricing and terms against realistic, like-for-like volume and service requirements, assessing final customer cost (including relevant fees and charges) alongside supplier tariffs and discounts.
• Maintain evidence of market competitiveness, identify out-of-parity agreements, establish the cause and lead renegotiation or an alternative sourcing plan.
• Manage supplier relationships and performance across availability, responsiveness, service quality, invoice accuracy and compliance with agreed terms.
• Maintain accurate contract records covering terms, expiry, coverage, achievable volume, benchmarks, exceptions and corrective actions, and start renewals ahead of expiry.
• Work with Customer Success to understand why agreements are underused and remove supplier-side barriers, and share market insight with other category managers.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Maritime or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• Certifications: None required; a procurement qualification (e.g., CIPS) is an advantage
• 3+ years of commercial or procurement experience with a towage company or ship operator
• Towage, ship operating or port services; experience of owning a supplier category end to end preferred
• Commercial negotiation; procurement and sourcing judgement (when to renegotiate, re-source or walk away); analytical rigour; ownership and persistence; firm, constructive supplier relationship management; collaboration; able to manage a global supplier base while working remotely
• Technical skills, tools, platforms or methodologies required:
• Towage operations: the factors affecting price, capacity and service across ports.
• Procurement and sourcing: category ownership, port-by-port sourcing plans, tendering and supplier performance management.
• Commercial benchmarking: fair, like-for-like comparisons on total customer cost, allowing for service specification, port specifics and achievable volume.
• Contract management: building and maintaining a contract register and benchmarking evidence.
What You’ll Gain

• Exposure to strategic, monetization, and commercial product development.
• Mentorship from experienced product and growth leaders.
• The opportunity to see the full product lifecycle, from discovery to revenue impact.
• The chance to make a measurable impact on business and customer KPIs.