Marine & Island Coordinator Watch

Summary

• Location: Ostend, Belgium – primarily office-based (Belgian resident required)
• Contract type: Consultancy / contractor engagement – full-time
• Start date: ASAP – immediately available candidates only
• Duration: 1 year – long-term extension likely
• Compensation: Competitive – to be confirmed
• Languages: Dutch: fluent (mandatory) | English: fluent (mandatory)
• Team: Marine & Island Coordination Team (MIC Team) – reporting to MIC Lead and MIC Assistant
• Right to work: Belgian resident with valid EU work authorisation required

Project overview

This role sits at the heart of one of Belgium's most significant energy infrastructure undertakings: the construction and commissioning of an offshore energy island and its associated high-voltage grid connections. The project encompasses an artificial energy island, multiple 66 kV and 220 kV AC high-voltage substations, and six 220 kV AC export cable systems (each approximately 50 km long) connecting offshore wind generation to the onshore grid.

The complexity and scale of the offshore scope — combining island construction, HV substation commissioning, vessel operations, cable installation, and a large multi-contractor workforce — demands structured, real-time coordination of all marine and island activities. The Marine & Island Coordination (MIC) Team is the operational hub for this coordination effort.

Role overview

The Marine & Island Coordinator Watch (MIC Watch) is a full-time administrative and operational coordination support role embedded within the MIC Team in Ostend. The MIC Team structure consists of the MIC Lead, MIC Assistant, and MIC Watch — together responsible for the day-to-day oversight of all vessel movements, personnel transfers, access management, and operational data administration for the offshore project.

The MIC Watch is primarily a systematic, data-driven role: maintaining accurate records in the Marine & Island Coordination software platform (Offshare), monitoring contractor submissions, supporting permit and access administration, and providing structured reporting and meeting support to the MIC Lead and MIC Assistant. The role requires someone who is organised, reliable, and quick to adapt to new systems and procedures in a dynamic offshore project environment.

Key responsibilities

Operational data management – Offshare platform

• Maintain and update operational data within the Marine & Island Coordination software system (Offshare) — this is the primary day-to-day tool for the role
• Ensure all vessel registrations are correctly entered, maintained, and kept up to date: vessel details, certification status, operational windows
• Ensure all personnel registrations are accurately recorded and maintained: access permissions, competency status, shift assignments
• Monitor incoming information from contractors and verify completeness and correctness of submitted documentation before entry into the system
• Flag missing, incomplete, or non-compliant submissions to the MIC team for follow-up with the relevant contractor

Vessel and personnel coordination support

• Support the planning and coordination of vessel movements to and from the offshore project sites: scheduling inputs, movement logs, coordination with vessel representatives
• Support the administration and coordination of personnel transfers: offshore mobilisation and demobilisation logistics, documentation checks, access approvals
• Support the administration of permits, access requests, and vessel approvals: track requests through the approval process, maintain status registers, alert the MIC Lead or MIC Assistant to approaching deadlines or issues
• Provide support for onshore activities at the Ostend yard as required: coordination of project logistics, vehicle movements, storage access

Meeting support and reporting

• Participate in daily coordination meetings with the MIC Team and relevant stakeholders (package managers, HSE, contractors)
• Maintain accurate meeting minutes and action logs — distribute within agreed timelines
• Escalate inconsistencies, deviations, or operational concerns identified in the data or through contractor communications to the MIC Lead or MIC Assistant without delay
• Ensure accurate and timely administration of operational information across all MIC platforms and reporting formats

Requirements

Experience